Following the Swiss referendum to ban minarets, a motion in the Dutch parliament called for more “discretion” over the placement of visible satellite dishes, the visibility of urban mosques, and the sound of calls to prayer. The motion was subsequently rejected by most MPs. The motion was initially tabled by the fundamentalist Christian SGP party,…
This article in Le Monde suggests that mosque construction – that of minarets in particular – is largely impaired in France because of financial constraints, and less to public opinion. Of the country’s 2000 mosques, only a minority have minarets. The Grand Mosque of Marseille, currently under construction, includes plans for a 25 meter-high minaret….
With banners saying “This is not my Switzerland” some Swiss took to the street to protest against a ban on minarets approved at the polls. Members of the Muslim community expressed their disappointment and incomprehension.
To the great surprise of pollsters and the regret of the government, the Swiss on Sunday said yes to a ban on the construction of minarets. According to final results, 57.5 percent of voters and a majority of cantons backed the initiative. Turnout was high at around 55 percent. The result comes as a major…
Will Swiss voters ban the construction of minarets (not mosques) in Switzerland on November 29? Not according to an opinion poll published on Friday. The survey says the initiative’s rightwing supporters are set for disappointment – along with leftwing voters who want to ban the export of war materiel – but it’s going to be…
