Anti-minaret poster continues to cause debate
The anti-minaret initiative is already causing controversy even before the first poster has been put up. While the city of Basel has already banned the SVP’s campaign material for the minaret ban initiative from public spaces, the city of St. Gallen has now decided to allow the poster.
The reason for the uproar is the image of a veiled woman in front of a Swiss flag with rocket-like mosques on it. The supporters want to put up this poster in several Swiss cities the week after next.
Dispute over the publication of the minaret posters
The canton of Basel-Stadt has already made its decision and is banning the supporters from putting up their poster on public property as it is racist, as André Frauchiger, spokesman for the Department of Construction and Transport, confirmed a report on Tuesday in the Tages-Anzeiger and in the Bund. According to SDA, Zurich, Winterthur, Bern and Lucerne are also toying with the idea of banning the poster. They are waiting for an expert opinion from the Federal Commission against Racism FCR, which Lucerne has commissioned. The opinion of international human rights organizations is also to be included in the ruling. The city of Lausanne has also banned the controversial poster. According to the city government, it conveys racist and dangerous images.
The newspaper publishers also have reservations. Ringier has already rejected the advertisements. The image equates Islam and minarets with violence. According to Tamedia spokesman Christoph Zimmer, the Tages-Anzeiger has also dispensed with the advertisement, and 20 Minuten, Berner Zeitung and Bund are also likely to do so. The decision will be left to the publishers themselves. The NZZ has not yet decided.
