25th JANUARY 2010
MINAB TO CONTEST BAN ON MINARETS IN TALKS WITH SWISS AMBASSADOR
On Tuesday 26th January 2010 the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) will meet the Swiss Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Mr Alexis Lautenberg, to discuss his country's recent ban on minarets.
MINAB is made up of four founding organisations: the British Muslim Forum, the Muslim Council of Britain, the Al-Khoei Foundation and the Muslim Association of Britain. The talks will involve a representative from each of these four organisations, as well as Maulana Shahid Raza OBE, Chair of MINAB. Together, they will relay to the Ambassador their grave concern about the result of a referendum held in November 2009 which bans the construction of new minarets in Switzerland.
Maulana Shahid Raza OBE said:
"Mosques are vital community hubs which, in just and democratic societies like the UK and Switzerland, serve as a valued reminder of our freedom to practice religion. We will take this opportunity to express to the Swiss government our deep concern that this ban may contradict International Human Rights obligations on the freedom of religion. Further, we feel that this ban is discriminatory as it specifically targets Muslim places of worship without any legitimate justification.
"Muslims have lived peacefully in Switzerland for many years and the country has long been regarded as a tolerant society. However, this ban will alienate Muslims and can deeply affect relations between communities and faiths.
"We will therefore urge the Swiss government not to incorporate this ban into the constitution and to pursue policies to promote an understanding of Islam that is not based on scaremongering and fear".
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) is the representative body of all UK Muslim denominations set up to promote excellence in Mosques and Islamic Institutions.
Twelve hundred people representing nearly six hundred mosques and Islamic Institutions from across the country and from all sections of the Muslim communities, Shi'as as well as Sunnis, joined together on Sunday 10th May 2009 in Birmingham to elect the Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board.
