Two medical Muslim students at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam asked for exemption from a practice where they were supposed to be examined by at least one man and one woman. The women didn’t want to be touched by a man. Their request for exemption was however refused by the director of the study.
The Appeals Tribunal for Higher Education has stated this refusal to be invalid, because the director was not in the position to make this decision.
The women are referring to the freedom of religion and the inviolability of the body, both mentioned in the Constitution. They also said that they just don’t want to be touched by a man, but are willing to do examination on male students/patients.
The University Medical Centre in Groningen (UMCG), where also a lot of Muslim students are studying, says that they have never come across such a problem, since they give students the choice by whom they are willing to be examined.
