Swiss to vote on minarets

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Switzerland is to vote in a referendum on a controversial call by the far-right for a blanket ban on the construction of minarets.

In a second referendum to be held on Sunday, the Swiss will also decide whether to stop weapons' exports, a proposal opposed by the government which has warned that restrictions on foreign arms sales could put some 5,100 jobs at risk.

But the spotlight is likely to be trained on the anti-minaret proposal, which was brought by a far-right party and claims that the turrets or towers attached to mosques symbolise a 'political-religious claim to power.'

The Swiss government has asked the population to reject the call, arguing that accepting a ban would bring about 'incomprehension overseas and harm Switzerland's image.' the rest