Switzerland's vote to ban the building of minarets on mosques has received a mixed reaction throughout Europe and is being seen in some quarters as a setback for the continent's efforts at mending ties with the Muslim world. Around 57.5 per cent of Swiss voters endorsed the ban in a referendum on Sunday, which had been called by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP).
The ban drew an angry response from Muslims world-wide, with many seeing it as an attack on their right to religious freedom. Far-right politicians in several European countries with growing Muslim populations meanwhile signalled their intention to call for similar referendums.
Berlin-based expert on Islam, Konstantin Kosten, an expert on Islam for the independent German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) believes that while European countries are not likely to take any major political decisions regarding the issue of minarets, the Swiss vote puts the spotlight back on the issue of Muslim integration.
It is a negative surprise for all Muslims, especially in Germany. Now the discussion will start again about what does it mean for the so-called integration of Islam," Kosten said. In Germany, which is home to around 4 million Muslims, the government has been trying to narrow the gap between Muslims and non- Muslims. For the last three years, Berlin has backed an annual Conference on Islam to foster dialogue to this effect.
"Well, I think they have one main new topic to discuss now," he said. The Swiss ban is likely to trigger renewed debate on the issue of Mosques in Germany, he added. Last year, the first mosque with a minaret and dome in Berlin's former east opened to protests by far-right groups. Earlier this month, the first stone of a mosque in Cologne was laid after years of public debate and protest.
Plans for the mosque had sparked outrage from German right-wing groups. Critics had said the building's two 55-metre minarets would spoil the cathedral city's skyline. Many Muslims in Europe see such objections as a campaign by Europeans who believe Muslim immigration should be curtailed. The Swiss government has noted its opposition to outcome of the referendum, saying: "Switzerland is still interested in inter- religion co-operation." The vote was "against minarets not against Islam," it said.
There are four existing minarets in Switzerland, where some 400,000 Muslims live. Roberto Calderoli of Italy's far-right Northern League party on Monday said the Swiss vote "is a clear signal from the Swiss to us." The Danish People's Party and the Freedom Party PVV in the Netherlands also welcomed the outcome, saying they would call for similar referendums.
The far-right Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZOe), in backing the ban, said: "As long as fanatic Islamists describe their mosques as army barracks ... we will prevent building such installations to protect our democracy, human rights and freedom." The governments of Austrian and Sweden however slammed the vote. Interior Minister Maria Fekter said Austria "supports freedom of religion, and places of worship are part of this freedom."
Monsignor Antonio Maria Veglio, the head of the Vatican Council on Migration described the Swiss minaret ban as "a hard blow against freedom of religion and integration." In France, where controversy over is brewing over Muslim integration, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the ban was an expression of intolerance and religious oppression He said he hoped the Swiss would reverse the decision "quickly." The Swiss decision has caused outrage among Muslims in Germany.
Kenan Kolat, the head of TGD, an association of Turkish communities in Germany, said the decision was very regrettable." Basic rights such as religious freedom should not be allowed to come to popular vote, he added. Berlin-based Muslim teacher Ibrahim al-Khatib said the Switzerland's decision was "misplaced". Islam, he said, has become a part of Europe. A ban on minarets leaves Muslims feeling unwelcome, he told dpa. "I thought the Swiss were more tolerant," he said during an outing with his class to a mosque in Berlin's Templehof district.