Bildt blasts 'prejudice' of Swiss minaret ban
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
Published: 30 Nov, 2009 CET.
Updated: Mon 30 Nov 2009 11:02 CET
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt on Monday slammed Switzerland's referendum to ban the construction of minarets on mosques in the Alpine country.
"It's an expression of quite a bit of prejudice and maybe even fear, but it is clear that it is a negative signal in every way, there's no doubt about it," Bildt, whose country holds the current European Union presidency, told Svergies Radio (SR).
Swiss voters on Sunday approved by a majority of 57.5 percent a ban on minarets in a referendum.
Bildt said he found it odd that such a decision was put to a referendum.
"Normally Sweden and other countries have city planners that decide this kind of issue. To decide this kind of issue in a referendum seems very strange to me," he said.
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"It's an expression of quite a bit of prejudice and maybe even fear, but it is clear that it is a negative signal in every way, there's no doubt about it," Bildt, whose country holds the current European Union presidency, told Svergies Radio (SR).
Swiss voters on Sunday approved by a majority of 57.5 percent a ban on minarets in a referendum.
Bildt said he found it odd that such a decision was put to a referendum.
"Normally Sweden and other countries have city planners that decide this kind of issue. To decide this kind of issue in a referendum seems very strange to me," he said.
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