Although the subject is absolut idiotism and there are real problems out there, I cannot understand (or more like cannot stand) all the people's claims with refference to their religion.

By Jimbo | May 12, 2009 9:42 AM

I do not understand how people can come to the West and try to dare impose their religious fanaticism with our laws and cultures? If Westerners were to move to say, Iran or another Muslim country, would we be allowed to impose our laws and beliefs onto these countries? HELL NO!

By Sandra | May 12, 2009 10:13 AM

Why just this small court ruling? Maybe the Dutch should go the whole hog and actually try to integrate their immigrants.

By Njál | May 12, 2009 10:16 AM

Is a lot of fuss about nothing. Dutch constitution should first be amended to make the dutch society strictly nonreligious. As far as one is allow to join any religion then these problems will never go aways. Is religion good or bad?? every religion have his pros and cons. As the constitution stands then is discriminatory to sake her.

By kwabena | May 12, 2009 10:17 AM

Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a bone-crushing dutch handshake has every right to refuse this practice...if only for the preservation of their health. Nowhere else in the world have I ever had handskakes with such force.

By AW | May 12, 2009 10:19 AM

Is there any law obliging people to shake hands? I really doubt ..... If this is the case all the russian women must be sued because you never shake a hand of a women in Russia.....

By Eddahbi Karim | May 12, 2009 12:16 PM

@Sandra - Did the west not impose it's will, laws and democracy to countries like Iraq and Afghanistan when they were not asked for? Your level of understanding is beyond me.

By Deep Throat | May 12, 2009 12:39 PM

The woman had been shaking hands for several years, then one day decides it's no longer acceptable?

It says more about her personally than it does about discrimination. I wouldn't want someone so fickle to teach my children.

By osita | May 12, 2009 12:40 PM

I agree with a fellow poster. If the West was to go to an Islamic country and impose their ways, it would be their way or the highway. I say, when in Rome, in this case the Netherlands, you shake hands. Unless of course you are concerned about a health risk.

On another note. I have found handshaking here to be quite the opposite of bone crushing. I would say the majority of Dutch men I have shaken hands with was like shaking hands with a dead fish. And I mean that truthfully, not as a slam against the Dutch.

By TomKat | May 12, 2009 1:34 PM

Well, There is nothing in Islam to state that A woman should not shake hands with men,,, it is just wrong understanding to the woman religion by her,,, Now , I do not shake hands with men or women,, and that is not because of any religion rules,, but simply because I do not want to contract any infliction specially nowadays,,, Is shaking hand a must while we warn people about the different kinds of virus which are transmitted by the bad habits of kissing or shaking hands with others??

By Zoser | May 12, 2009 2:20 PM

I suppose the other way of greating people in Holland, i.e. the three kisses is out of the question as well?

I guess its just a slap on the ass then!

By M | May 12, 2009 3:40 PM

Refusing to shake hands with men, not women. Isn't that some form of sexual discrimination? As for transmitting germs, not breathing is the only sure way to prevent catching anything!

By Syzygy | May 12, 2009 3:49 PM

I can see some people misinterpret the court's ruling. It's perfectly fine for anyone to refuse shaking hands, whether for religious, health or other reasons. But once you become a civil servant, in that case a teacher, the rules are a bit different. If you don't want to play by those rules, you're free to quit the job. Would you hire somebody as a police officer if they told you that they personally don't believe in using guns and they would never use one?

By frankwhite | May 12, 2009 4:17 PM

I do not understand why people make every issue about religion. I do not shake hands with anyone, male or female. This is based on a personal preference due to health concerns. I feel that the school was within their rights due to discrimination policy. Choosing to shake hands with one sex over the other sounds like discrimination to me.

By Carla | May 13, 2009 1:39 AM

I wonder was the woman muslim? Imagine if this had been feminist doing so on a feminist agenda, would there have been a similar school reaction?

Heck, muslims aint human, after all water boarding isn't torture when applied to Muslims. So why should the double standards end here?

By Barakzai Van Utrecht | May 13, 2009 3:55 AM

I wholeheartedly agree with the school board's position that the teacher's responsibility as a role model should outweigh any religious "discrimination" she might feel she encountered. We expect a certain level of strength and resiliency from those whom we choose to educate our children. Someone who is so easily offended has no place shaping the minds and futures of young people. We must maintain our standards and expectations of social behavior. If we bend over backward for everyone who complains, soon we will lose the very things that make our country great. If people object to our beliefs, then they don't need to participate in our society.

Anyway, what does shaking hands have to do with religion?

By RH | May 13, 2009 4:16 AM

Again after my post yo assure there is not rule in Islam to ban a woman to shake hand with a man,, and also after I mentioned that it is healthier not to shake hands at all, I only want to answer back some posts which relate the civil servicing to (shaking hand),, with the same concept , I would relate smoking to restaurants and bar,, why smoking is banned in bars (if they have a staff) ,, to protect them from the hazard exposure of smoking,, what is the difference,, If some one is in the civil service does not mean he/she should be exposed to infection (a lot can be transmitted of course by shaking hands)specially his/her job title is not Hand shaker but a teacher...anyway it is your country,not mine, do what you want (I am not living there.lol)

By Zoser | May 13, 2009 12:19 PM

A handshake is a voluntary act/gesture. It is scandalous that this case was brought to court in the first place(what a waste of resources) and it's worrying that this has been turned into an issue; it is yet another symptoms of decreasing tolerance in society. Let's live and let live and respect each other's identity, values and beliefs.

By Ed. | May 14, 2009 9:24 AM