German court orders Muslim girl to join swim class
September 11, 2013 - 1:36 PM
Associated Press
BERLIN (AP) — A court in Germany has ruled that a Muslim girl cannot be
excused from mixed-sex swimming lessons on the grounds of religious belief.
The 13-year-old girl from Frankfurt had argued that the sight of bare-
chested male pupils breached her religious modesty.
She also claimed that accepting the school's offer that she herself could
wear a full-body "burkini" swimsuit in the pool would expose her to
discrimination among her peers.
But Germany's Federal Administrative Court ruled Wednesday that it was
reasonable to compromise between the girl's religious freedom and the state'
s duty to educate its citizens.
The dpa news agency reported that the unnamed girl's father said before the
verdict that he would accept the ruling.
About 5 percent of Germany's population of 80 million is Muslim.
