Heidi says 'Nein!' to minarets

The Swiss have outlawed the building of any more minarets(not mosques) in a very bold move.
As a democratically elected government they certainly have the right to do so. It would be plain wrong to ban mosques and the freedom to follow the religion of your choice, but this is not what they have done. Although astoundingly boring, Switzerland is a very pretty country indeed, in fact that is its only redeeming feature- beautiful green rolling hills and mountains with quaint Germanic, Hansel and Gretel houses. Switzerland inspires images and memories of the Von Trapps, and Heidi(maybe that was Austria, same-same) frolicking happily in the meadows. Switzerland has never been known for embracing foreign culture, unless you are a rich Nazi escaping wartime Germany. Why change now?
As far as I know, minarets are not an integral part of a mosque. Visit any mosque inside airports in many middle eastern countries, and they don't have minarets. Although minarets are a common sight in the hills throughout the Balkans, they are a part of those countries' cultural heritage, not in inward looking Switzerland.
Personally I love minarets, just under 2 decades ago I slept on the roof of a hostel in the old city of Jerusalem for an extended period. I absolutely loved awaking to the sound of the call to prayer from hundreds of minarets in the hills below. I even bought a tape and harassed my neighbours for years with the sound of the Koran on full blast. I must buy another.
The case against minarets in the UK is far less clear, and I'm sure that Switzerland's move is only the first attempt within western Europe . In my opinion, the drab grey terraced towns and cities of Northern England are much more aesthetically pleasing with the addition of minarets and mosques-the more the merrier I say. As for Hong-Kong, anyone who has seen the mosque outside Kowloon park, has to agree that it is a very welcome oddity in an otherwise skyscraper obsessed (Buddhist) city.