# Popular initiative "Against the building of new minarets" (2009)

A thematic map of the Atlas of Switzerland, the national atlas published by ETH Zurich. The map is drawn in the browser; this file describes it and lists its variants and links, but not the data values shown on the map.

- Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/popular-initiative-against-the-building-of-new-minarets-2009/
- Short title: Ban on minarets (2009)
- Map id: 700
- Categories: State and Politics › Votes › Social policy
- Keywords: Culture, discrimination, Religion
- Published: 2019-12-04
- Last revised: 2020-09-10
- Content language: English
- Other languages: [Deutsch](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/de/thema/volksinitiative-gegen-den-bau-von-minaretten-2009.md), [Français](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/fr/theme/initiative-populaire-contre-la-construction-des-minarets-nouveaux-2009.md), [Italiano](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/it/tema/iniziativa-contro-ledificazione-di-minareti-2009.md)

## Description

### The proposal

The popular initiative intends to ban the building of new minarets in Switzerland. The controversy refers to construction of minarets, which has been subject to legal and political controversy in Switzerland during the 2000s.

This referendum originates from action on 1 May 2007, when a group of right of centre politicians mainly from the Swiss People's Party and the Federal Democratic Union, the so-called Egerkinger Committee launched a federal popular initiative that sought a constitutional ban on minarets. The Swiss government recommended that the proposed amendment be rejected as inconsistent with basic principles of the constitution.

As of the date of the 2009 vote, there were four minarets in Switzerland, attached to mosques in Zurich, Geneva, Winterthur and Wangen bei Olten. These existing minarets are not affected by the ban.

### Results

The initiative was accepted by the electorate and the cantons.

Voter turnout: 53.4%
Votes in favour: 57.5%

## Sources

- Federal Chancellery (2009): Vote documentation

## Data sources

- Atlas of Switzerland (2010): [Basiskarte 1:500.000](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/)
- Atlas of Switzerland: [Administrative Einheiten 1:500.000 (Gemeinden, Bezirke, Kantone)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/)
- FSO (2019): [Volksabstimmungen (Ergebnisse Ebene Gemeinde seit 1981)](https://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/pxweb/de/px-x-1703030000_101/-/px-x-1703030000_101.px)
- swisstopo [J160089] (2010): [Gemeindegrenzen GG25](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/landscape/boundaries3D)
- swisstopo [J160089] (2010): [Landeskarte 1:500.000](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/maps/national/lk500)

## Data owners

- [Atlas of Switzerland (AoS)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/)
- [Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO)](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/)
- [Swiss Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo)](http://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/)
- [Federal Chancellery](http://www.admin.ch)

## Citation

The terms of use ask to name the Atlas of Switzerland and the data owners, and to keep the source references in exports, screenshots and embeds. Cite the map as:

> Atlas of Switzerland (2020): Popular initiative "Against the building of new minarets" (2009). ETH Zürich. Map data © AoS, FSO, swisstopo, Federal Chancellery. https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/popular-initiative-against-the-building-of-new-minarets-2009/

## Variants

The map has 2 variants. Levels: spatial unit → time. The `u` value of a variant selects it in the links below.

- Cantons
  - 2009: `u=AAoAAwAA` (default)
- Communes
  - 2009: `u=AAoABQAA`

## Links

Replace `{u}` with the `u` value of a variant above, or leave out `u={u}` for the default variant. The map opens at its full extent; a link cannot set the map position.

- Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/popular-initiative-against-the-building-of-new-minarets-2009/?u={u}
- Short link, stays valid when the title changes: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/t/700/?u={u}
- Side by side with another map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/comparison/?lt=700&lu={u}&rt={id of the other map}&ru={u of the other map, or leave out}

Embed in another website (allowed by the terms of use, as long as the source references stay visible):

```html
<iframe src="https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/embed/?id=700&u={u}&dm=e&ig=1" style="border:0;width:100%;height:600px;max-width:100%;" loading="lazy" title="Thematic map 'Ban on minarets (2009)' in the Atlas of Switzerland" allowfullscreen sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups" allow="geolocation" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"></iframe>
```

In the embed URL, `dm` sets what is shown: `e` the map with its title bar (default), `p` also the values of an object clicked on the map, `m` only the map with a button that opens it in the atlas. `ig=1` (default) lets the map react to scrolling and dragging only after a click into it, `ig=0` right away. The size can be changed in `style`.

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