German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock found herself at the center of a diplomatic embarrassment for the second time during an official visit to Syria: Syrian ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa again did not shake her hand. As IZ reports with reference to Bild, Berbock had already foreseen such a situation this time – she did not initiate the handshake in order to avoid a public gesture of refusal.
At a previous meeting, al-Sharaa shook hands with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot but ignored Berbock, which caused a stir in the European media. At the same time, other diplomats from Muslim countries, including Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Syrian Asaad al-Shaibani, do not avoid shaking hands with women. The latter warmly greeted Berbock during a meeting at the airport.
There is no single rule in Muslim tradition regarding handshakes between men and women. There is no direct prohibition in the Quran, so the behavior of officials depends on personal beliefs.
Burbock's visit to Syria had symbolic significance — she participated in the opening of the German embassy in Damascus, which had been closed for the past 13 years.
As a reminder, we previously wrote that files on the Kennedy assassination had been declassified.