Hugh Fitzgerald: The Handshake War in Sweden

In Sweden, the Handshake Wars continue. A Muslim woman teacher recently refused to shake the hand of the father of one of her students. He complained. The school authorities backed her up:

Despite having been effectively settled amicably without any consequences for either party, the dispute, which is far from the first of its kind, has nevertheless sparked a social media debate.

A female Muslim teacher refused to greet a Swedish father by shaking his hand at a parent-teacher meeting. According to the father, the lady referred to her religion, an argument he subsequently questioned in a letter to the principal, the news outlet Nyheter Idag reported.

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According to the father, the Muslim teacher greeted his wife, but refused to shake hands with him due on [to] religious grounds.

“I was completely dumbstruck. I thought this kind of thing doesn’t happen in Sweden at a school which should be free from religion. I feel offended by her response. How can I trust her to be correct when she teaches my child at school?” the indignant dad wrote.

The principal later explained to the local newspaper Värnamo Nyheter that the teacher felt “saddened” by the father taking offense at her refusal to shake hands. According to the principal, the woman explained that she never meant to offend him and was simply following the demands of her religion, where skin contact between men and women outside wedlock is not permitted.

According to the principal, the father was perfectly happy with the conversation. By his own admission, he was most concerned that the same differential treatment was being given to the pupils. However, the teacher assured him that it was perfectly okay to take boys by the hand, because children are not affected by these rules.

The school’s principal has stated that an ultimatum to force the lady to comply with Swedish rules has not even been considered. Consequently, no investigation will be conducted into the matter. The administrator also added that her main task was seeing that pupils get a decent education and ensuring good cooperation with parents. While claiming that the problem of handshakes was not on her agenda as a principal, she nevertheless admitted that she would welcome a common municipal policy on greetings.

Despite all seemingly “ending well,” the incident sparked a hot debate on the freedom of religion in social media, with some Swedes interpreting the incident as a token of “Islamization.”

“Freedom of religion is only heading in one direction. You Christians behave yourselves and shut up. Even the Swedish Church and the Archbishop support this thesis,” user Ulla Alstermo wrote on Nyheter Idag’s Facebook page.

“If you cannot keep your religion to yourself, you shouldn’t work in a municipal school, she’d be better off looking for a job in a Muslim preschool. Municipal schools should be free from religion and politics,” another user chipped in.

Yet another user ventured that he would stop greeting Muslims altogether to see what would happen.

In Sweden there has been a growing number of similar rows over handshaking in recent years, involving both Muslim men and women refusing follow the Western practice of shaking hands due to the prescriptions of Islam. The most high-profile case, however, involves former senior Green Party member Yasri Khan, who had to step down following the outcry caused by his refusal to shake hands with a female reporter.

When a public school in Sweden yields to a Muslim teacher who, following Islamic rules preventing physical contact between unrelated men and women, refuses to shake a parent’s hand, does it matter? Is it silly and self-defeating to make a fuss over something so minor? Clearly the Swedish authorities in this case thought so. But there is no real difference between this case and that of Yasri Khan, a Green Party member whose refusal to shake hands with a female reporter caused such an outcry that he was forced to step down from his position in the party. It was understood in that case that the handshake embodied a less rigid view of relations between the sexes, and of absolute gender equality, and that in Sweden it was impermissible for others to substitute their own, Islam-prompted view, if they wished to be considered Swedes. Why should a public school appear to endorse, by failing to require both women and men to shake hands with parents  of the opposite sex, as a sign of simple respect, or even of social solidarity, the Muslim view of relations between the sexes?

When a non-Muslim country and its people find that little by little, they are being pushed to accept Muslim practices, or to end their own practices because they might offend Muslims, and do not resist, they are collaborating in the transformation of their own country. If schools can no longer serve pork for school lunches, even if there are alternatives on offer, if Christmas carols are banned, or Christmas trees no longer erected in city squares, for they might offend Muslims, if in public schools prayer rooms are set aside for Muslim students who will need to excuse themselves from class, or if in workplaces Muslim workers are similarly allowed to break up their work day, for the sake of the five daily prayers, if Muslim women can defy state regulations by wearing burkinis, these are all symptoms of the same disease: that of Europe’s steady yielding to, and accommodation, of Islamic values, customs, and laws.

There have been other cases in Sweden involving such handshakes. In 2016, a practicing Muslim who worked for the Helsingborg municipality in southern Sweden refused to shake the hand of any women workers, although he was happy to shake the hands of male colleagues.

But council bosses said his stance was incompatible with their equality policy, and said he could no longer work there.

“We are in favour of diversity. People can believe what they like, but that doesn’t mean that they can discriminate. We will stand up for values like equality,” Liberal councillor Maria Winberg told The Local.

In yet another case in Sweden, Fardous El-Sakka, a Muslim woman working as a supply teacher refused to shake the hand of a male colleague, who felt “tremendously discriminated against.” Told by the principal that she must shake hands with men as well as women, the Muslim teacher chose to resign.

In another Swedish case, a civilian border guard, a Muslim, refused to shake hands with any of his female colleagues, who felt discriminated against. A police spokesman, Ewa-Gun Westford, noted that “the question as such probably lives on for many, because it’s a very small issue that is incredibly huge, or a huge issue that is very small, depending on where you are on your life journey.”

Switzerland is another country that has been bedeviled by the Muslim handshake problem. In many of its cantons, men and women have been required to shake hands with members of the opposite sex. But in 2016, education authorities in the municipality of Therwil ruled that Muslim male students will no longer need to shake hands with their female teachers. This created great consternation and an outcry across Switzerland, with Felix Mueri, who heads the parliamentary commission on science, education and culture, insisting that “shaking hands is part of our culture.” He added that “this is a gesture of respect and good manners.” 

Christoph Eymann, who heads the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education, meanwhile said that “such exceptions to the rules are not the solution.” “We cannot tolerate that women in the public service are treated differently from men,” he told Swiss television.

Soon after, in the Canton of Basel-Landschafrt, the Swiss authorities ordered Muslims schoolboys who had refused to shake the hands of their female teachers either to shake their  hands or to pay 5,000 Swiss francs. That decision is the latest from Switzerland on the subject.

Outside Europe, where the handshake is most entrenched as a cultural practice, the Muslims have been more successful. In Australia, three of its main universities have declared that the religious beliefs of Muslim students must take precedence over the cultural practice of the handshake (which is not nearly as important in Australia, New Zealand, and North America as it is in Europe). In New Zealand, a senior academic repeatedly tried to shake hands with a female student, and even brought a charge of discrimination against her for refusing to do so. As a result, for trying to uphold the customary standards of public behavior, he lost his job.

This is one of those matters, seemingly inconsequential, on which a firm stand ought to be taken in Europe, where the handshake is so much more a part of school and work life. Every example, whether of surrender or resistance, to Muslim demands, is linked to every other such example. Muslims can believe whatever they want, but there are long-established rules in Europe for behavior in public, and that includes the handshake, as a sign of respect and solidarity, among colleagues at work, between students and their teachers in the public schools, and in social interactions of all kinds. If Muslims find this social custom something they cannot endure, they are free to resign their posts, and go elsewhere, to work in an Islamically-compliant workplace (possibly owned by Gulf Arabs),  or a private Islamic school, where they can hew not just to their beliefs, but to Islamic standards of behavior. Better still, they might find that given the depth of their devotion, they would prefer to return to live in a Muslim country, possibly the one from which they or their parents came, where there is no need for them to tolerate, much less be made to follow, the customs of the Infidels. Should that path be chosen, everyone involved — both the Muslims who leave, and the non-Muslims who remain, figuratively waving goodbye and good riddance — will be much relieved.

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Poppey

5 years ago

In regard to this latest insult to western standards of civility from a muslim woman, by her actions and clearly expressed beliefs, she has caught the attention of all those people there who are now inclined to vote for the new Swedish Democrats later this year

Her actions together with those of the school authorities will confirm in their minds how right they are to question what’s going on before voting for corrective action.

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felix1999

5 years ago

Reply to  Poppey

Hope so but does the news over there highlight this?

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Mark Goldberg

5 years ago

Okay, so here’s the deal. If the women was an orthodox jewish lady, she too would be within her rights to not shake hands. What’s the difference.
The idea is that the women, should apologize for not being able to take the man’s hand.
For example. If a person has some character, some class, some sense of proportion, she or he if it’s a jewish male with a yarmulke, would humbly beg the pardon of the opposite sexed person for not shaking the others hand and tell them that it is the custom and practice of their religion that married folks don’t shake others hands and would they please understand.
Now…one can find a jewish person who similarly doesn’t offer up the apology necessary and acts rather indifferently to the feelings of the non jewish person and here, I find the muslim women probably not likely to ever be one offer up an apology, a polite explanation to explain the issue.

This is just one ‘small’ problem but of course there are dozens more where muslims impose upon non muslims, where no other religion does such imposition, let alone demand others to conform.

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felix1999

5 years ago

Reply to  Mark Goldberg

The truth is even Orthodox Jews don’t do that.
Only a handful might be so pricky but it is NOT the norm.

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TD

5 years ago

Reply to  felix1999

yeah. I don’t think it’s a global nationalist movement like the Islamic Nationalists. The Saudi Gov’t (the center of the Islamic religion) sends out training materials worldwide promoting sharia.

But the State of Israel doesn’t send out training manuals telling Jewish people in other countries not to shake hands.

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Mark Goldberg

5 years ago

Reply to  TD

Of course not. It was never ever done, and will never be so done.

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Mark Goldberg

5 years ago

Reply to  felix1999

Actually it is the norm to observe that non handshaking if married to others of the opposite sex. But it’s not something that people use as a political weapon which is what all these impositions upon non muslims is about. When you say ‘pricky’ I would infer that you mean those who don’t shake hands and don’t explain why- they are in the minority. It is considered polite to explain why you don’t and not to throw it in others faces. But It’s moot…. it’s nothing like the muslim claims to their customs. They insist others who are not muslims observe their customs- jews don’t ask this of non muslims. When fasting- there are 6 or so days of fasting throughout the year, no jew would ever think it is the obligation of non jews to reframe from eating, enjoying eating, simply because they can’t enjoy it. There are many such examples of the differences.

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TD

5 years ago

Reply to  Mark Goldberg

I used to work with an orthodox Jewish lady.
She shook hands all the time. usually offering it first.

I ‘m not sure your example is analogous.

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Mark Goldberg

5 years ago

Reply to  TD

Some people simply defer to non jewish custom. IT’s ok, they don’t get necklaced for acting like this :^)

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Mark Goldberg

5 years ago

Reply to  TD

It’s analogous to a ‘T’. For example, the Amish don’t want photos of them being taken, and will hide their faces if rude people take their photos- but none will punch away at the intruder.
No Jew will punch away at the non jewish handshaker. Now… extend it to all other religions- none will punch away for the violations.
Now… obviously muslims are not going to punch away non muslims, but they will insist non muslims
observe their customs, rules and regulations, and that is a group ‘punching away’ others that is unique to Islam. That is the point. Other religions have rules unique to their group but they don’t attack others nor insist that others follow their rules. This is the larger picture, and what brings the analogy home. In short… I’m not offended by muslim women not wanting to shake hands with others.
That is fine, in and of itself. It is the imposition upon others who are not muslim that is so concerning.
Strictly Kosher Jews don’t get offended when non jews eat a pork sandwich. In fact… there is no restriction upon non jews in that regard. That is the key point.

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Dave Glynn

5 years ago

Reply to  Mark Goldberg

Regardless of what or which religion’ This is now the 21st century and it’s time they evolved.

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Mark Goldberg

5 years ago

Reply to  Dave Glynn

That’s rather shallow. You think you… the 21st century has ‘evolved’ and that’s how you make judgement??. There are many things the 21st century has lost with it’s own memory loss. Please do not invoke shallow assessments under the guise of ‘progress’. That’s a ‘progressive’ view of history. As a mathematician might write it- zero x nothing equals……

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Dave Glynn

5 years ago

Reply to  Mark Goldberg

Regardless of how you want to dress it up, not shaking a woman’s hand because of the fact that she’s a woman is a tradition that should have been left behind in the Middle Ages much the same as the rest of islamic traditions. And if some of the Jews also participate in this nonsense then they need to grow up. ffs!

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Mark Goldberg

5 years ago

Reply to  Dave Glynn

oh… and ffs is really a stupid thing to post when trying to show how intelligent you are.
Really. Seriously, Dave.

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Dave Glynn

5 years ago

Reply to  Dave Glynn

Ok mark! If you don’t want to shake a woman’s hand then it’s up to you mate. LoL!!!

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Mark Goldberg

5 years ago

Reply to  Dave Glynn

Dave, I do shake a hand. But… if I come across an apparently observant jewish lady, I don’t offer up a hand unless she offers, but I certainly greet them pleasantly. If I come across a muslim lady with a head covering I dont’ offer up a hand unless she does. If I come across a hindu lady, or some other head covered person, I don’t but offer up a courteous smile and wait for them to offer what they wish. If I meet a Hmong vietnamese, I don’t pat their child on the head, as it’s rude thing to do to any hmong tribes people.
If I meet someone who enjoys a fine pork sandwich, and I’m eating at that table and eating oh, say, kosher, I say, ‘that meal smells delicious’ ‘Enjoy’.

It’s not hard to be civil, courteous. I remember meeting some Amish years ago, and taking a photograph picture they put their hands up. I thought it, in my early years, silly and meaningless. But I did apoligize and said I meant no disrepect. I actually took the film out and destroyed it… They were very appreciative.
Life is not to be taken so capriciously as to think everything is as we do and believe things. It does require some effort. Sometimes I find others practices inane foolish, et al, but it is not for me to tell them which way the sun comes up.
Oh, and I prefer a firm handshake all things considered.
But for me, as a westerner, a handshake used to mean one’s word of honor.
A man’s word was worth money, once upon a time. It doesn’t have that power anymore.
It is merely a convenience mostly, these days.

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Dave Glynn

5 years ago

Reply to  Mark Goldberg

You can learn a lot through a handshake but I’ll agree with you that tradition has its place.

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Mark Goldberg

5 years ago

Reply to  Dave Glynn

Damm straight… and one more time, it used to represent a man’s word, but not anymore.
So tradition has meaning, has function and needs to be understood. Once upon a time, I came across some tibetan women working in the field. Now, in their culture, showing legs was considered vulgar and inappropirate. But taking off their shirts with their breasts wiggling in the wind was completely acceptable to them. I fully supported their tradition. I am such a sport.
But in all seriousness, yeah… the article originally was in my estimation somewhat flawed. And that from an immensely gifted thinker on the problems of Islam and Jihad. But that didn’t diminish his work to me. It did give me the opportunity to understand the issues and restate some of them such that it brought out other sides to the issue and the problems.
That is what we all have to engage… and reasoning out the subject is no doubt what the author wants, not blind acceptance.
Oh… and when you run into those Tibetan ladies out working in the fields, try not to stare with your mouth open.

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poetcomic1

5 years ago

Drip…drip…drip… and suddenly your country and your culture…. is gone.

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santashandler

5 years ago

Reply to  poetcomic1

Too late!

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TD

5 years ago

Reply to  poetcomic1

Muslim nationalism and the failure of open borders; and “parallel societies”.

This is why we can’t support Hispanic Nationalists either, since it’s their open-borders philosophy that will set a bad precedent, leading to “open-ports” which leads to more people from radical places from the East.

Trump sees 2 steps ahead.

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TD

5 years ago

Reply to  poetcomic1

This is what George Soros and Carlos Slim (The Mexican George Soros who owns the New York Times) – wants for America.

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IzlamDownpressesHumanity

5 years ago

Reply to  TD

Is Carlos Slim a muslum? I know either he or his family are from Lebanon.

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R. Arandas

5 years ago

Reply to  poetcomic1

Let us hope America still has time to save itself!

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Dave Glynn

5 years ago

Reply to  R. Arandas

There’s still time for the whole of the West to save itself, including Sweden’ but it’s gonna take a war.
Bring it on!

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Dave Glynn

5 years ago

Reply to  poetcomic1

Drip drip drip and suddenly you realise there’s a muzrat stood behind you with his ……..

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Zavrzlama

5 years ago

That stupid refusal of muzrats giving handshakes literally screams “DISCRIMINATION” against all non muslims and is the evidence of their intolerance and the fact that Islam is not a religion.

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santashandler

5 years ago

The school should have backed up the parent’s complaint. The teacher was wrong and should have been removed. If they don’t like western values, then GTFO! Then again, who wants to exchange greetings with a pig who probably has fecal matter all over their hands.

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Dennis

5 years ago

Though I agree that the objectivity of this Muslim women’s failure to shake the hand of an adult man is, in and of itself, ‘a small issue,’ it subjectively stands for the very reason why the society that constitutes Islam cannot safely and non-violently live side by side with those of us that are non-Muslim or believe in the required social conduct we all practice within a democratic secular society, which is superimposed on our accepted Judaic/Christian moral rules and conduct. It is this schism between the world of Islam, that has adopted rules that treat the genders unequally and promotes domination and superiority, that accentuates the dramatic differences that are swallowing Europe and creating countries where conflict of one kind or the other is occurring. Though I can appreciate that not all of those who follow the belief system of Islam will conflict with free society behavior, the very fact that the leaders, including their so-called religious leaders promote and preach their belief system to the exclusion of all others is proof positive that we must not let that happen here, as the consequences are disastrous.

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felix1999

5 years ago

Reply to  Dennis

Over due for MUSLIMS to asimilate or go back to their shiitholes.

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Achmed Mohandjob

5 years ago

Reply to  felix1999

Over due. Time for ALL moslems (the vilest of ALL creatures) to be put to the sword.

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Philip

5 years ago

Is the secret secretly injecting the Muslim with bacon? Seriously. Aromatherapy. Why must they be so difficult? Bacon and shellfish aromas are evidence of mankind’s mastery of the earth. It isn’t meant to be offensive.

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felix1999

5 years ago

Keep submitting.
See what it gets you.
LOL!

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oceanfloor1

5 years ago

Good on this father for standing up to this muslima supremacist and for keeping people’s personal religious notions out of public schools. Every human being on earth has the right to decide whether or not to follow or make concessions to any “faith”. But he should have gone further and insisted that she be dismissed and confine herself to Islam’s own backward “educational” system. It may be harmless for a small, unaggressive religious group to keep to these customs, but this is part of the civilizational jihad and must be resisted everywhere.

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mackykam

5 years ago

Israel will be the last country standing….

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TD

5 years ago

Reply to  mackykam

We in US, UK will stand with them.

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Hoppla

5 years ago

Reply to  mackykam

Let the Jews care for themselves for a change, Europe has bigger fish to fry.

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mackykam

5 years ago

Reply to  Hoppla

and what fish would that be? taking in muslims?

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cylde

5 years ago

Muslim doctors touch female non muslim patients.

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robert v g

5 years ago

R Mus. intentionally dreaming- up rules which are contrary to Western(modern civilization)norms ? Keep firing them.

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Sunshine Kid

5 years ago

Remember one thing about the muslims: Their religion is IMPOSED upon you, like it or not.

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chris VN

5 years ago

I’d like to give them a hand, ………..back onto the boat, never to return!!!

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leonore35

5 years ago

Another example of how bigoted and insane Muslims can be. Their attitude is no compromise, Islam (with all its insane proscriptions and dictates) rules every time. Religion should be a private matter between the believer and whatever mythical being they choose the revere. It should have no effect on how one deals with other people in normal customary interaction. Did she think a seduction would follow if she touched his skin? Of course it might be she thinks non Muslims are unclean!
Personally I give Muslims a wide berth, especially the women, and avoid even looking at them directly.

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Delilah

5 years ago

Reply to  leonore35

This is the problem — to Westerners religion is a private matter between the individual and God. To Muslims, religion is completely public — Islam is an all-pervasive political/social/theological system. Every aspect of a Muslim’s life is public — their individual self indentity, their role in their family, their position & responsibilities in society. When I lived in Saudi Arabia, I was in a group discussion between Americans and Saudis and we started discussing religion. The Saudis asked me very personal questions about my religious beliefs — Do you believe in Jesus, etc. I was so offended and told them that these were private beliefs and others had no right to insist that they be discussed in public. Everything Muslims believe is COMPLETELY opposed to what we believe in the West. There is no way they can co-exist.

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iprazhm

5 years ago

It’s all part of forced implementation of Sharia law and replacing the culture of the country they now invade and occupy.

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Patriotliz

5 years ago

Hmmm…Does Sharia-compliant JihadiLinda shake hands w/ men in her role as a stealth jihadist activist on behalf of the Leftist-Islamic alliance to dupe the Leftist infidels to grease the path for the establishment of Sharia in America?…does she cave to Western culture to ultimately promote Sharia culture w/ her artful taqiyya deception of the “useful infidels?” As long as she wears her stupid Hijab, a symbol of Islamic supremacy,…it’s clear she has one ultimate goal…the establishment of Islamic Sharia in the U.S.

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Clear Sky

5 years ago

Interesting. Rape is OK, but refusing to shake hands is a big problem in Sweden.

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hopespringseternal

5 years ago

They (muslims) want to migrate and live in Sweden, but refuses to integrate and
obey the laws, norms and customs. Muslims should stay in their own countries where these customs are the accepted norms, not shaking hands etc.

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Stephen Honig

5 years ago

But it’s okay for her to wear a deadscarf.

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brian crawford

5 years ago

WOW….. muslims work???

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darnash

5 years ago

All their cultural norms that are completely different from the pervasive culture need to be practiced between people of like religion or culture. Meanwhile, what are we doing with the rapists and jihadis. Not much. In my mind they should have a 5 hour trial and then be summarily put to death. All other Muslims who choose not to assimilate and look to welfare instead of getting a job need to be shipped back to their country of origin. All refugees that are on their way now need to be housed in their home country until they feel safe to restart their lives in their home country. Immigration, unless it boosts the receiving country, should stop now.

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IzlamDownpressesHumanity

5 years ago

Considering the rape epidemic being committed by muslum men across Swedenistan is hand shaking really a significant concern?

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Alleged-Comment

5 years ago

Although you are correct people don’t accept that collaboration with the enemy because they have rejected their Christianity and embraced a hybrid (the REAL collaboration) of lieberalism.

Or he belief in the great lie. You can believe in the TRUTH or you can believe in the LIE. Lieberalism has them FOOLED that they can believe in the BIG LIE – as truth!

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R. Arandas

5 years ago

R.I.P. Sweden. 🙁

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Merchantseamen

5 years ago

I guess there is no Swedish teachers.

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Michael Jacobs

5 years ago

I have ZERO sympathy for this complaint. I’m an Orthodox Jew. Is Mr. Fitzgerald, and Ms. Geller, aware that Orthodox Jews ALSO do not shake hands (or otherwise touch) between unrelated adults of opposite sex? I would be aghast if “Swedish rules” actually COMPELLED such people to shake hands — what kind of totalitarian state would that be? And, no, having secular, public schools does not mean society has to be “free from religion.” Sure, the curriculum should not promote or favor one religion over another, but that does not mean it should disfavor religious belief, either, nor that teachers who are followers of some faith must check their religion at the door and ignore what its tenets require of their behavior. Isn’t that the same freedom-of-religion argument made in the USA by the same people who claim the Supreme Court has “kicked God out of our schools”? Or is that only trotted out when the teacher in question is Christian?

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IzlamDownpressesHumanity

5 years ago

Reply to  Michael Jacobs

Just out of curiosity does it state anywhere in the Tanakh that shaking hands is verboten?

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Michael Jacobs

5 years ago

Reply to  IzlamDownpressesHumanity

Not specifically in the written Torah, no. The concept of Tzniut — modesty — as well as Taharat HaMishpocha — family purity — is what lies behind it, and various rabbininc interpretations of those concepts led to the Orthodox requirement for modest dress (male and female), for married women to cover their hair, and for unrelated men and women not to touch. Obviously some groups (e.g. the “ultra”-orthodox or Haredim) carry these ideas further than others. Many modern orthodox Jews — men and women — are indistinguishable in dress from secular Jews or non-Jews and will gladly shake hands. I am among them. Also, compassion and common sense should always come first. When my (very Orthodox, Chassidic) rabbi visited my grandmother-in-law during her final illness, he would hold her hand to comfort her. In my opinion the spirit of the law should never be thrown out to satisfy the strict letter, because laws, like other words, are imperfect metaphors, and sometimes a literal interpretation would make you do things that are not really beneficial to anyone.

There are different “levels” of observance of the similar religious requirement among Muslims, too, obviously, as any comparison of the degrees of “modesty” that different sects require of their women would show. It’s just that whatever the basis, and however unreasonable, it’s really not anybody else’s business, in a secular, pluralistic society that protects freedom of religion, to second-guess the believers of a different religion as to what they can or cannot do in accordance with their faith — so long as it does not actually hurt anybody else, that is.

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IzlamDownpressesHumanity

5 years ago

Reply to  Michael Jacobs

Interesting, thanks.

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