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| Swiss appear to back minaret ban | Swiss appear to back minaret ban |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Projections from exit polls suggest that voters in Switzerland have backed a referendum proposal to ban the building of minarets, Swiss TV says. | Projections from exit polls suggest that voters in Switzerland have backed a referendum proposal to ban the building of minarets, Swiss TV says. |
| The result is not yet official, but the BBC's correspondent in Berne says if it is confirmed, it would be a surprise. | The result is not yet official, but the BBC's correspondent in Berne says if it is confirmed, it would be a surprise. |
| The proposal was backed by the Swiss People's Party (SVP), the largest party in parliament, which claims minarets are a sign of Islamisation. | The proposal was backed by the Swiss People's Party (SVP), the largest party in parliament, which claims minarets are a sign of Islamisation. |
| Opponents say a ban would discriminate and that the ballot has stirred hatred. | Opponents say a ban would discriminate and that the ballot has stirred hatred. |
| The government opposes a ban. | The government opposes a ban. |
| Switzerland is home to some 400,000 Muslims and has just four minarets. Official referendum results are due at 1700 GMT. | |
| Under the Swiss system, a referendum result is not binding unless a majority of canton voting districts approve it, as well as a majority of voters. | Under the Swiss system, a referendum result is not binding unless a majority of canton voting districts approve it, as well as a majority of voters. |
| Partial results from the poll which closed at 1100 GMT indicated that the German-speaking canton of Lucerne accepted the ban, while French-speaking cantons Geneva and Vaud voted against, news agency AFP reported. | |
| "The initiative would appear to be accepted, there is a positive trend. It's a huge surprise," French-language television said, 30 minutes after polls closed at midday. | |
| Islam is the most widespread religion after Christianity in Switzerland, but it remains relatively hidden. | |
| There are unofficial Muslim prayer rooms, and planning applications for new minarets are almost always refused. | |
| Supporters of a ban claim that allowing minarets would represent the growth of an ideology and a legal system - Sharia law - which are incompatible with Swiss democracy. | |
| But others say the referendum campaign has incited hatred. On Thursday the Geneva mosque was vandalised for the third time during the campaign, according to local media. | |
| The BBC's Imogen Foulkes, in Bern, says the Swiss government fears banning minarets would cause unrest among the Muslim community and damage Switzerland's relations with Islamic countries. | |
| Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz said: "Muslims should be able to practise their religion and have access to minarets in Switzerland too. But the call of the muezzin [call to prayer] will not sound here." | |
| Amnesty International has warned that the ban would violate Switzerland's obligations to freedom of religious expression. | |
| 'Political symbol' | |
| Sunday's referendum was held after the People's party collected 100,000 signatures from eligible voters within 18 months calling for a vote. | |
| SVP member of parliament Ulrich Schluer said the referendum campaign had helped integration by encouraging debate. He rejected the charge of discrimination. | |
| "Every Muslim is allowed to come together with other Muslims to have the religion together," he told the BBC. | |
| "But a minaret is a political symbol. It is a symbol for introducing, step-by-step, Sharia rights also in Switzerland, parallel to the Swiss law which is a result of Swiss democracy. And this is the problem. It is nothing against Muslims." | |
| In recent years many countries in Europe have been debating their relationship with Islam, and how best to integrate their Muslim populations. | |
| France focused on the headscarf, while in Germany there was controversy over plans to build one of Europe's largest mosques in Cologne. |