Muslim Teens In Switzerland Must Shake Hands With Opposite-Sex School Teachers, Court Rules

A Muslim teenager in Switzerland must shake hands with his female school teacher despite the fact that he believes his religion forbids him from making contact with the opposite sex, a Swiss court has ruled.

As Fox News reports, 15-year-old Amer Salhani and his older brother both created something of a national controversy in Switzerland earlier this year when they refused to shake hands with their female teacher. The boys’ interpretation of Islam forbids touching a member of the opposite sex, excluding close family members.

That didn’t fly in Switzerland. As The Inquisitr reported at the time, in Switzerland, handshakes are considered a sign of respect and to refuse to do so is considered an unforgivable social faux pas. In fact, earlier this year, a Muslim member of Switzerland’s Green Party caused a kerfuffle after refusing to shake the hand of a female reporter because he was Muslim. According to Middle East Eye, Yasri Khan placed his hand over his heart to greet the reporter instead, but it wasn’t good enough for the Swiss public, and he was forced to resign.

Den före detta MP-politikern Yasri Khan stödjer muslimsk terrorism i södra Thailand.https://t.co/1S0SlZ9l9M pic.twitter.com/gh5M4WNQ65

— NyaSputnik (@NyaSputnik) May 15, 2016

In case you were wondering, the proper way to greet a Muslim of the opposite sex is to place your hand over your heart and bow ever-so-slightly. Add the words “As-Salam-u-Alaikum” (“peace be upon you”) for extra brownie points.

Showing respect via shaking hands also extends to children and adults. In a Swiss school, if a teacher demands a handshake, he or she expects to get one. For a student to refuse is considered an egregious sign of disrespect and could get the student in huge trouble. For comparison, imagine if an American school teacher said “Hello” to a student and waved at him or her, and the student responded with the F-word and two extended middle fingers.

Monica Gschwind, head of the education department in the city where the boys went to school, explained to The Mirror how important it is that students shake hands with teachers.

“Shaking hands with teachers is deeply rooted in our society and culture. For me it is clear: the handshake is enforced – no ifs, no buts.”

Amer’s school was willing to compromise – at least at first – by allowing the boys to only shake the hands of male teachers, and greet female teachers another way. However, once news of the school’s decision reached the Swiss public, it caused a national outrage.

At first, the government of canton (a canton is an administrative subdivision roughly equivalent to a U.S. state) of Basel-Landschaft intervened, telling the boys that they must shake their teachers’ hands. The boys appealed, and this week, the Swiss government ruled in favor of the school.

His appeals having been exhausted, what will happen to Amer moving forward is uncertain. His older brother has already “left school,” according to The Mirror, although whether that means he has graduated (or the Swiss equivalent), has enrolled at another school, or simply stopped going to school is unclear. Amer is sill in the same school, and reports indicate that he is still refusing to shake hands with his female teachers.,

That means that he – or more likely, his family – may be on the hook for big fines. Specifically, he can be fined up to 5,000 Swiss Francs (about $5,156) for refusing. They could also be deported for refusing to obey Swiss laws and respect the nation’s cultural heritage.

Do you believe Muslims living in Switzerland should be forced to shake hands with their opposite-sex teachers?

[Featured Image by Aaron Amat/Shuterstock]