Swiss voters 'back ban on building of minarets'

Not really.

What's not kosher here is the on-the-fly redefinition of what is okay and permissible within the confines of secular cultures. This too, as a reaction to a specific community, not as a reflection on the deeper meaning of what is and is not "secular".

Where your example falls flat is that Muslim restrictions, whatever they are, have been in place and are pretty much constant.

Whereas in Europe, we are seeing a wild mood swing from embracing multli-culturalism to the outright vilification of a particular religious minority.

The ban on Hijab and Minaraets is not about conformity to established social norms or mores; it's an on-going redefinition of them in favor of xenophobic sentiment that targets the most visible of visible minorities.

And I have no doubt that the issue does not extends beyond this superficial edifice. It's not really about assimilation, as there are probably a multitude of things to ban prior to minars if this were the case. Nor is it about safeguarding rights, as it's hard to imagine what right is being trampled on by an architectural feature of a building.

So if it is a double standard to hold others to their own beliefs and ideologies, then I suppose those criticizing the ban are guilty as charged. And better off for it, too.