AMNESTY BLASTS SWISS MINARET BAN PLAN

Amnesty International on June 28 blasted a far-right campaign to ban minaret construction in Switzerland, warning the drive aims to exploit fears of Muslims and encourage xenophobia for political gains. “This initiative claims to be a defence against ‘rampant Islamification’ of Switzerland,” Daniel Bolomey, the head of Amnesty’s Swiss office, said in a statement cited in media reports. “But it seeks to discredit Muslims and defames them, pure and simple.” A campaign was launched last year by the far-right Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and a small ultra-conservative Christian party to have the building of minarets banned in Switzerland. The far-right parties claim that a minaret is not necessary for worship but is rather a symbol of Islamic law which is incompatible with Switzerland’s legal system. The campaign has caused an outcry in the Swiss political world, with the government denouncing it as unconstitutional and discriminatory. The SVP has amassed 113,000 votes to force a nationwide ballot on the minaret ban. Under Swiss rules, the electorate can request a popular vote if it manages to collect 100,000 signatures within 18 months from eligible voters for the initiative. No date has been set for the vote, but it is not expected to take place before November. A nationwide referendum on the issue would be binding under the country’s system of direct democracy.