Xenophobic Swiss voters 'Back ban on building of Minarets'

Swiss voters appear to have defied their Government and churches today and approved a national ban on the construction of minarets.

Early results showed that 57 per cent of voters had backed the proposal, ensuring international embarrassment for Switzerland and a possible backlash in the Muslim world. A majority of the 27 cantons supported the move, according to partial results.

Turn-out was 53 percent, a relatively low figure by the standards of Swiss democracy. Opponents of the measure saw this as a reflection of low interest among many voters who would not have approved of the ban.

The referendum was launched by the nationalist Swiss People's Party (SVP), the largest group in Parliament, after residents opposed the construction of a minaret in a town north of Berne, the capital.

Times Online