Saint Paul prays that that the Philippians "may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ" in this Sunday's second reading. Commentators are blaming apathy and low turnout among liberal-minded Swiss voters for the surprising approval over the weekend of a ban on building minarets on Muslim houses of worship. Some fear the vote reflects rising hostility across the region to an increasing Muslim presence.

The United Nations called Switzerland's ban on new minarets "clearly discriminatory" and deeply divisive, and the Swiss foreign minister acknowledged Tuesday the government was very concerned about how the vote would affect the country's image.

U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay said the referendum's success was the product of "anti-foreigner scare-mongering," and some Swiss media outlets were criticized for fomenting such attitudes. Pillay said she was saddened to see xenophobic arguments gain such traction with Swiss voters despite their "long-standing support of fundamental human rights."

The criticism from Pillay, whose office is based in the Swiss city of Geneva, was accompanied by an outcry of protest from Muslim nations and other countries around the world. But some European nations were muted in their criticism, reflecting Europe's broader struggle to integrate Muslims into mainstream society. Neighboring France, for example, is embroiled in its own debate on whether burkas-the traditional Muslim women's clothing--should be banned in public.

The referendum doesn't affect Switzerland's four existing minarets or the ability of Muslims to practice their religion. It only bans the towers used to put out the Islamic call to prayer. Muslims make up about 5 percent of the country's 7.7 million population.

"This is another blow to the world's view of Switzerland as a nation of tolerance and civilization," a senior Swiss diplomat said. The business community and most churches also had urged voters to turn down the minaret ban, which they said breached the Swiss Constitution and its guarantees of freedom of religion. The proposal would only "serve the interests of extremist circles," the government had warned. An appeal of the vote likely will be lodged with the European Court of Human Rights.

Source: Articles by Juliette Terzieff for World Politics Review, Charles Bremner for TimesOnline.co.uk,
Ecumenical News International, and Bradley S. Klapper for Associated Press