Excerpt:
A leading member of the Swiss Council of Religions explains in detail why the body rejects a rightwing-supported ban on minarets.
The proposal for a ban will go to a nationwide vote on November 29. Council secretary Markus Sahli tells swissinfo.ch that education and integration are the best remedies for religious fundamentalism in Switzerland.
swissinfo.ch: The main argument the Council has used is freedom of religion. How does the body define this?
Markus Sahli: Freedom of religion is a universal human right. Every person has the right to practise his religion freely, openly and as part of a community. In our society freedom of religion is often understood as the freedom to abandon religion - for instance, not to belong to a religious community.
The positive aspect is also important: the freedom to practise religion or to be for religion. Of course, freedom of religion also has its limits. These are reached when human rights are affected, where laws and constitutions are questioned, and public order is disturbed.