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Refusing to Shake Female Official’s Hand Nearly Cost Syrian Man German Citizenship
A Syrian citizen from the Bavarian town of Marktredwitz has obtained German citizenship following a legal dispute with local authorities over his refusal to shake a female official’s hand during the presentation of his naturalisation certificate.
The municipal office had withheld the young man’s certificate in June 2024 after he declined to shake the official’s hand. The incident raised concerns among authorities about his views on equality between men and women and his commitment to Germany’s constitutional principles.
The man sued the State of Bavaria, bringing his case before the Administrative Court in Bayreuth. During the hearing, he said he regretted his actions and could no longer explain them, stressing that his refusal was not motivated by disrespect or religion, but by stress and exhaustion.
He said he had told the official that he rarely shook hands, citing health and religious reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Asked whether he would have shaken a man’s hand, he said yes. But in court, he added: “That was a mistake on my part. I was taken by surprise by the question and answered spontaneously.”
He also said he had grown up in Syria avoiding handshakes with women outside his family. In response to the judge’s question, he affirmed that equality is “important for both men and women.”
The hearing concluded with a settlement between the parties, and the court recognised the man’s right to German citizenship.
