Swiss voters narrowly supported the ban on burqas and other face coverings in one of the most controversial referendums on the country’s unique system of direct democracy, and yet another sign that resistance against Islam is gaining ground in Europe.
A slim majority of 51% of respondents voted to ban full-face coverage in public, compared with 49% against, according to the provisional results of Sunday’s poll, although the masks to slow the spread of Covid-19 permitted, and niqab burqas and veils may still be used in places of worship.
The Swiss government opposed the proposal, and some opponents of the ban accused right-wing groups of using the issue to stimulate anti-Muslim sentiment. During the campaign period, Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter noted that “you would almost think we live in Kabul”, while supporters described the possibility that women would wear coverings on their faces as a break with Swiss values.
Some cantons, or states, in the Alpine nation previously banned full-face coverage in regional voting. A national referendum in 2009 also saw Swiss voters support a proposal to ban the construction of minarets for mosques.
This time, rights, including the Swiss People’s Party, collected more than 100,000 signatures needed to trigger a vote on constitutional change and won the support of some moderate feminist and Muslim groups, including Saida Keller-Messahli, who founded a group called Forum for Progressive Islam.
The Swiss People’s Party was also the driving force behind the vote on minarets, describing them as foreign to Swiss cultural traditions and contributing to a wider debate in Europe about the integration of Muslims.
This debate continues in many parts of Europe. In France, President Emmanuel Macron has imposed legislation to ban what he calls “Islamic separatism” and includes measures to prevent indoctrination of children during home schooling.
France and other countries have also banned headscarves in public as a way of supporting secular values, while anti-immigrant sentiment has contributed to Britain’s vote to leave the European Union.
The Swiss government, in contrast, has asked voters to reject the ban on full-face coverage. He pointed to the country’s relatively small Muslim population, which comprises about 5% of its 8.5 million inhabitants, and warned of the impact this could have on the tourism industry. Switzerland’s lakes are popular with wealthy visitors from the Gulf states.
A left-wing coalition that opposes the ban has put up posters across the country declaring that the proposal was “absurd. Useless. Islamophobic. ”Some, including Tamara Funicello, of the left Social Democratic Party, objected to the idea that the government could tell women what they could and could not wear.
Andreas Tunger-Zanetti, a researcher on Islam at the University of Luzern, conducted a survey last year that found that most Muslims in Switzerland have their roots in the Balkans and few, if any, wear burqas, and only a few do. a veil.
The Swiss government is now forced to start working on legislation that prohibits all full-face coverage in public places, with exceptions for places of worship, health reasons and traditional celebrations such as carnival. He had proposed a more lenient approach that would require people to show their faces to the authorities, if necessary, for identification purposes.
Swiss referendums often address sensitive issues. Another vote could be held in June on the possibility of reversing government powers to impose blockades and other measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
They are also used to resolve most common issues. Last year, the Swiss voted to increase the stock of low-cost housing, tax incentives for children and expand wolf hunting. Voters on Sunday also approved a free trade agreement with Indonesia.
The proposals require a majority of voters and cantons to pass. Voters can vote in person at the polling booths, by post and online.
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