Indonesian minister says he shook first lady's hand — by accident

[RamboLiberal]

Source: MSNBC

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Once the wait for President Barack Obama's return was over, Indonesian anticipation turned to another question: Would a conservative Muslim government minister shake the first lady's hand?

He says he did, but not by choice. Footage on YouTube shows otherwise, sparking a debate that has lit up Facebook, Twitter and the rest of the blogosphere.

"I tried to prevent (being touched) with my hands but Mrs. Michelle held her hands too far toward me (so) we touched," Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring told tens of thousands of followers on Twitter.

While Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, the vast majority practice a moderate form of the faith. But Sembiring has flaunted his piety, making a point of avoiding contact with women who are not related to him.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40089526/ns/world_news-asiapacific/

---

You sir are as big an idiot as some of our RW religious leaders here. You won't get cooties touching a woman's hand!

[John Q. Citizen]

1. Political cooties

[karynnj]

2. What a dilemma for our right wing!

They can't attack Michelle Obama for extending her hand because that would be endorsing the rules in Sharia law.

[elleng]

3. debate that has lit up Facebook, Twitter and the rest of the blogosphere.

OH MY!!!

:sarcasm: :rofl:

[xxqqqzme]

10. LOL - it hasn't

made it to my facebook page yet. Guess I should brace myself for the flood!

[Evasporque]

4. UNRELATED GIRL GERMS!!!!....GAAAAHHHHHH....

[woo me with science]

18. ...

:rofl:

[awoke_in_2003]

20. It is not fear of girl germs...

it is fear that somehow shaking a woman's hand will cause impure thoughts in the poor, innocent man. This make the "christian side hug" seem a bit saner.

[sally cat]

5. Perfect opportunity to avoid discussion of Muslim misogeny and make twistly equivalence points.

[dipsydoodle]

6. Its a cultural difference

and hence is not for us to criticize.

[CLANG]

7. Come on! If us loud-mouthed uninformed, UGLY Americans can't criticize people

from another country - just what is this world coming to???
:sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[David__77]

11. That is nonsense.

There is progressive culture and reactionary culture. That which treats women unequally is backward and to be criticized. "Protection of women" through social ostracization is not enlightened, it is terrible.

[Rebubula]

12. Cultural Difference

1st - I hope that you are being ironic.

2nd - so...Fred Phelps gets a pass? Idi Amin? Hutus and the Tutsis? Japan for the Rape of Nanking? The US for slavery? Stonings?

Some cultural practices are antiquated and deserve to be mocked and ridiculed.

[backtomn]

13. That is nonsense.

What if that extended hand was from a female President?? There is no way I could defend this type of silliness, religion or not.

Was this guy afraid of being aroused or something?? Come on.....we need to stop defending this "culture's" treatment of women......all women.

[Courtesy Flush]

16. Bollocks!

We wouldn't say the same for American fundamentalists. It's institutionalized sexism. Just because they've always done it that way doesn't make it right.

[awoke_in_2003]

21. so is burying "adultresses"...

up to their neck and stoning them.

[pitohui]

25. in USA culture rude beyond belief to refuse to shake a black person's hand

to use the excuse that she's a woman, well, in our culture, it's still rude (at least in the south, where i reside)

i've seen some VERY tense encounters in stores where a black woman (or man) spoke up if the clerk made a point of avoiding touching her hand but didn't avoid touching the white person's hand...and i don't blame the person for speaking up

considering the obamas are the guests, the hosts should be gracious, not act like racist or sexist effwits...

the idea that someone refuses to shake hands because of the other person's gender or color kinda makes my blood boil, it's completely against all decency in MY culture

so why is the indonesian minister's "culture" considered of more value than the american president's wife's culture or my culture? because he's a man and we're not????

[Skittles]

29. GARBAGE

call it what it is - MISOGYNY

[Democat]

30. Like slavery?

Sure.

[Turborama]

31. No, shaking hands is not like slavery. Good grief! There's a volcano going off in Indonesia and this

NON NEWS story is getting much more attention.

:argh: :grr: :banghead:

[dipsydoodle]

33. Odd that isn't it

Like you say - drivel item gets more attention.

:hi:

[Dappleganger]

32. Oh bullshit.

It's not like she handed him a ham sandwich.

[sakabatou]

34. BS!

[Codeine]

35. Yeah, fuck that. Treating women like chattel doesn't fly with me,

"cultural difference" be damned.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

8. lol. he got some girl cooties on his hands. whatever will he do.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[alp227]

14. Wonder how much money this guy got from Fox News to say it. n/t

[PfcHammer]

15. Yer epidermis is showing

[treestar]

17. "Mrs. Michelle"

For some reason that sounds kind of cute.

This is one of those cultural differences that makes me want to yell: come out of the 14th century on that, it'll help!

[Beacool]

19. So now he has cooties?

Ahhhh, the things that are done in the name of religion.......

:crazy:

[Zambero]

22. Indonesia has killer volcanoes, tsunamis, earthquakes...

..and now this latest devastating event -- a handshake faux pas. Oh the humanity!

:sarcasm:

[madmom]

23. It's really telling how they are yelling about how Michelle should respect the

customs of other countries, but when the Prez bowed last year AS WAS CUSTOM they had a freaking heart attack!

[sally cat]

24. Can't wait for the First Lady to comment about this ass and his statement.

[Codeine]

36. She's far too gracious for that.

She knows the less she says the more this douchenozzle looks like a primitive, reactionary prick living in the past.

[Old Troop]

26. I believe this is another mis-translation....

What he actually said was, "no. I didn't wince when that woman with the remarkable guns squeezed my hand. No really, I didn't! As a matter of fact, I didn't want to shake her hand at all."

[sally cat]

27. That's gotta be it.

[Turborama]

28. Why is this even news?

It's a fucking handshake for gawd's sakes!

The reactions to this on reich wing sites are as pathetic as those to the "bow" president Obama has supposedly made in the past.