LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Voting by an unexpectedly large margin, the Swiss overwhelmingly have adopted a national ban on the construction of minarets. Sunday's vote represents a clear victory for the Swiss right and serves notice that the citizens of Switzerland are concerned about the growing influence of Islam in their country.

The fact that the referendum passed was news in itself. Nevertheless, the most significant aspect of the vote was the margin of victory. As The Wall Street Journal reported, "The Swiss voted strongly for the ban, with 58% of votes in favor of the initiative and 42% against. Until about a month ago, polls had indicated voters would solidly reject the ban, though support for the ban had been edging up in recent weeks." In the end, the measure was approved by voters in 22 of Switzerland's 26 cantons -- an overwhelming victory for a very controversial proposal.

According to press reports, Switzerland now has 150 mosques serving about 400,000 Muslims in a population of 7.5 million Swiss. Only four of the mosques have minarets, but none are used for the Muslim call to prayer. This is due to the fact that Switzerland operates under strict noise-pollution rules that prohibit the practice.

The conservative Swiss People's Party (SVP) has long warned of a creeping "Islamisation" of Switzerland, pointing to new mosques, Muslim immigration patterns, and high Muslim birthrates. The party convinced a sufficient number of the Swiss that minarets represent a sign of Islamic extremism and the threat of sharia law.

From a distance, the measure appears to be more symbolic than substantial. In effect, the Swiss voted to ban the most visible evidence of Muslims in their midst, while doing nothing to restrict Muslim immigration or worship. Thus, the voters sent a signal of their anxiety even as they acted in defiance of their country's historic commitment to religious liberty. Oddly, the measure appears to be little more than a highly controversial effort to put the question of Muslim influence out of sight and out of mind.

Understandably, government authorities in Switzerland downplayed the vote and its meaning. Equally understandable were efforts by Muslims to explain why they were offended that minarets were singled out for exclusion in this ban. Can anyone be surprised?