The charter also aims at showing the Muslim commitment to the Swiss values.

ZURICH, June 14, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The Muslim minority in Switzerland adopted a groundbreaking charter, the first of its kind in the country, with the aim of fighting misconceptions about Muslims and promoting integration into society.

"We decided to publish this charter to fight against prejudice and misrepresentations," said Ismail Amin, president of the umbrella association of Zurich’s Islamic organizations.

The charter calls for promoting democracy, peace, human rights and equality in society, said the swissinfo on its Web site on Tuesday, June 14.

The document also presses for enhancing dialogue among religions and urges Swiss Muslims to integrate and be part of the Swiss society but without violating their Muslim identity.

"We want to keep our religious identity," said the charter.

It also refuted claims that Islamic organizations in Switzerland were trying to establish an Islamic state in the European country or attempting to replace Swiss laws with Islamic ones.

"The democratic state guarantees a peaceful and harmonious life for all, including the Muslim minority," read the document.

Switzerland is home to some 380,000 Muslims representing a sizable 4.7 percent of the country’s some eight million people.

Islam is the second religion in the country after Christianity.

Amin said the charter was crafted in accordance with similar documents drawn up in Germany.

"I hope that other Muslim associations in Switzerland will now follow our example."

The Muslim activist maintained that a study carried out by a local university showed that the Muslim minority was negatively portrayed in three out of four Swiss media reports.

He added that some Swiss political parties are using Islamophobia as an electoral tool, citing recent campaigning in the run-up to the nationwide vote on the Schengen/Dublin agreements with the European Union on security and asylum.

The Muslim move was hailed by the mayor of Zurich, Elmar Ledergerber, as an “unmistakable sign” that Swiss Muslims were committed to Swiss values.

He added that the document made it clear there was no other path to follow other than integration.

In March, thousands of Swiss have flocked to an exhibition on Islam in the canton of Fribourg, southwest of Bern.

Last June, Swiss Muslims launched a ten-day campaign to reach out to non-Muslims in the capital Geneva, to counter malicious media onslaughts and clear stereotypes on Islam.

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights adopted last month a resolution calling for combating defamation campaigns against Islam and Muslims in the West.