Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Muslim Swiss Youth Must Shake Teacher's Hand; Families of Kids Refusing to Do So Face $5K Fine

In Switzerland, the humble handshake between a teacher and children at the beginning and end of the school day -- a tradition throughout much of the country -- has become a battleground in a public debate about religious freedom and sexual equality, the Washington Post website reports today (May 25, 2016). 

Now, one Swiss canton has added a financial element to the controversy, warning families of children who refuse to shake hands with their teachers that they would face a fine of up to $5,000.

In April, two students at a school in the town of Therwil, near Basel, had requested an exemption from shaking a teacher's hand. The two teenagers -- brothers from a Syrian family -- had suggested that shaking a woman's hand went against Islamic teachings. In a compromise, the local school district ruled that the two children would not have to shake any teacher's hand, whether male or female.

However, the regional education authorities in the Basel-Country Canton released a statement today that reversed the school district's decision. The schoolchildren would be required to shake the hand of their teacher, the statement said, or their guardians would be fined up to $5,000.

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