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Minister admits reluctant Michelle Obama handshake

Hatuey

Rule of Two
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Minister admits reluctant Michelle Obama handshake - Yahoo! News

In footage of the official welcome, Sembiring appeared to share his countrymen's enthusiasm. He smiled broadly as he shook the president's hand and then reached with both hands to grasp Michelle Obama's. But later he said she forced their contact.
His denial was in a response to tweets from Indonesians who noted the handshake and questioned his long-standing claims that, as a good Muslim, he restricts his contact with women.
Many posts had a "gotchya" quality to them.
One female journalist — who said the minister had refused to shake her hand — gleefully noted that now he would no longer be able to wriggle out of it.
Sembiring has often tweeted controversial comments, including blaming natural disasters on a lack of morality and joking about AIDS.

Good for her. She approached him as an equal. That is how I interpret handshakes. As much as I support multiculturalism, it's also important for dignitaries of each nation to see each other as equals. As I see it, this doesn't violate Islamic law as Michelle Obama is not a Muslim and a handshake does not lead to intimate relationships anymore than a stare does.
 
First...dude looked pretty eager to shake her hand. Second...since we go out of our way to observe others customs, it seems appropriate for them to occasionally observe ours.
 
Minister admits reluctant Michelle Obama handshake - Yahoo! News



Good for her. She approached him as an equal. That is how I interpret handshakes. As much as I support multiculturalism, it's also important for dignitaries of each nation to see each other as equals. As I see it, this doesn't violate Islamic law as Michelle Obama is not a Muslim and a handshake does not lead to intimate relationships anymore than a stare does.

Actaully, it is a violation of Islam. But, you're not a Muslim, are you?
 
Minister admits reluctant Michelle Obama handshake - Yahoo! News

Good for her. She approached him as an equal. That is how I interpret handshakes. As much as I support multiculturalism, it's also important for dignitaries of each nation to see each other as equals. As I see it, this doesn't violate Islamic law as Michelle Obama is not a Muslim and a handshake does not lead to intimate relationships anymore than a stare does.

One must sometimes wonder why it is the United States representatives who must always be culturally correct in a foreign country. It would seem just common courtesy to be willing to adapt to the customs of one's guests.
 
One must sometimes wonder why it is the United States representatives who must always be culturally correct in a foreign country. It would seem just common courtesy to be willing to adapt to the customs of one's guests.


When in Rome.......
 
One must sometimes wonder why it is the United States representatives who must always be culturally correct in a foreign country. It would seem just common courtesy to be willing to adapt to the customs of one's guests.

This is a question that was asked during a port visit when I was in the navy(Dubai I think). The answer we got was because we expect better from our people than we did of others.
 
Also the United States is a mix of many cultures. 'Others' tend to be homogenized but its probably not a one way road, Im sure they concede some rituals to eachother.
 
Actaully, it is a violation of Islam. But, you're not a Muslim, are you?

I'm going to start keeping count of how many times I do this.

Islam is not one unified bloc, its just as ignorant to say that the acting of marriage amongst the priesthood in Christianity is a violation because the Catholics don't allow it.
 
I'm going to start keeping count of how many times I do this.

Islam is not one unified bloc, its just as ignorant to say that the acting of marriage amongst the priesthood in Christianity is a violation because the Catholics don't allow it.


Please use your numbers for counting conservatively. There is a shortage of numbers going around ya know.
 
Setting aside my personal feelings about the personalities involved I have to admit I have find it puzzling that we can waste hundreds of millions of dollars on a vacations for Obama and yet Mr. Brilliant does not have a White House Social Secretary to insure there are no awkward moments caused by ANY potential cultural differences that might crop up.

I can't stand anything about either Obama but I find it embarrassing as a Nation that we have people being paid wonderful salaries as are all White House Staff and still this crap comes up.

What it even more embarrassing is tat for the last few years we hear all this nonsense about how brilliant Obama his wife are and they still have things come up.

It wasn't bad enough that Obama felt he had to go around the world bowing to people like the Japanese Emperor, The Saudi King Abdullah, or Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, but this kind of stuff makes us look stupid for letting him go out in the world.

It seems it would take a few minutes on his Blackberry could clue him in on the correct protocols.

I know he's got to be the most narcissistic person I have ever seen and this is unreal.

It's almost as bad as trying to dance. I saw a clip of both Obama and President Bush making fools fo themselves trying to dance people in Native garb and while some might find it cut, I see it as National embarrassment for both of them.
 
Actaully, it is a violation of Islam. But, you're not a Muslim, are you?

Having spent 7 trips and 4 years in 13 different parts of the middle east, my experience is that many (I'll never say all or even most) Muslims are pretty flexible with their traditions based on what they want and what they expect. However we learned very simply to follow their lead. If you walked into an office and they remained seated, you sat down. If they stood and offered a hand (even with our female officers) you responded. If they didnt, no big deal. If they hugged you, you responded appropriately. If they talked of YOUR family they were attempting to determine your station in life and thus your ability to enter into an agreement. If they talked about THEIR family, you were in. Etc etc etc.

This will brew but probably will be little more than a tempest in a teapot. As I recall the video, the individual directly to the left of the 'offended' Muslim did not shake Mo'bama's hand. The very offended Muslim eagerly reached for her and smiled...and someone probably later said...Achmed-doood...how can you touch that infidel womans hand? And now he is feigning insult.
 
Setting aside my personal feelings about the personalities involved I have to admit I have find it puzzling that we can waste hundreds of millions of dollars on a vacations for Obama and yet Mr. Brilliant does not have a White House Social Secretary to insure there are no awkward moments caused by ANY potential cultural differences that might crop up.

I can't stand anything about either Obama but I find it embarrassing as a Nation that we have people being paid wonderful salaries as are all White House Staff and still this crap comes up.

What it even more embarrassing is tat for the last few years we hear all this nonsense about how brilliant Obama his wife are and they still have things come up.

It wasn't bad enough that Obama felt he had to go around the world bowing to people like the Japanese Emperor, The Saudi King Abdullah, or Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, but this kind of stuff makes us look stupid for letting him go out in the world.

It seems it would take a few minutes on his Blackberry could clue him in on the correct protocols.

I know he's got to be the most narcissistic person I have ever seen and this is unreal.

It's almost as bad as trying to dance. I saw a clip of both Obama and President Bush making fools fo themselves trying to dance people in Native garb and while some might find it cut, I see it as National embarrassment for both of them.

Good lord...someone help me..Im defending them...

Look...Mo walked the line. The cat before the 'offended' individual stood, smiled politely, but did not offer either hand. The 'offended' poor hand raped Muslim grinned like a baby with a new diaper and reached for her.

Look...theres still LOTS to not like about BO...but this issue? Non...
 
Having spent 7 trips and 4 years in 13 different parts of the middle east, my experience is that many (I'll never say all or even most) Muslims are pretty flexible with their traditions based on what they want and what they expect. However we learned very simply to follow their lead. If you walked into an office and they remained seated, you sat down. If they stood and offered a hand (even with our female officers) you responded. If they didnt, no big deal. If they hugged you, you responded appropriately. If they talked of YOUR family they were attempting to determine your station in life and thus your ability to enter into an agreement. If they talked about THEIR family, you were in. Etc etc etc.

This will brew but probably will be little more than a tempest in a teapot. As I recall the video, the individual directly to the left of the 'offended' Muslim did not shake Mo'bama's hand. The very offended Muslim eagerly reached for her and smiled...and someone probably later said...Achmed-doood...how can you touch that infidel womans hand? And now he is feigning insult.

I don't disagree, but at the end of the day, we have a non-Mulism person making claims about Islamic customs. Why does he do that? Because, it's an Obama in question.
 
I don't disagree, but at the end of the day, we have a non-Mulism person making claims about Islamic customs. Why does he do that? Because, it's an Obama in question.

Hows that different than exactly what you are doing.
 
I see Sembirings political enemies in Indonesia using this against him, .......... like I care. Otherwise, no problem with Michelle. She has no obligation to give a rat's rear-end about some politician's stupidity over there. Seems she gave him a real good case of the "cooties" though, which is kind of poetic justice for that jerk Sembiring.
 
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