I just read an interesting post on these issues, written by an US citizen living in Switzerland.

http://www.evilhrlady.org/2017/01/sw...oreigners.html

Briefly, their culture is *very* important to the Swiss. Handshaking at meeting and departure is part of that culture. Preserving their culture is an important guiding factor in making these kinds of decisions.

As for the girls and the swimming lessons, the girls were very young when the parents made the request. Had the girls been post-puberty, the request would have been granted on religious grounds, but because Islam does not demand the separation of the sexes in swimming lessons at younger ages, the request was denied.

I think the writer does a good job of explaining things from the Swiss perspective. Which is clearly not the US perspective.