Austria’s Islamic community has bemoaned the Swiss minaret referendum result this weekend.
In the referendum on Sunday 57 per cent of citizens backed a halt to more minarets being built in the country.
Omar Al-Rawi, the Austrian Islamic Community’s integration consultant, said yesterday (Mon): “With this decision the Swiss failed to make a statement against social exclusion, discrimination and populism.
“Human rights are not separable, and religious freedom rights are a main part of these rights.”
Catholic Church leaders and leaders of the People’s Party (ÖVP), the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the Greens also criticised the result.
But Austria’s two right-wing parties – the Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) - praised the result, calling Switzerland a “role model for other European countries”.
There are three minarets in Austria: in Vienna, Bad Vöslau in Lower Austria and Telfs, Vorarlberg. The provinces of Carinthia and Vorarlberg have recently introduced laws which ensure no more minarets can be erected.