Which two groups are described as never touching a woman outside their families, even for a handshake?

Which two groups are described as never touching a woman outside their families, even for a handshake?

• A. Christians and Buddhists
• B. Hindu and Sikh men
• C. devout Muslim and orthodox Jewish men
• D. Shinto and Taoist men

Answer: (C)

Touch boundaries between men and women outside close family members are strongly observed in some religious communities. In Islam, the concept of mahram defines who a man may physically interact with; many devout Muslims refrain from shaking hands with women who are not family members. In Orthodox Judaism, the practice of negiah forbids physical contact between men and women who are not close relatives, often extending to avoiding a handshake. Because these two groups widely emphasize strict limits on touch with non-relatives, they’re described as never touching a woman outside their families, even for a handshake. Other groups have varying norms about contact that aren’t as uniformly restrictive, so they don’t fit the description as closely.

Touch boundaries between men and women outside close family members are strongly observed in some religious communities. In Islam, the concept of mahram defines who a man may physically interact with; many devout Muslims refrain from shaking hands with women who are not family members. In Orthodox Judaism, the practice of negiah forbids physical contact between men and women who are not close relatives, often extending to avoiding a handshake. Because these two groups widely emphasize strict limits on touch with non-relatives, they’re described as never touching a woman outside their families, even for a handshake. Other groups have varying norms about contact that aren’t as uniformly restrictive, so they don’t fit the description as closely.