Muslim students face $ 5K fines over handshakes in Switzerland

Educational authorities in Switzerland ruled Wednesday that the parents or guardians of students who refuse to shake a teacher’s hand — a Swiss tradition — can be fined up to $ 5,000.

The decision comes after a school in Therwil, agreed last month to allow two Muslim boys to refuse to shake hands with female teachers on religious grounds. The school also decided the boys would not shake hands with male teachers to avoid discrimination.

The incident sparked a national debate — Swiss students often shake their teachers’ hands at the beginning and end of the day.

The brothers, ages 14 and 15, had argued that shaking a female teacher’s hand was against their beliefs as Muslims because physical contact with the opposite sex is allowed only with family members.

One of the brothers posted material in support of the Islamic State on his Facebook page, the Basler Zeitung website reported.

The school’s decision was temporary, pending legal advice.

The local Education Department explained in a statement Wednesday that the school’s ex- emption was lifted because “the public interest with respect to equality between men and women and the integration of foreigners significantly outweighs the freedom of religion.”

The statement said if the students refuse to shake hands again, “the sanctions called for by law will be applied.”

Shortly after the refusal to shake hands became public, their family’s application for citizenship was put on hold. Authorities plan to investigate the circumstances under which the boys’ father arrived from Syria more than a decade ago.