Switzerland has come in for criticism from a senior United Nations body over a ban on the construction of minarets approved in a nationwide vote in November.
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The Geneva-based Human Rights Council on Thursday approved a resolution, sponsored by Pakistan, to denounce the vote as Islamophobic.
Twenty countries voted in favour of the resolution, 17 against, while eight abstained.
Nearly 58 per cent of Swiss voters approved an initiative in November banning the construction of minarets.
Earlier this year Switzerland was criticised by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and by the Libyan leader, Moammar Gaddafi, over the vote.
In a separate ballot the council called on Israel to pay reparations to Palestinians for loss and damages suffered during last year’s war in Gaza.
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Minaret ban approved by 57 per cent of voters
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According to final results, 57.5 per cent of voters and a majority of cantons backed the initiative. Turnout was high, at around 53 per cent. The result comes as a major surprise and a slap in the face of the government. Opinion polls ahead of the vote had predicted the ban would be rejected by…
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Vox Analysis, a study regularly done after nationwide referendums to understand voter choices, found that the vote was not against Muslims or foreigners in principle. The authors said Swiss xenophobia was not the main reason why the ban on the construction of minarets was passed by 57.5 per cent of voters on November 29. About…
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Most people swissinfo.ch spoke to in the streets of Bern on November 29 said they had voted in favour of a ban on the building of minarets. Only two supporters of the initiative agreed to be taped. (Julie Hunt, swissinfo.ch 29.11.2009)
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.