Swiss official: Voter approval banning minarets could be struck down in court

A top Swiss official said Monday that voter approval of a ban on minarets next to mosques could be struck down in court, as critics at home and abroad swiftly condemned the vote, saying it undermined the country’s liberal, secular image. Legal experts have questioned whether the ban on the Islamic towers used for the call to prayer is compatible with Switzerland’s constitution and international human rights law. “The ban contradicts the European Convention on Human Rights,” Zurich daily Blick cited Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf as saying. Source: AP