From the Times Online:
Ah, Switzerland, its Alpine pastures, its milk chocolate, its army knives and… its minarets. You might get that impression from the poster above. It is featuring in a campaign for one of those people's votes that only the Swiss come up with. The whole country votes on Sunday on a move to ban minarets from the country.
The controversial poster is not visible in the orderly, picturesque streets of Berne, the capital, where I have been talking to parliamentarians this morning, but it nevertheless represents an idea that a sizable minority of the Swiss agree with, according to the polls. There are too many Muslims in Switzerland and they should not be allowed to impose their religion in public, the argument goes. It is one of those Swiss paradoxes that the country which is most associated with tolerance, democracy and consensus should stage such a provocative referendum.
The Swiss should spend their time worrying about their suicidal birthrate.
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