{UAH} Muslims denied Swiss citizenship for refusing handshake

Muslims denied Swiss citizenship for refusing handshake

Charles Bremner, Paris

August 20 2018, 12:01am, The Times

• Europe

The authorities in Lausanne said that the couple from north Africa had failed to integrateGETTY IMAGES

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A Muslim couple have been refused Swiss citizenship after they would not shake hands with officials of the opposite sex during an interview.

The authorities in Lausanne said that the couple from north Africa had failed to show that they had integrated with Swiss life, including its respect for gender equality. Grégoire Junod, mayor of the city, said that the couple had "shown great difficulty in answering questions asked by people of the opposite sex" as part of the naturalisation process. Although Switzerland guarantees freedom of religion, "religious practice does not fall outside the law," he said.

Pierre-Antoine Hildbrand, a deputy mayor on the interviewing panel, said: "The constitution and equality between men and women prevails over bigotry." He added that he was "very satisfied with the decision" to deny the citizenship application.

In the Basel canton in 2016, the parents of two teenage boys were fined after they repeatedly refused to shake the hand of female teachers. The school initially told the pupils that their refusal to comply with the practice of greeting teachers would be tolerated, but it was overruled by the education authority. which said: "The public interest concerning gender equality as well as integration of foreigners far outweighs that concerning the freedom of belief of students." Simonetta Sommaruga, the justice minister, said at the time that shaking hands was part of Swiss culture.

The refusal of strict Muslims to converse or shake hands with members of the opposite sex has caused tension across Europe. In France the public health service refuses to provide same-sex personnel in medical examinations.

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Gwokto La'Kitgum

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"I want first-time offenders to think of their appearance in my courtroom as the second-worst experience of their lives … circumcision being the first." Judge Judy

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