First lady’s handshake with conservative Muslim raises Indonesian eyebrows

[WillParkinson]

First lady’s handshake with conservative Muslim raises Indonesian eyebrows
By Brett Michael Dykes

Indonesia's pious information minister, Tifatul Sembiring, is in hot water for touching the hand of First Lady Michelle Obama, in what he describes as forced contact. The politician flaunts his conservatism as a Muslim and claims to avoid touching women who aren't family members, the Associated Press reports.

Indonesia -- which has the world's largest Islamic population, the vast majority moderate -- had been debating how to handle encounters between the first lady and observant Muslim officials far in advance of the Obamas' arrival in the country Monday.

Sembiring sought to deflect criticism by claiming Tuesday's skin-to-skin contact was all Michelle Obama's fault. "I tried to prevent with my hands but Mrs. Michelle held her hands too far toward me we touched," Tifatul Sembiring explained on his Twitter page (according to a translation provided in the AP report).

Some local observers laughed at that idea, and one female reporter gleefully said he wouldn't be able to avoid shaking her hand anymore, AP reported.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101109/pl_yblog_upshot/first-ladys-handshake-with-conservative-indonesian-muslim-raises-eyebrows

[sakabatou]

1. She's got COOTIES!!!!1111eleventy

[FrenchieCat]

2. Boring!

:boring:

[WillParkinson]

4. Aw, I'm so sorry to have bored you...

Give me a list of stories that excites you so I know what to look for next time.

[Skittles]

5. LOL WILL

whoever that is, I've got 'em on IGNORE - obviously for good reason :rofl:

[Roma]

3. Okay, now that's some funny Shi'ite right there

This 6th century Neanderthal has a twitter account? How incongruous is that?

[MindandSoul]

6. So funny! That guy couldn't wait to grab her hand. . .with both of HIS hands!

I rarely saw someone that eager!

Didn't he realize that there would be a video of the scene? He has been caught. . .Red handed!!!

[WillParkinson]

7. Indeed!

But..but..she FORCED me. Right.

[MindandSoul]

9. Obviously! Why else would he have reached out to shake hand with the FL of the U.S.A?

[midnight]

8. Pious information minister seems to be lacking in correct information....

[hedgehog]

10. I'd seen photos of that event and noted that Michelle was wearing a long sleeved dress.

I assume she did so out of respect for local sensitivities.