Swiss television says projections based on ballot results show Switzerland's voters have approved move to ban the construction of minarets, which right-wing parties have labeled as symbols of militant Islam.
The projections contracted by state-owned television DRS say the Swiss swung massively in recent days, from 37 percent support in pre-vote polls, to 59 percent in the actual voting.
Claude Ongchamp, the leader of the widely respected gfs.bern polling institute, says the projection also forecasts approval by more than half the country's 26 cantons, meaning it will become a constitutional amendment. The initiative was led by the nationalist Swiss People's Party, the country's largest. Projections were based on actual voting returns.
Your comments:
I am a Swiss. I voted against this ridiculous new law, but unfortunately I seem to be in the minority. But let me assure you not all Swiss citizens are this ignorant and intolerant. I want to officially apologize to all Muslims around the world for this unbelievably wrong and bad outcome. I can't say anything more, I'm still shocked.
Sven Bader
Switzerland
The ballots on the ban of minarets had an outcome very contrary to what had been expected. It came at a time of severe national confrontation with the clan of Libyan president Moammar Qaddafy, as well as of accumulating reports about the oppression of Christians in various nations.
Many topics were mixed in an unacceptable way in the popular debate preceding the vote. In addition, complicated questions of domestic policy threw their shadows onto debate.
A large amount of voters want their votes to be understood not as anti-Muslim or as addressed against the multicultural realities of Switzerland, but rather saw a due opportunity to raise their voices against forced marriage, female circumcision, Muslim non-integration into Swiss communities and extremist tendencies.
In the aftermath of the ballots, many Swiss citizens struggled to express their shock and disapproval. Grassroots-movements in support of local Muslims and Muslim culture (be it in the form of spontaneous demonstrations, the formation of virtual groups or real dialog and action groups) are forming and will continue to arise.
I am convinced that Switzerland as a country is willing to continue an inter-cultural dialog to address the real problems of migration and integration in a western society. Despite the outcome of this ballot, a vast majority of the Swiss population is ready to accept and address the challenges of diversity and is not willing to block it out.
Nicole Fischer
Jakarta
