The Swiss popular vote of 29 November 2009 banning the building of minarets reflects wider trends across Europe regarding Islam. It cannot be reduced merely to anti-immigration feelings. Minarets have been used as a symbol of what Islam is alleged to represent. Islam is being constructed as an ideological threat in a way that is to a large extent disconnected from the local Muslim population and largely derives from wider developments and perceptions. The article provides an analysis of the background of the vote and of the various reasons that contributed to the outcome.

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