Jews back Muslims on Swiss minaret ban

Citing religious discrimination, a diverse coalition of Jewish organizations is objecting to Switzerland’s ban of minarets on local mosques.

Swiss voters this week approved by a strong majority a referendum outlawing the construction of minarets.

However, Jewish organizations, realizing that a crackdown on Islam could have repercussions for Jews as well, have come to the defense of Muslim worshipers, arguing that the Swiss’s move was unjustifiable.

Anti-Defamation League tied the move to religious discrimination against Jews.”This is not the first time a Swiss popular vote has been used to promote religious intolerance,” said the ADL in a press release. “A century ago, a Swiss referendum banned Jewish ritual slaughter, in an attempt to drive out its Jewish population.” Source: Jerusalem Post