Banning of Mosques Minarets in Switzerland How About Banning Crosses Above Churches in Islamic Countries
People light candles at the Bundesplatz to protest the new law banning mosque minarets. Switzerland has about 350,000 Muslims; community leaders rejected the depiction of minarets as a symbol of Sharia law Minaret ban wins Swiss support About 400,000 Muslims live in Switzerland, most from the former Yugoslavia and Turkey [Reuters] Voters in Switzerland have approved a ban on the construction of minarets on mosques, official results show. Of those who cast votes in Sunday's poll, 57.5 per cent approved the ban, while only four cantons out of 26 rejected the proposals. The result paves the way for a constitutional amendment to be made. "The Federal Council [government] respects this decision. Consequently the construction of new minarets in Switzerland is no longer permitted," the government, which had opposed the ban, said in a statement. The Swiss People's Party (SVP) had forced a referendum on the issue after it collected 100,000 signatures within 18 months from