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Associated Press
JAKARTA, Indonesia — A conservative Muslim government minister admits he shook hands with first lady Michelle Obama in welcoming her to Indonesia but says it wasn’t his 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 conservatism, and says he avoids contact with women who are not related to him.
The minister was among the dignitaries in a receiving line that greeted President Barack Obama and his wife as they arrived in Jakarta Tuesday. Indonesians gathered around television sets across the country to watch the American president’s arrival. Children at the school he attended practiced a song dedicated to him just in case he visited.
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 “gotcha” 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. Continued...
Sembiring has often tweeted controversial comments, including blaming natural disasters on a lack of morality and joking about AIDS.
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Online:
Youtube: http://tinyurl.com/2f9qfe4
AP-WF-11-09-10 1552EST
Reader Comments
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kma wrote on Nov 10, 2010 6:53 AM:
jeez wrote on Nov 10, 2010 6:53 AM:
Pres obam0 wrote on Nov 10, 2010 6:56 AM:
To Jeez wrote on Nov 10, 2010 7:22 AM:
YEAH RIGHT wrote on Nov 10, 2010 7:26 AM:
TheVolleyballGod wrote on Nov 10, 2010 8:21 AM:
Dot Khan wrote on Nov 10, 2010 8:38 AM:
homunculus wrote on Nov 10, 2010 9:15 AM:
It seems like the more conservative a person is, the more likely they are to display their boundless stupidity with arrogant pride. I don't know how or why this works, but it does.
We should urge scientists to study this. "
Peniculus wrote on Nov 10, 2010 9:24 AM:
(or is that too subtle?) "
To Dot Khan wrote on Nov 10, 2010 9:41 AM:
sarah duff wrote on Nov 10, 2010 10:39 AM:
will not even stand up for his wife, how can we expect him to stand up for the American people? Oh, I forgot, he doesn't. "
Madison baseball dad wrote on Nov 10, 2010 10:49 AM:
Beth wrote on Nov 10, 2010 10:49 AM:
Do It Again wrote on Nov 10, 2010 10:50 AM:
Stand up for his wife wrote on Nov 10, 2010 11:19 AM:
This whole trip has been an expensive joke on the American people. The presidents brings over 200 people with him..can you just imagine the tab on this one for us to pay. Wow. His addiction to going away and having fun is getting very old and tiring. Not to mention he needs to stay home and fix us first. Stay in the oval office and get the job done..it appears he has a short attention span...too many ciggies I guess. This what happens when 18 year olds show up and vote..ugh. "
OMG wrote on Nov 10, 2010 12:10 PM:
Its funny wrote on Nov 10, 2010 2:10 PM:
Never the other way around .
It speaks volumes about some of these "cultures" .
We are greasy turds to them , until they want or need something from us . "
Yooper wrote on Nov 10, 2010 2:35 PM:
Old yankee wrote on Nov 10, 2010 3:27 PM:
Its against Muslim to live if you are an infidel, and we all are in that category.
Not being able to touch the hand of a women because are not blood related.WOW. Ding "
Not Fox wrote on Nov 10, 2010 3:59 PM:
Mike wrote on Nov 10, 2010 5:39 PM:
You want to talk pure lunacy? I know this religion where everyone is doomed to Hell and God impregnated a woman with himself and the version of himself that resulted from this impregnation grew up and was sacrificed so that people wouldn't have to go to Hell, except God, being God, could have just snapped his fingers and said "You're all going to Heaven now" except that that would have been too easy so God made it so that you had to earn your way into Heaven by believing in God except that no one can earn his way into Heaven because deeds don't count and anyway it's preordained who gets into heaven and there's this guy called the Pope who when he speaks ex cathedra is infallible except that that's not true for a whole bunch of people who don't accept the Pope and . . . wait, I forgot what I was talking about. "
Wheathervane wrote on Nov 10, 2010 6:16 PM:
" he needs to stay home and fix us first ."
Secondly , she ( Mrs. Obama ) is not a woman , she is American Democrat ! I guess Democracy is not connected to a gender . "
Zack wrote on Nov 10, 2010 6:22 PM:
wrong place wrote on Nov 10, 2010 7:25 PM:
Don`t mix politics and religion then , stay home and pray . "
Monica Lnsky wrote on Nov 10, 2010 7:36 PM:
NO Class wrote on Nov 10, 2010 8:33 PM:
That is there custom and on there land. You follow and respect there custom as we would expect the same. NO CLASS fraud President. "
old yankee wrote on Nov 10, 2010 8:41 PM:
What are yo trippen on? woW! come on down and hug a tree. "
Franklin wrote on Nov 10, 2010 9:18 PM:
those who he hates. "
to NO class wrote on Nov 10, 2010 9:40 PM:
Thank you . "
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