IN 2009, a referendum was held in Switzerland on the building of minarets in the country. The results of the referendum was that 57.5 percent of those who voted supported the ban on building future minarets in the country. As the referendum was for a constitutional amendment, it had legal force and mosques built in Switzerland now cannot have minarets.
Muslims in Switzerland account for some 5% of the population. The results of the referendum showed that the majority of Swiss citizens supported the ban. Does that mean that the Muslims of Switzerland must therefore adhere to the wishes of the majority? Does that mean that they do not have the right to freedom of religion and must obey the ban? What if it is something more integral to the practice of their religion, like how they can pray?
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