Source: Religion News Service
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON, January 23, 2002: Bowing to a picture of the founder of judo before a match is not a violation of a individual’s religious freedom, a federal judge ruled on Jan. 10. This interesting case could have implications for other situations, such as may occur in the teaching of yoga. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik rejected the argument of three judo contestants who said the customary bow violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act because it discriminates on the basis of religion, according to the Associated Press. James Akiyama, 17, and his sister, Leilani Akiyama, 14, contested the practice along with Jay Drangeid. Drangeid said in the suit that his refusal to bow is based on his personal Christian, religious belief that bowing to a “thing” or a “place” is prohibited by the Bible. Jim Bregman, president of the U.S. Judo Association, said he was “very pleased” with the decision. “It’s clear the bow in judo is simply a respectful act, like a handshake in wrestling.” John Holm, who operates the U.S. Judo Training Center in Renton, Washington, said other families are affected by the ruling. “We have a half-dozen Muslim kids who want to compete in the state championships coming up January 26, and they can’t compete because of their religious beliefs,” he told the Associated Press. In the suit one of the Muslim participants said he believes that the Koran prohibits bowing to anything or to anyone other than Allah.