It’s a Muslim thing – you wouldn’t understand.
Posted on 06/22/2008 6:42:50 PM PDT by forkinsocket
A Muslim asylum seeker lost out on an award for volunteer work after indicating that he would not shake hands with the woman who was to present him with the prize.
Alinoor Ahmed Sheikh, a Somali based in an asylum hostel in Tralee, was to have been honoured for his work raising funds for Amnesty International at a ceremony last Thursday organised by the Africa Centre in Dublin. The event was designed to highlight the positive work done by refugees and asylum seekers in Irish communities.
Five minutes before Benedicta Attoh, a member of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, was due to present the award she was told not to call out Sheikh’s name. “The judges had decided that someone else should get the award,” said Attoh, chairwoman of the Africa Centre’s board.
Attoh did not find out the reason why until she read in Metro Eireann on Friday that his name had been removed because of his refusal to shake hands with women. Sheikh told the newspaper that he had been assured his request not to shake a female presenter’s hand would be accommodated because it was based on his religious beliefs.
His certificate was presented to Therese Elumelu, who was not present, with Sheikh’s name crossed out.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Nonsense. This man is a Muslim mysogynist.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Is that really a Muslim belief — that men are too good to shake the hand of a lowly woman?
If you’re following a “religion” where every innocent opportunity to touch a woman must be shunned, it’s going to be a long, long, long, long life.
If, on the other hand, his religious beliefs dictated that he cut off the head of the infidel woman he would have had no problem with grabbing a handful of hair while he kneeled on her backside and sawed away with a knife.
Yes, this is a Muslim practice & it is mine too. I don’t shake hands with men - has nothing to do with feeling lowly.
If shaking the hand of a strange woman is considered intimate conduct, then maybe Orthodox Jews should get over it as well.
Guess I’m too used to being in a modern work envirnoment.
I’ve never met a man or woman who refused to shake hands when introduced — and if they did it would be an insult.
“Muslim mysogynist.”
redundant.
Poor Monk would have been SOL had he not had his handy wipes available.
Seriously, and I ask this seriously, would a germophobe have had their name stricken off?
And I would have shoved that certificate back in their face if they gave it to me with someone elses name scratched through and mine written over it. Sheesh.
Sheik pigmolester will probably sue to get his prize now.
Where I am from it is normal that some people will not touch the opposite gender, so it’s not a problem. In America, I explain it to them or any man accompanying me explains it to them. So far no one has given indications of being insulted, just surprised. They think of it as “some Middle Eastern custom, I guess”.
Hence why a good number of them seeks an early exit.
>>>I’ve never met a man or woman who refused to shake hands when introduced — and if they did it would be an insult.
I’ve seen it. Orthodox Jews from Postville, IA do not shake hands with the women who work in a store in a nearby town that I go to in the course of my work.
“A Muslim asylum seeker lost out on an award for volunteer work after indicating that he would not shake hands with the woman who was to present him with the prize. “
True what you said about orthodox jews being modest/respectful in that way, according to their faith.
However - the muslim thing - NOT respectful but disdainful and DISrespectful.
“Lost out on a prize” as the article says???
When is the world (including US) going to get it - they have their eye on a MUCH bigger prize and could care less about money, trophies or any of the things the western world fancies. We absolutely must stop judging all others by the way WE are and the way WE think.
“Is that really a Muslim belief — that men are too good to shake the hand of a lowly woman?”
duh. are you serious? yes, and moreover, it’s grounds for killing the woman who even spends time talking with a man to whom she’s not married or related. it’s been done countless times - called an “honor killing”.
It’s a Muslim thing – you wouldn’t understand.
“This man is a Muslim mysogynist.”
that’s really redundant, isn’t it?
Hey, I’m still new here and not used to such high intelligence levels as are on this board! I love it, but still sorting out which posts are serious and which are subtly sarcastic - so go easy on me, alright? :-)))))))))))))
From the Comments section of the Sunday Times:
Hey lads at least Muslim men have chivalry towards women, the rest of the men in the west are like sex maniacs. Don’t believe go look at rape stats.
It’s a paradox that society calls muslims backwards when just last century white women got rights by hunger strikes and blacks were beaten to death!
Abdullah, Dublin, Ireland.
I want to know what Abdullah’s dumb ass is doing in Ireland ????????
Goats and sheep are also prone to be their sex targets. I do not know if the will shake hands with these animals even through I have lived in both Iran and Saudi Arabia.
“I’ve never met a man or woman who refused to shake hands when introduced — and if they did it would be an insult.”
Howard Hughes (and Howie Mandel) wouldn’t/don’t shake hands. But there were/are reasons for that :-))))))))))))
>>>Some people have religious objections to any form of intimate conduct with an unrelated woman.
Then don’t go to societies where such conduct (ohmygoshhowshameful) as shaking hands is not considered basis for an “honor” killing, or such other stupid belief.
(Yeah, call me intolerant. Some things are not subject to the shilly-shallying of relligious viewpoint.)
If you’re a muslim who cannot be in close proximity with “strange” women, then go home. If you can’t pick up dogs in your taxi, then don’t drive a taxi. if you can’t ring up a customer’s pork purchase, then don’t work in a grocery. If you don’t like the fact that you might have to treat a women with some shred of respect or decency, then get lost.
I’m sick of this idiocy!
You wrote:
“I don’t shake hands with men - has nothing to do with feeling lowly.”
You don’t shake hands with men? Even the women of the victorian era usually would do so.
“Muslim mysogynist.” redundant.
Hank - thanks for not making me feel like the only one on this! that was my same reply.
Poor Monk would have been SOL had he not had his handy wipes available.
Yes!!! Isn’t Monk just the best?
"She was lovely and fair
as the rose of the summer
yet t'was not her beauty
alone that won me
Oh!,No! 'twas the truth
in her eye ever dawning
that made me love Mary,
the Rose of Tralee
Irish favourite ballad circa 1845.
Will someone tell these intruders to return to the land where his wretched observances are the norm.
Oh my gosh, I LOVE Monk.
>>>They think of it as “some Middle Eastern custom, I guess”.
Guess what, this is not the Middle East, and women are treated with a little more respect and decency than in the Islamic world, thank God. If you cannot adapt to this strange and alien practice, I might have a suggestion or two. (And it would not include the decapitation of a woman who tried to shake your hand...)
Would it be OK to shake a woman’s hand if he wore gloves?
It has to do with women being unclean during menstruation, but that is neither here nor there.
Nope. No physical contact with men who are not close relatives or (future - I’m still engaged) husband.
>Where I am from it is normal that some people will not touch the opposite gender,<
Curiosity wins. Where are you from?
Is that for religious reasons?
And this lunatic is expecting asylum in a civilized nation?
This little stunt should end ALL hope for the bastard...
Leave them all in their own toilet.
Don’t know. There’s probably some Rabbinic ruling on that. I grew up in a place that didn’t have an organized Jewish community, so we just stuck to our old practices & didn’t consult with rabbis. I’m not big on rulings that circumvent the spirit of the law, so even if such a thing was permitted, I wouldn’t do it.
If you can’t bring yourself to talk to me without attempting to grab my hand - better find other people to talk to. Don’t like me here? Lobby your government not to give me a visa next time, then. *shrug*
Not shaking the hand of a female is archaic. Religious “admonitions” against merely touching a member of the opposite sex for whatever reasons is ludicrous. Not going so far as to even gaze or look at a female proves, to me, the insanity and illogic of some so-called “religious” strictures.
Middle East.
I’m Israeli now, but I was born in Lebanon. In both places it is not unusual behavior.
Are you middle eastern?
Yes.
I was told, years ago, by our rabbi, that it is OK to shake hands in a business situation (ie job interview) because it is considered a standard business greeting and not a sexual thing. But he said do not offer to shake hands, but take hand that is extended (because otherwise would be insulting)
However lately I see more and more men do not initiate a handshake unless the woman offers her hand first. Business etiquette has changed.
I have worked with different Muslim men and women and have yet to see them refuse to shake hands. Maybe they are fully westernized (I hope so) or maybe they are simply adroit at avoiding situations where it is called for as a matter of courtesy.
Ben - of course, but it’s complicated (adriotness IS often used as well). Think of most major religions and their followers living/practicing in varying “degrees”, peacefully, happily, versus hard-core, word for word, fundamentalists. In the case of Islam, there are maybe only 15% (or so) who are fundamentalists - gee, that’s only about 150-250 million who follow Mohammed’s teachings about killing all infidels and achieving a perfect Islamic world, a Califate, ruled by Sharia law..
9/11/01 only took 19 like that.
I'm not an expert, but I believe if you go back to the social etiquette rules of the 1940's/50's, it was considered "forward" for a man to invite a woman to shake his hand. In a social situation, the woman could choose to offer her hand, and then the man could take it. If the woman did not offer, then nothing happened and there was no awkwardness.
I agree that business etiquette of recent years differed from social etiquette of decades past. Now, with a lot of people gunshy in the workplace, we seem to be going back toward the "do nothing, unless she invites a handshake" mindset.
In Israel, almost everyone I came across waited to see if I would offer my hand too.
In Lebanon, since I was not wearing hijab, Christians & seculars would assume that it was okay to offer their hand. They were surprised when me or someone would tell them “la, haram” & they would look at me quizzically.
“Yahudia.”
“Walla!”
:D
What do you bet a group named the “National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism” will capitulate and grant this guy the award on his terms within a few days?
Muslim’s need to come into the 21st Century. Summer’s Eve has taken care of that.
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