Deputies from the far-right Swiss People's Party (SVP), and Federal Union (EDU) have launched an initiative to ban the building of minarets in Switzerland. The initiative, launched on 15 May, aims to collect the 100,000 signatures required for a referendum to force a nationwide vote. A ban would help to stop "attempts by Islamist circles to impose a legal system based on sharia law in Switzerland", the backers say. The Catholic and Protestant Churches, most politicians and human rights experts oppose the initiative.

Bishop Pierre Bürcher, auxiliary Bishop of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg, who is a leading expert on Islam and the president of the Swiss bishops' conference's working group on Islam, said in an interview with the online news service swissinfo that what might go on inside mosques rather than the construction of minarets posed a greater threat to peace. The difficulties with Islam stemmed from a small extremist fringe, which posed "enormous problems" but did not represent true Islam.

The initiative to ban minarets showed that "unfortunately" there was now a certain amount of extremism in Switzerland itself. Mosques should come under increased surveillance and sermons be monitored, he said. "It is in this place of worship that the Islamic sermon, which is often politicised, and all the anti-Western or even terrorist teaching, can take place." It was essential to ensure that Swiss law was respected and not undermined by sharia law, Bishop Bürcher emphasised.

The Foreign Minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey, said a ban would harm the country's security interests. Spokespersons for the country's Muslims said they were "stunned" by the "Islamophobic" initiative. There are 340,000 Muslims in Switzerland, 4.5 per cent of the 7.5 million population.

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