An Australian public school— Hurstville Boys Campus of Georges River College– has excused the Muslim students from shaking hand with women in keeping with the Islamic tradition.
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The belief comes from the Islamic Hadith—a saying or a deed of Prophet Muhammad—which states that "It is better to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle than to touch the hand of a woman who is not permissible to you."
According to the The Australian, a spokesperson from the New South Wales department of education said, "At the school's 2016 presentation day, the principal explained to invited guests making awards that some Muslim students may place their hand across their chest instead of shaking hands".
The 'agreed policy' was adopted following deliberations between staff, students and parents. The Education Department has supported the decision of the Hurstville Boys Campus which boasts of 87% student population from non English-speaking backgrounds.
"The Department of Education requires its schools to recognise and respect the cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds of all students, with the intent to promote an open and tolerant attitude towards a diverse Australian community", the spokesperson pointed out.
"Principals are best placed to know the needs of their local school communities when implementing this requirement", he added.
