Published January 3, 2025 at 3:49 p.m
Domestic. A Muslim man in Stockholm was denied employment as a security guard after announcing that he refuses to take women by the hand. The Discrimination Ombudsman, DO, has now determined that the decision was incorrect, reports The Express.
The company, which handles recruitment within Stockholm’s public transport, canceled the man’s interview after he declared in advance – probably as a way of trying to get a large compensation for “discrimination” – that it would not be relevant to shake hands with any women.
In his report to DO, the man states that his job as a security guard rarely requires physical contact and that in emergency situations he has no problem cooperating with women.
The employer cited a neutrality policy in which refusing to wash hands is seen as an impermissible religious manifestation and argued that physical contact is an essential part of the job.
However, the DO dismisses this argument and believes that there is no reason to insist on handshakes, as there are alternative ways of showing “respect”.
“Touching is something that not all people are comfortable with and there is no reason to insist on just shaking hands because there are other ways to greet respectfully that do not involve physical contact,” the DO writes in its decision.
Source: www.friatider.se
