When Switzerland voted in November to ban the construction of minarets, a shoe-store owner erected one of the structures in an act of defiance.

A new public opinion poll has found that British people would vote to ban minarets, in the wake of the Swiss referendum on the issue. Last month Swiss citizens voted to ban the construction of minarets in the country's mosques. The move provoked international outrage and, amid allegations of Islamophobia, was attacked by leaders of the Swiss Jews

In response to a Swiss vote banning the construction of new mosque minarets, a group of Muslims this month went into a church building in eastern Turkey and threatened to kill a priest unless he tore down its bell tower, according to an advocacy group.

Switzerland's recent vote to ban the construction of new minarets has shocked and angered Muslims around the world. But the controversial move also reflects a growing sense of unease among other Europeans who have trouble coming to terms with Islam's increased visibility.

The referendum banning new minaret construction in Switzerland raises delicate issues of reciprocity in Muslim-Christian relations. The Swiss vote represents a potentially important legitimation of anti-Islamic views. The vote inspired support across Europe, as signaled by online polling sponsored by the mainstream media and by statements from ...