By refusing a simple handshake, a couple has been denied the Swiss nationality.
According to The Guardian, the unnamed Muslim pair was set to become Swiss nationals after living in the European country for several years. The husband and wife reside in the city of Lausanne.
The mayor of Lausanne, Gregoire Junod, decided to deny the duo the citizenship because not only did they refuse to shake hands with members of the opposite sex, they had no respect towards them.
According to the municipality, the man and woman were questioned for several months to decide if their citizenship applications should be granted or not.
During the process, officials discovered that they did not fit the criteria to be Swiss.
For example, the couple were against gender equality and were not integrated into the country.
Junod told the media that he could not reveal the names of the people or their nationalities; however, he did say the following about their behavior: “They did not shake hands with people of the opposite sex and had great difficulty answering questions asked by people of the opposite sex.”
Some are defending the Muslims based on the fact that their religion, Islam, is against believers having physical contact with a person of the opposite sex, “except certain immediate family members.”
Moreover, some commenters were disappointed that a progressive country would act in such a fashion. Left-leaning voices also see all of this through the prism of intolerance.
Junod responded to those critics by saying: “But religious practice does not fall outside the law.”
Lausanne’s vice-mayor, Pierre-Antoine Hildbrand, agrees that it was the right decision to deny the couple’s citizenship applications based on the constitution.
Hildbrand stated: “But the constitution and equality between men and women prevail over bigotry.”
The couple has one month to appeal the municipality’s decision.
