French Jewish President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday warned believers to be thankful for the religious freedom they enjoy in France, amid national debates over faith following a Swiss ban on minarets. In an opinion piece published in the French daily Le Monde, the president defended the Swiss referendum against widespread international condemnation of the ban. “Instead of condemning the Swiss... 

Citing religious discrimination, a diverse coalition of Jewish organizations is objecting to Switzerland’s ban of minarets on local mosques. Swiss voters this week approved by a strong majority a referendum outlawing the construction of minarets. The measure, pushed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), was supported by 57 percent of the population. However, Jewish organizations,... 

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has joined a chorus of international criticism of Switzerland’s ban on minarets, saying it refelects an increasingly racist and fascist stance in Europe. The Swiss foreign minister said the vote may pose a threat to the country’s security. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Switzerland’s vote to ban the construction of minarets... 

Swiss voters are to decide during a referendum on November 29 whether to ban the construction of minarets in Switzerland, a proposal launched by right-wing groups and backed by the country's biggest political party, the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP). Switzerland’s biggest Jewish groups said Wednesday that a far-right push to ban the construction of minarets here was a “threat”...