Arab states urge Switzerland to reconsider minarets ban

MOSCOW - The League of Arab States has called on Switzerland to reconsider its decision on banning the construction of new minarets in the country.

“We wish the people of Switzerland would reconsider this mistaken decision, which risks fuelling racism in Europe,” the Arab League’s parliament said in a statement Tuesday.

Switzerland voted at a national referendum Nov 29 to ban the construction of new minarets, sparking worldwide protests among Muslims.

Despite government calls for the proposal to be rejected, 57.5 percent of voters and 22 out of 26 Swiss cantons backed a Swiss People’s Party (SVP) initiative aimed at stopping the “Islamisation of Switzerland”.

–RIA Novosti