This sub doesn't always have effort post so I decided to make one for the day. In the following post I'll be addressing the responses given by others to this ban, the argumentative leaps made when proposing it, my own take on this issue and what this means for the Muslim community going forward. Excuse my anger and frustration.
Oh boy. Now I've seen many ridiculous arguments made against Muslims. But I never really expected the negativity to compound into something of this strange political nature. The entire idea that you can force another human being from doing something they sincerely don't want to do, over the desire to fulfill a triviality of your day to day life, is simply blowing my mind. Here are my thoughts and highlights of the argumentative leaps made.
First of all, it's utterly pointless to force someone from a different cultural background to follow your own cultural trivialities. It forces you into a position where you reject any notion of open-mindedness and tolerance towards the cultures of others. Are you seriously willing to argue that hand shaking is some sort of European social landmark, and that the idea of refusing to do so out of modesty would be such an insult to you and your being and that you would be so offended you would enshrine it within the political system of your "progressive" country to make sure no one commits such a horrifying taboo?
Secondly, do you really not see how bloody ridiculous it is? If an American didn't wear a top hat while walking down London or say that baguettes aren't the greatest bread ever while in France would you also say that they're offending your rich and vast European culture. The whole world would be in uproar. Does a world not exist outside of Europe? To be consistent you would have to force people to follow all the other European cultural trivialities or legitimate practices, whatever it be, as well. Are people in such great offense for not shaking your bloody hand?Do you believe your culture to be so fickle that anyone living in your country not following it's every detail will surely undermine it and take your country over? Do you really?
There's so so much more I could write about the implications of a ban like this and it's affect on individuality, secularism, human rights, tolerance, what it means to be progressive, how it ultimately harms your own society e.t.c but I think this much will suffice. Onto the replies of others:
Swiss here, for me it's plain and simple. Here in switzerland we teach our kids that if you are a guest, you try to adapt the habbits of the host as much as possible, because that is what we define as polite. This is the way we live and I can tell you, we are welcome quests nearly everywhere because of that.
Hah? That's it then. Everyone has to live like you and you're idea of a society is one where you're sheltered from the views and practices of others? Do you not realize how that will damage the intellectual progress of your country. You don't accept people because you're an open-minded progressive European country, you accept them because they pretty much have to become like you anyways.
Now, there are foreigners living in switzerland who do not share the same mindset and are not even willing to at least try to adapt. And this is wrong and where the problem starts. If you are coming into a country, where people are used to certain habbits, you do have to respect them. This includes shaking hands if asked for. Otherwise, you probably should join a different country which suits your personal habbits better.
This just gets better and better doesn't it. So someone is apparently "not even willing to at least try to adapt" to your country if they don't follow all the trivialities. I'm so happy I live in Canada and they had the whole "you gotta be like us or you aint us" thing back in the 80s or whenever. This kinda reminds me of when women weren't allowed to vote and they said sassy things like, " I've committed the grave crime of voting in the election", and now I can say that I'll end up committing the grave crime of not shaking your hand out of modesty.
If you do enshrine culture in your country like this, to the extent that you force others from practicing anything else, no matter how trivial. Then honestly, you're just treating your culture as some sort of religion. I'm not even sure that religious countries force their citizens into the type of triviality that Switzerland has now. Imagine the outrage if Pakistan made a law to force everyone to grow beards , yet it's not Pakistan making laws for such trivial things it's Switzerland. Go figure.