Muslim girls at Swiss schools must take mixed swimming classes: Europe court

Judges found that freedom of religion had been 'interfered with'

Muslim parents cannot refuse to send their daughters to mixed school-run swimming lessons, Europe's rights top court found, ruling on a challenge by a Turkish-Swiss couple who argued the classes violated their beliefs.



The court ruled that the refusal by authorities in the Swiss city of Basel to exempt the couple's two daughters from swimming lessons was justified by the need to promote the children's social integration.

In June last year, a Muslim father was fined in Switzerland for refusing to allow his daughters to take swimming lessons at school. The unnamed 40-year-old man was ordered to pay 4,000 Swiss francs ($4,000, 3,700 euros).



He had also refused to allow his daughters to go to camps and other school events, insisting they ran counter to his religious beliefs. The prosecutor had requested that the man be sentenced to four months behind bars, in addition to a fine, maintaining that the Bosnian national who has been living in Switzerland since 1990 had resisted integration and had no respect for Swiss legislation.



In July, Swiss authorities rejected the naturalisation application of two Muslim girls who refused to take school swimming lessons with boys. According to Swiss media, the girls aged 12 and 14, living in the Swiss city of Basel had applied for Swiss citizenship several months ago, but their request was denied.

The girls cited religious reasons for not participating in compulsory swimming lessons at their school with males in the pool at the same time.