Iran summons Swiss envoy over ban on minarets

Tehran, Dec 5 : Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki Saturday summoned Switzerland's ambassador to Tehran and harshly criticized the outcome of a Swiss referendum to ban the construction of minarets on mosques.

Last Sunday, Swiss voters endorsed the referendum that had been called by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), demanding a ban on building minarets.

According to the official news agency IRNA, the minister said such moves would only increase so-called Islamophobia and prejudice towards foreigners in Europe and further heighten tensions between Muslims and Christians.

Mottaki had called his Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmy-Rey to say that a country claiming to be respectful of democracy and human rights should not have allowed such a referendum, the report said.

"Religious values should never become subject of a referendum," Mottaki was quoted as saying. "In the eyes of the world's Muslims, the ban on minarets has damaged the image of Switzerland as a progressive country."

The Islamic republic's chief diplomat also said he hoped that the Swiss government would take the necessary steps, not prevent the ban from being implemented.

Switzerland is home to an estimated 400,000 Muslims.