Switzerland : Muslim students grounded for refusing to sing at the church

A Muslim father had to pay a 500 Swiss Franc (nearly 4800 dirhams) fine for refusing to have his sons sing Christian Christmas music at a church in Switzerland, reports the Swiss version of the daily newspaper 20 Minutes.

The father, who accepted in the past to let his children participate to school activities «what he himself did as a child», was furious when his sons’ school forced them to be part of a choir at a church.

A decision to which the father objected, relying on an article from the Constitution which forbids to force anyone to «perform a religious act or to follow a religious teaching». The compulsory school law obliges the institution to defend the freedom of belief and conscience, and to consider the religious orientations of minorities, the daily explains. The judge, however, refused to pronounce a ruling, considering himself incompetent in the matter.

«The father has likely appealed the wrong case», says a lawyer. «Either the judge transmits the file, which he is not intending to do; or it's over, the father will have to pay, because he's running out of time now.»