Switzerland are more well-known for its Rolex watches, Swiss knives and the Alps, not counting stories of corrupt political leaders and dishonest industry captains stashing their ill-gotten wealth in Swiss banks. The Swiss people are very much involved in the decision making process on many matters which affects their daily lives. Referendum are conducted before any decision is made concerning any public issues. The recent issue that went to the ballot box was on the iniative to ban the building of Islamic minarets on mosques.
The referendum was passed with a clear majority of 57.5 percent of the voters and in 22 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons. The vote against was 42.5 percent. Because the ban gained a majority of votes and passed in a majority of the cantons, it will be added to the Constitution.
The Swiss Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but the rightist Swiss People’s Party and a small religious party had proposed inserting a single sentence banning the construction of minarets, leading to the referendum.
The Nov 29 decision by majority of the Swiss people shocked many in the world including political leaders, religious figures and non-governmental organisations.
Closer to home, the Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman expressed "dismay" over the recent referendum to ban the construction of minarets in Switzerland. Anifah said Malaysia believes the Swiss move is a serious blow to religious freedom and will infringe on the rights of a minority to practise its religion in Switzerland.
In light of the Malaysian government's stand on the Swiss minarets issue, hopefully the powers-that-be will take cognizance of policies which affects the building and location of places of worship and placement and usage of religious symbols of the minority religions in the country. For the defender of the law, surely this can be easily honoured and followed as Malaysia also guarantees religious freedom as per Article 11 of the country's constitution. But then there will always be some square pegs who will insists on behaving otherwise with the justification that they represents the majority.
One should not only uphold the principle of majority rules but respect the minority rights, that is majority rules should not lead to the tyranny of the minority.. - Loka
Extract from the U.S. Department of State publication, Principles of Democracy.
On the surface, the principles of majority rule and the protection of individual and minority rights would seem contradictory. In fact, however, these principles are twin pillars holding up the very foundation of what we mean by democratic government.
• Majority rule is a means for organizing government and deciding public issues; it is not another road to oppression. Just as no self-appointed group has the right to oppress others, so no majority, even in a democracy, should take away the basic rights and freedoms of a minority group or individual.
• Minorities – whether as a result of ethnic background, religious belief, geographic location, income level, or simply as the losers in elections or political debate – enjoy guaranteed basic human rights that no government, and no majority, elected or not, should remove.
• Minorities need to trust that the government will protect their rights and self-identity. Once this is accomplished, such groups can participate in, and contribute to their country's democratic institutions.
