Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki had a telephone conversation with Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey on referendum in Switzerland banning the construction of minarets. Expressing his dissatisfaction, Mottaki warned the European governments that their anti-Islamic activities might cause unpleasant consequences, Iribnews reported.
Mottaki said that this ban does not suit Switzerland that always was a model for other countries for its democratic policy and damages the country's image among the world Muslims. "The Iranian religious leaders and the nation are concerned over the anti-Islamic actions," he said "Issues such as endurance, as well as dialogue and religious values should not be brought to referendum."
On Sunday the Swiss population supported a ban on building minarets on the territory of the confederacy in a general referendum. The majority of the votes of the 59 percent of the population that participated in the referendum supported the Swiss People's Party (SVP), known for its nationalist slogans and hopes to prohibit the construction of minarets in the country. SVP representatives see the minarets not as religious, but rather as political symbol and calls on avoiding the "Islamization" of the country.