Church and minarets coexist in other parts
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, condemns the decision by a clear majority of Swiss voters and 19 and one-half cantons to ban minaret building in Switzerland, and says he is “shocked”. The Swedish integration minister, Nyamko Sabuni, says the vote was “an abuse of the Swiss voting system”, while Tobias Billstroem, her colleague in charge of migration and asylum policy, says “there are certain things one does not put to a popular vote”. The French Minister of Immigration, Eric Besson, says that it is wrong to “stigmatize a religion, in this case Islam”.
In Switzerland itself the reaction ranges from incredulity to glee. The Swiss people expressed their fear, says Romandie News, a fear of Islamist terrorism and Muslim immigration, citing the French-language press.
