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Refusal to Shake Hands With Teacher to Become Illegal in Swiss State

© Sputnik / Alexey Filippov / Go to the mediabankThe Federal Palace (Parliament) in Bern, Switzerland. (File)
The Federal Palace (Parliament) in Bern, Switzerland. (File) - Sputnik International
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Two Muslim school boys residing in Switzerland refused to shake hands with their teacher out of religious reasons, causing a vivid debate across the country and forcing local authorities to make amendments to the Constitution, Telebasel reported.

Religion - Sputnik International
Zero Tolerance: Swiss Muslim Schoolboys Will Have to Shake Hands With Women
The "hand-shaking" incident involving the two young men took place in Switzerland earlier this year.

In May, the school authorities decided that no student studying in the Swiss Canton of Basel will be allowed to reject a handshake with a teacher.

Now a corresponding provision is expected to be included in the country's constitution.

The provision will sound as following: "Ideological considerations and religious prescriptions do not absolve from fulfilling civic responsibilities."

In particular, the new law stipulates that students "if requested" have "to follow local rituals such as a handshake."

Swiss politicians are set to discuss the draft in the near future. The document will later be presented to the parliament, followed by the residents of the canton voting on the proposed constitutional amendments.

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