LAHORE - Leaders of various religious parties have demanded of the government to register strong protest against Switzerlands ban on construction of mosques minarets. They also urged the heads of Muslim countries to summon a meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to evolve a joint strategy for countering the conspiracies against Islam. Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (Noorani) Secretary General Qari Zawar Bahadur, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) Central Secretary Information Maulana Amjad Khan, Tehrik-e-Islam Millat-e-Jafferia President Allama Syed Abdul Jalil Naqvi, Jamiat Ahle Hadith Pakistan Secretary General Hafiz Ibtisam Elahiand leader of defunct Jamaat-ud-Dawa Maulana Ameer Hamza made these demands while taking part in a debate on 'Reaction of Muslims on Switzerlands ban on mosques minarets held under the auspices of The Nation at the Hamid Nizami Hall on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, Qari Zawar Bahdur said, Few people attend churches in the western countries, however a large number of Muslims attend mosques on Jumma prayers and Ramzan-ul-Mubarik, and this very situation has frightened some think-tanks. He alleged that these think-tanks had organised the so-called referendum against the ban on construction of mosques minarets. He said if the Muslim countries had some courage to register their protest against the western world campaign on Islamic symbols, they should cut trade relations with them. He demanded of the government that it should cut trade relations with Switzerland. Expressing his apprehensions over the ban on minarets of mosques in Switzerland, Allama Syed Abdul Jalil Naqvi said that actions against Muslim symbols were growing in Europe and Switzerlands ban was the latest conspiracy in this regard. If mosques minarets put the western world in trouble why dont they face trouble over cross signs on churches, he questioned? He said neither the United Nations nor any non-governmental organisation had raised voice against injustices against Muslims and their way of life. Condemning the said ban, Maulana Amjad Khan said that the Swiss ban on mosques minarets had established the fact that Europe and non-believers were united in campaign against Islam. The ban has incited a widespread condemnation of the Muslim world, he added and demanded of the government to register strong protest against Switzerlands ban on building of mosques minarets. He also called upon the heads of Muslim countries to summon a meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to evolve a joint strategy for countering the conspiracies against the symbols of Islam. Expressing his views regarding the Swiss ban, Hafiz Ibtisam Elahi said that Switzerland had not only challenged the Muslims by banning construction of mosques minarets, but also expressed its hatred for Islam. When our country does not ban construction of churches and temples, why they are banning construction of Islamic symbols, he questioned? He said that western world and non-believers were afraid of the growth of Islam and that was the main reason behind Switzerlands ban. Maulana Ameer Hamza while expressing similar views also said if the Muslim countries would start referendums on churches it could initiate a cycle of intolerance. He demanded of the Saudi Arabia to register its protest in a strong manner against Switzerlands ban on construction of mosques minarets.