German teachers stage walkout after Muslim pupil refuses to shake hands with female staff

This is not the first time a Muslim has refused to shake hands with the opposite sex at a European school

Teachers at a school in Germany stormed out of a graduation ceremony after a Muslim pupil refused to shake hands with female staff on “religious grounds.”

As the female teacher at the Kurt-Tucholsky School in Hamburg went to shake the hand of the student he offered his wrist instead saying, “No offence, my religion won't let me do that. I do not mean to disrespect you."



Outraged by this, fellow teachers at the school in Hamburg, demanded he be sent home from the event. However, the head teacher, Andrea Lüdtke refused to do so.

As a result, five teachers walked out amid “intense discussions” between the student, fellow classmates and the remaining tutors.

After the Hamburg incident last Thursday, Lüdtke said that seven teachers boycotted a celebration ball that was to take place later that evening. “That was very bad,” she said.



“The pupil in question is in no way extremist. We are now considering how to show that we cannot tolerate such behaviour. It is the first time that this has been an issue at the school,” she added.

Katajun Amirpur, professor of Islamic studies and Deputy Director of the Academy for World Religions in Hamburg says in Islam, there are different interpretations on the subject of men shaking hands with women. “Some men shake hands with women. Some people do it. There can be different explanations,” he said.

This is not the first time a Muslim student has refused to shake hands with the opposite sex at a European school.



Recently, two Muslim boys in neighbouring Switzerland also refused to shake their female teacher’s hand and as a result are still waiting to hear whether this may have cost them their right to a Swiss passport.

Last month, a Muslim imam took his child out of a Berlin school after a meeting with a teacher. During this meeting, he was told to “adapt to the culture” when he told the teacher he would not be able to shake her hand.

This article originally appeared on Daily Mail.