ID :
93597
Mon, 12/07/2009 - 17:15
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http://m.oananews.org//node/93597
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Iran strongly protests Swiss minaret ban
TEHRAN, Dec. 5 (MNA) – In a telephone conversation with his Swiss counterpart on Friday, the Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki harshly criticized a ban on construction of minarets on mosques in Switzerland.
Mottaki said such a measure has tarnished the Swiss image in the eyes of Muslims in the world.
“The ban on construction of minarets in Switzerland has tarnished the image of Switzerland as a progressive country,” Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told Micheline Calmy-Rey.
Such a decision was not fit for a country like Switzerland which claims to be a defender of human rights in the world, Mottaki explained
In a referendum on Sunday more than 57.5% of Swiss voters and 22 out of 26 cantons - or provinces - voted in favor of the proposal to ban construction of minarets in the country.
The proposal had been put forward by the Swiss People's Party (SVP), the largest party in parliament.
Mottaki said issues such as “respect to religious values” should never be put to a plebiscite.
The top Iranian diplomat expressed hope that the Bern government will adopt an approach to reverse the decision.
For her part, Calmy-Rey expressed her dissatisfaction over the result of the referendum.
She said the referendum went ahead according to a proposal put forward by the ruling party despite opposition by the government and lawmakers from other parties.
However, she said her government will make maximum efforts to defend the rights of Muslims in the country.
Calmy-Rey said the ban on building minarets does not mean that Muslims will not be allowed to construct mosques in the country.
On Saturday, the Swiss ambassador to Tehran also met the Iranian Foreign Ministry director for Western Europe to elaborate on the Bern government’s position on the referendum.
During the meeting at the Foreign Ministry, Mostafa Dolatyar strongly criticized the anti-Islamic sentiment in Europe and said it is regretful that opposition to Islamic symbols has been started from a country like Switzerland.
“The consequences of such plans will be nothing except a rift between Islam and Christianity which is sought by extremist rightist parties in Europe,” Dolatyar noted.
Iran’s ambassador to Bern also met with the Swiss deputy foreign minister on Friday to declare the Islamic Republic’s discomfort about banning construction of minarets in the country.
Mottaki said such a measure has tarnished the Swiss image in the eyes of Muslims in the world.
“The ban on construction of minarets in Switzerland has tarnished the image of Switzerland as a progressive country,” Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told Micheline Calmy-Rey.
Such a decision was not fit for a country like Switzerland which claims to be a defender of human rights in the world, Mottaki explained
In a referendum on Sunday more than 57.5% of Swiss voters and 22 out of 26 cantons - or provinces - voted in favor of the proposal to ban construction of minarets in the country.
The proposal had been put forward by the Swiss People's Party (SVP), the largest party in parliament.
Mottaki said issues such as “respect to religious values” should never be put to a plebiscite.
The top Iranian diplomat expressed hope that the Bern government will adopt an approach to reverse the decision.
For her part, Calmy-Rey expressed her dissatisfaction over the result of the referendum.
She said the referendum went ahead according to a proposal put forward by the ruling party despite opposition by the government and lawmakers from other parties.
However, she said her government will make maximum efforts to defend the rights of Muslims in the country.
Calmy-Rey said the ban on building minarets does not mean that Muslims will not be allowed to construct mosques in the country.
On Saturday, the Swiss ambassador to Tehran also met the Iranian Foreign Ministry director for Western Europe to elaborate on the Bern government’s position on the referendum.
During the meeting at the Foreign Ministry, Mostafa Dolatyar strongly criticized the anti-Islamic sentiment in Europe and said it is regretful that opposition to Islamic symbols has been started from a country like Switzerland.
“The consequences of such plans will be nothing except a rift between Islam and Christianity which is sought by extremist rightist parties in Europe,” Dolatyar noted.
Iran’s ambassador to Bern also met with the Swiss deputy foreign minister on Friday to declare the Islamic Republic’s discomfort about banning construction of minarets in the country.
