An act of defiance

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 10 December 2009, 22:38

A Swiss businessman man has defied last week's referendum result and built a minaret by adding one to the roof of his shoe factory. Last week the people of Switzerland voted by 57% to ban the building of minarets despite the country only having four.

"It was scandalous that the Swiss voted for the ban. Now we have the support of all the far-right parties across Europe. This is shameful," Guillaume Morand, who owns a chain of shoe stores, told AFP.

The businessman, who is not a Muslim, explained that he had constructed the mock minaret at his building near the western Switzerland city of Lausanne in protest, and at the same time, to "send a message of peace".

To read the full story go to:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jEtHJMaOboide2wITSxabVwvHTYg