MaximsNewsNetwork: SWISS MINARET BAN & UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER NAVI PILLAY

MaximsNewsNetwork: 01November 2009 - UNTV - Geneva: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay says Switzerland's ban on building minarets is regrettable. Such a ban is, "discriminatory, deeply divisive and a thoroughly unfortunate step for Switzerland to take, and risks putting the country on a collision course with its international human rights obligations."

The spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said today at a press conference in Geneva that Navi Pillay regretted Switzerlands ban on building minarets, which will be enacted as a result of Sundays referendum on the subject. Pillay was attending the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.

Rupert Colville said that such a ban was discriminatory, deeply divisive and a thoroughly unfortunate step for Switzerland to take, and risks putting the country on a collision course with its international human rights obligations.

Colville said the High Commissioner hesitated to condemn a democratic vote but had no hesitation at all in condemning the anti-foreigner scare-mongering that has characterized political campaigns in a number of countries, including Switzerland, which helped produce results like construction ban.
Noting that the Government of Switzerland did not support the referendum initiative, the High Commissioner's statement said that banning an architectural structure associated with one religion only was clearly discriminatory.
It recalled that some of the politicians who proposed the motion had argued that it wasnt targeting Islam or Muslims while others claimed that banning minarets would improve integration.
The High Commissioner's office characterized these claims as "extraordinary" when the symbol of one religion was targeted.
Colville said that the High Commissioner was sad to see that arguments like these had sufficient resonance with a proportion of Swiss voters to overcome their longstanding support of fundamental human rights. He added that she felt the result of the vote taken alongside some of the blatantly xenophobic posters used in this and several recent political campaigns targeting asylum-seekers, migrants or foreigners in general were part of an extremely worrying trend.
Colville also said that said there was now a collision course between Swiss legislation and domestic international law that needs to be sorted out.

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