When most people in American think of an “immigration problem,” they are usually either critical or sympathetic.  Some see the millions of Mexicans willing to work for cheaper wages as unwanted immigrants who are taking American jobs; while other sympathize that the citizenship process is extremely difficult, especially for Mexicans.

Yet in Switzerland, as in much of Europe, the “immigration problem” sounds a lot like the national security debate of the United States, rather than our own discussions of immigration.  That’s because most immigrants to Switzerland are Muslims.

True, these aren’t Indian, Persian, or even Arab Muslims.  The vast majority of Muslims in Switzerland originates from Kosovo and Turkey, and they are not nearly as religiously conservative as their Muslim brothers in Arab and Persian countries, according to Amnesty International.

Yet this does not quell the fears of right-wingers in Switzerland.  They argue that the influx of Muslims threatens Switzerland’s national identity and security.  So, the Swiss People’s Party, the right-wing faction of Swiss Parliament, is leading a movement for a referendum to ban all minarets in Switzerland.  (For those of you who are wondering, minarets are those tall, thin structures next to mosques, akin to tall bell towers next to churches.)

A fierce campaign erupted in Switzerland that made this recent gubernatorial election in New Jersey look like Frisch’s Student Council elections.  The SVP put out posters with rockets lined up on a fragmented Swiss flag and a Muslim women in a niqab, the infamous head-to-toe garb that many Muslim women in Arab countries are forced to wear.  This played on the fears of many Swiss citizens that the influx of Muslim immigrants is eroding Swiss values and culture.

Interestingly enough, out of the 150 mosques in Switzerland, only four have minarets, with another two planned for construction soon.  There are only 400,000 Muslims in Switzerland, a country with a population of about 7.5 million people.

In the end, on November 29^th, the referendum was passed, with 57.5% voting in favor, and 42.5% against.

The Swiss government, which does not support this new ban, is desperately trying to assure other nations that this ban does not reflect a rejection of Islam.  The government fears the diplomatic backlash that Denmark experienced when a newspaper published cartoons lampooning Islam.

But no matter how Switzerland will fare diplomatically with other European and Muslim nations, I am disgusted by this vote.  Yes, it is the will of the people, and the ban will be added to the Constitution.  And how is it that this ban should occur in Switzerland, a country once famous for its religious and cultural tolerance?  I see this ban as no less discriminatory than the laws that, no so long ago, forbade the construction of new synagogues in many countries in Europe.

The fear that Western European Muslims express about walking the streets with anything that would identify them as Muslim is no less shameful than the fear that many European Jews express when they walk the streets wearing a kippah or tzitzit.   If we in the developed world hope to build more peaceful societies, we cannot stand for this intolerance and bigotry.