Muslim couple denied citizenship in Switzerland for refusing to shake hands
A Muslim couple has been denied citizenship in Switzerland because they refused to shake hands with people of the opposite sex reported BBC news.
The authorities confirmed on Friday that the two had shown a lack of will for integration and respect for gender equality in Switzerland wrote the BBC.
Swiss authorities said that those who want to become Swiss citizens must be well integrated and demonstrate ties with Switzerland and the country’s institutions as well as respect for Swiss legislation.
They provided no further information about the couple, who local media reported to be North African. But they stated that the couple did not meet the requirements for citizenship when they applied in the city of Lausanne.
Lausanne’s mayor,Gregoire Junod, said that there is freedom of religion in Switzerland, but that does not mean that all religious practices are within the law.
The authorities said that the application was not rejected because of the applicants’ religion, but because they do not respect gender equality.
The Swiss case occurred only days after a Muslim woman won in court in Sweden and received compensation after a job interview was terminated when she did not want to shake hands.
In Denmark, however, the Dansk Folkeparti and Conservatives demanded that it be introduced as a requirement that one must be able to shake hands with the opposite sex to become a Danish citizen.
© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today
