Populist ideas, can easily thrive in a direct democracy.
Every country has some clothing requirements. Some mandate headscarfs (for women only), some mandate the face remains visible. No laws were needed for this in Swiss because no people were covering up. But now this has changed, so laws come. I dont find any problem with it, and hope that the "custom" of genital mutilation done to children is next to be forbidden. You can still do it, at 18, but yr parents should not be able to decide for you. Not against jews/muslims, just in favor of childrens rights. Scandinavia is front running on this one.
A few dozen women in a country of 8.5 million do not need a law, especially one that doesn't really do anything for the victims, see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26380029
I am not responding to your expression of opinion - just clarifying how the Swiss electoral system is structured.
That vote was a referendum, which is another component of the Swiss system, separate and complimentary to the Executive Council.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_in_Switzerland