On Nov. 29, about 400,000 Muslims in Switzerland awoke to shocking news. 57.5 percent of their fellow Swiss countrymen had decided to ban the construction of minarets, an iconic symbol of Islam. Discontent and anger soon began to brew as the news reached the ears of a growing European Muslim population. Reactions around the world to this surprising vote mounted and accusations of intolerance and anti-Islamic bias soon amassed. A neutral country known for its humanitarianism, the Swiss government responded to these allegations of discrimination to a world-wide stage.

According to CNN on Nov. 29, the decision to ban the construction of minarets was not based in anti-Islamic sentiment.

“It will be possible to continue to construct the mosques,” said a statement from Switzerland’s government. “Muslims in Switzerland are able to practice their religion alone or in community with others, and live according to their beliefs just as before.”

Minarets are tall, ornate spires that rise high from the tops of mosques. Because of their enormous height, they are visible from far distances, and serve as the location where the adhan (a Muslim religious leader) would announce the call to prayer.

In dominantly Islamic countries, the adhan will usually use a speaker system to announce the call to prayer. However, in countries like Switzerland where Muslims constitute only six percent of the population, no grand announcements are made and the minarets stand only as a symbol of the Islamic community.

In Switzerland, there are only four minarets. Of the six percent Muslim population, the government claims only one in ten are devout participants. Thus, people around the world view the apparent hostility of the Swiss government as even more astounding, given Switzerland’s humanitarianism and neutrality.

“The government isn’t taking away the right to worship, just the religious imagery, but that doesn’t make the entire situation any less discriminatory,” said Phil Slaby, assistant professor of history.

Opinions as to why this ban passed offer insight into the multi-faceted realities of this act.

“This is an attempt to say you’re not welcome,” said Parveen Hasanali, assistant professor of religious studies. “The government is saying you are here, but you aren’t what we want you to be. Essentially, you’re either Swiss or you’re not.”

According to BBC News, Oskar Freysinger, a parliament member of the Swiss People’s Party stated that this was not an issue of discrimination.

“We don’t have anything against Muslims,” said Freysinger. “But we don’t want minarets. The minaret is a symbol of a political and aggressive Islam, it’s a symbol of Islamic law. The minute you have minarets in Europe it means Islam will have taken over.”

Along with the ban on the construction of minarets is the scattering of propagandistic posters across Switzerland.

One poster depicts the Swiss flag with minarets directly on top if it. However, these minarets appear to be in the form of menacing, black missiles, while alongside is a drawing of a woman in a burqua. Atop the image it says, “Stop! Yes for the ban on minarets.”

“You don’t have to have a lot of immigrants to harbor a fear against them,” said Slaby. “Throughout Europe is the protection of secularism and pluralism, yet because Islam stems from a theocratic government then the Swiss feel it is a challenge to Swiss values.”

With the burgeoning population of Muslims throughout Europe has come a narrow stereotype of Islam: one that links all Muslims with the notion of Islamic fundamentalism.

“One way to motivate the people is to scare the hell out of them,” said Slaby. “If posters appear of women forced to wear burquas and a veil, then this shows what Islam can bring. By voting for the ban, the Swiss are responding to the posters by saying that they are for the tolerance and progression of women.”

Senior and integrative studies major Sarah Campbell studied abroad in Switzerland last semester.

“Symbolically, this entire situation is a big to-do,” said Campbell. “The ban is not as much about anti-Islamic sentiment as much as about the Swiss being afraid to lose their ‘Swiss-ness’. The Swiss government seems to be preying on the fears of re-enforced stereotypes about Muslims in an attempt to protect their own cultural identity.”

Undoubtedly, controversy and accusations of xenophobia have surrounded this issue, yet some good could also arise from this international ordeal.

“In a way, it’s good this happened,” said Hasanali. “It makes us question this issue of democracy, freedom, and its limits.