CAIRO — Muslim scholars have criticized a blanket Swiss ban on the building of mosque minarets as a serious violation of the Muslim minority's rights and a precedent that may undermine interfaith dialogue. "The International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has received the outcome of the minarets ban referendum with shock and surprise," the Dublin-based IUMS said in statement mailed to IslamOnline.
Swiss voters backed earlier this week a proposal by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) to ban the building of new mosque minarets in the European country.
The SVP -- Switzerland's biggest party – had forced a referendum on the issue after collecting 100,000 signatures within 18 months from eligible voters.
"I was greatly sadden by the result of this referendum," Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, IUMS president and chairman of the European Council for Fatwa and Research, said in a separate statement.
He expressed fears that the anti-Muslim ca fears the anti-Muslim campaigns might move from rejecting minarets to opposing mosques.
Egypt's Al-Azhar, the highest seat of religious learning in the Sunni world, also denounced the ban.
"This will have negative impacts on Muslims and we urge the Swiss government to abolish it," Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi told Swiss Ambassador in Cairo Dominique Furlger.
Islam is the second religion in Switzerland after Christianity, with Muslims estimated at nearly 400,000.
There are nearly 160 mosques and prayer rooms in the country, mainly in disused factories and warehouses.
Only four of them have minarets, none of them used to raise the Azan, the call to prayer, which is banned in Switzerland.
Islamophobia
Muslim scholars said the ban showed the extent of Islamophobia in the West.
"This exposed the blatant contradiction between Switzerland's rhetoric about democratic values and religious freedom and conducting a referendum that violates all human rights and religious freedom covenants," said the IUMS.
"The extremist and racist rightists had exploited fear of Islam and Muslims."
The SVP had claimed that minarets are a symbol of Shari`ah and the Islamization of Switzerland.
"This is a big lie. Minarets are a signs for worship places and do not have any political or other connotation."
In a report released last year, the Organization of Islamic Conference warned that defamation of Islam and racial intolerance were on the rise in western societies.
The same concerns were voiced a year earlier by UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and related Intolerance Doudou Diene.
Damaging
Muslim scholars cautioned that the far-right anti-Islam campaigns are threatening to undermine years of dialogue between Muslims and Christians.
"The result of this referendum will raise questions about the feasibility of rapprochement and dialogue between Muslims and the West," IUMS said.
"If Muslims' places of worship have become a matter of debate and referendums, so on what basis will dialogue be held."
The Dublin-based umbrella of Muslim scholar warned that such provocative moves would only play into the hands of extremists on both sides.
It urged the Swiss government not to allow far-rightists to threaten the Muslims' integration.
"The government should take all necessary measures to fight this animosity towards Muslims which was clear in the media campaign that preceded the referendum."
The scholars, meanwhile, urged Swiss Muslims to maintain clam and use all legal channels to challenge the ban.
"We call on Swiss Muslims to cooperate with all local and international organizations to reverse the ban through legitimate means.
"They should file lawsuits against the ban before the European Court of Human Rights."
The 47-nation Council of Europe said the minaret ban "raises concerns as to whether fundamental rights of individuals, protected by international treaties, should be subject to popular votes."
Experts believe the Strasburg-based court would likely revoke the Swiss ban on religious freedom grounds.
Source: IslamOnline
Swiss voters backed earlier this week a proposal by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) to ban the building of new mosque minarets in the European country.
The SVP -- Switzerland's biggest party – had forced a referendum on the issue after collecting 100,000 signatures within 18 months from eligible voters.
"I was greatly sadden by the result of this referendum," Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, IUMS president and chairman of the European Council for Fatwa and Research, said in a separate statement.
He expressed fears that the anti-Muslim ca fears the anti-Muslim campaigns might move from rejecting minarets to opposing mosques.
Egypt's Al-Azhar, the highest seat of religious learning in the Sunni world, also denounced the ban.
"This will have negative impacts on Muslims and we urge the Swiss government to abolish it," Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi told Swiss Ambassador in Cairo Dominique Furlger.
Islam is the second religion in Switzerland after Christianity, with Muslims estimated at nearly 400,000.
There are nearly 160 mosques and prayer rooms in the country, mainly in disused factories and warehouses.
Only four of them have minarets, none of them used to raise the Azan, the call to prayer, which is banned in Switzerland.
Islamophobia
Muslim scholars said the ban showed the extent of Islamophobia in the West.
"This exposed the blatant contradiction between Switzerland's rhetoric about democratic values and religious freedom and conducting a referendum that violates all human rights and religious freedom covenants," said the IUMS.
"The extremist and racist rightists had exploited fear of Islam and Muslims."
The SVP had claimed that minarets are a symbol of Shari`ah and the Islamization of Switzerland.
"This is a big lie. Minarets are a signs for worship places and do not have any political or other connotation."
In a report released last year, the Organization of Islamic Conference warned that defamation of Islam and racial intolerance were on the rise in western societies.
The same concerns were voiced a year earlier by UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and related Intolerance Doudou Diene.
Damaging
Muslim scholars cautioned that the far-right anti-Islam campaigns are threatening to undermine years of dialogue between Muslims and Christians.
"The result of this referendum will raise questions about the feasibility of rapprochement and dialogue between Muslims and the West," IUMS said.
"If Muslims' places of worship have become a matter of debate and referendums, so on what basis will dialogue be held."
The Dublin-based umbrella of Muslim scholar warned that such provocative moves would only play into the hands of extremists on both sides.
It urged the Swiss government not to allow far-rightists to threaten the Muslims' integration.
"The government should take all necessary measures to fight this animosity towards Muslims which was clear in the media campaign that preceded the referendum."
The scholars, meanwhile, urged Swiss Muslims to maintain clam and use all legal channels to challenge the ban.
"We call on Swiss Muslims to cooperate with all local and international organizations to reverse the ban through legitimate means.
"They should file lawsuits against the ban before the European Court of Human Rights."
The 47-nation Council of Europe said the minaret ban "raises concerns as to whether fundamental rights of individuals, protected by international treaties, should be subject to popular votes."
Experts believe the Strasburg-based court would likely revoke the Swiss ban on religious freedom grounds.
Source: IslamOnline
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