Two Muslim siblings in Gothenburg were not allowed to continue their judo training after they refused to bow before and after training sessions for religious reasons, stating that they only bow before God. The parents believed that the club should have made an exception and therefore reported the association to the Equality Ombudsman (DO). The authority has now determined that the club’s actions did not violate the prohibition against discrimination.

The issue arose during one of the children’s first training sessions. The siblings chose not to perform the customary bow, as they did not wish to bow in the manner included in judo training for religious reasons.

Before the next session, the parents were informed by the club that the children could not continue if they persisted in abstaining from the bow.

In this case, the club explained that the bow is not an optional element that individual participants can opt out of. The association describes it as “an established and integral part of judo’s training methodology” and states that it expects “all participants to follow judo’s etiquette.”

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According to the club, the bow is also “to be considered a rule of order on the training mat.” It can be likened to a handshake, a way to show focus, respect, and that both are ready to train safely.

Only Bow Before Their God

The parents questioned the club’s requirements and argued that the association should have been able to find a solution that considered the children’s religious beliefs.

They chose to turn to the DO after their children could no longer continue training. The complainant felt that the club’s requirement was not in line with an open and inclusive sports environment.

“Forcing children to bow is not compatible with an inclusive sports environment,” the complainant stated, emphasizing that the children “only bow before God.”

The family also claimed that the situation could have developed differently. According to the complainant, during the first training session, the parents received verbal assurance that the children would be allowed to abstain from bowing.

When the club later announced that the children could not continue training without complying with the rule, the family felt that the previous agreement was no longer in effect.

DO Decision

The DO has now examined whether the club’s actions constituted discrimination and has concluded that was not the case. In its decision, the authority refers, among other things, to the function of bowing in judo.

According to the DO, the bow acts as an internationally consistent safety signal within the sport and is therefore not merely a matter of tradition or ceremony.

The authority has also weighed the club’s requirement against the consequences for the two children. The DO concludes that the requirement to bow did not subject the children to an unreasonable disadvantage relative to the purpose of the rule.

The conclusion is therefore that the judo club did not violate the prohibition against discrimination when the children were no longer allowed to continue training due to their refusal to comply with the club’s bowing rules.

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