"Islamophobic" ban on the construction of new minarets is to be condemned by the UN Human Rights Council, according to a draft resolution seen by AFP Wednesday. The draft text, put forward by Muslim and African states for consultation by the 47-member council, "strongly condemns ... the ban on construction of minarets of mosques and other recent discriminatory measures." Such measures are "manifestations of Islamophobia that stand in sharp contradiction to international human rights obligations concerning freedoms of religion, belief, conscience and expression." They "fuel discrimination, extremism, and misperception leading to polarisation and fragmentation with dangerous unintended and unforeseen consequences," warned the draft resolution, which is to be put to the Council for adoption before the end of its plenary session which runs until March 26. Switzerland held a referendum on November 29, 2009 in which citizens voted to ban the construction of new minarets, a move that drew criticisms worldwide. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has called the ban a "deeply discriminatory, deeply divisive and a thoroughly unfortunate step for Switzerland to take." The Organisation of the Islamic Conference has also urged Swiss authorities to annul the vote. Most recently, Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi called for jihad against Switzerland over its ban on new minarets.
AFP
