Muslim minority speaker in Switzerland Ibrahim Salah has sent a letter to Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz, warning him of a conspiracy among right-wing extremists to remove Muslims from the country.
In his letter, Salah said he was shocked by the referendum which resulted in a ban on the building of minarets in Switzerland, and warned of votes being taken against similar Muslim symbols, such as the veil.
He told Al-Masry Al-Youm: "I warned the Swiss National Security Committee back in 2004 about discrimination against Muslims, although no Muslim has ever been accused in a terrorist case in Switzerland, according to federal police statements."
Salah referred to a trend in the seventies against foreign communities living in Switzerland, particularly the Spanish and Yugoslav communities. "Today it’s the Muslims," he said.
He ended his letter with an assurance that Muslims simply wish to be treated in accordance with the law and the Swiss constitution, which provides freedom to all people.
In a related development, liberal political activists in Switzerland are considering pushing for a new referendum to be held on discarding the results of the last one.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
