The Dilemma of Handshakes Between Iranian Politicians and Women
New Age Islam News Bureau
06 September2025
· The Dilemma of Handshakes Between Iranian Politicians and Women
· UN Envoy Roza Otunbayeva Ends Mission in Afghanistan
· Muslim UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, To Take Harder Line On Illegal Migration
· Eid-El-Maulud: NigerianFirst LadyOluremiTinubu Urges Prayers For Peace, Progress
· Dabiri-Erewa Inaugurates First Nigerians Diaspora Commission Office In Cross River
· Niger: Bandits Disguised In Hijabs Abduct School Principal, Woman
· Case Against Girls Islamic Organisation Activists For Holding Pro-Palestine Rally At Madayi Para
· Women Sue Arizona University Police Over Forcibly Removed Hijabs After Gaza Protest
· Journalists Mehta Sadri And Reza Mahmoudi Summoned In Gilan And Golestan
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/dilemma-iranian-politicians-women-handshakes/d/136745
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The Dilemma of Handshakes Between Iranian Politicians and Women
SEPTEMBER 5, 2025
FARAMARZ DAVAR
The prohibition on Islamic Republic men shaking hands with foreign female politicians is based on a narration attributed to the Prophet of Islam, which forbids touching the body of a non-mahram.
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During Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s recent trip to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end, he shook hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping. But when Xi’s wife extended her hand, Pezeshkian refused and abruptly walked away.
In most cultures, such a gesture is considered a snub.
Inside Iran, where the practice is long-established, it rarely raises eyebrows. But abroad, every refusal to shake a woman’s hand creates an awkward scene and at times, diplomatic costs.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, officials of the Islamic Republic have consistently avoided shaking hands with women. Former protocol officer Mohammad Ali BidarMaghz recalled Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s uncompromising instruction, “As long as I am alive, I will never allow our diplomats to shake hands with foreign women. This is a ruling, and everyone must obey it.”
BidarMaghz said that if an Iranian diplomat were ever caught shaking hands with a woman, “his mission would be terminated.”
That warning has already played out. Alireza Sheikh Attar, Iran’s ambassador to Germany, was removed from his post after a photo of him shaking hands with a female German politician circulated. In 2016, even MinooKhaleghi, a woman elected to parliament, was barred from taking her seat after the Guardian Council claimed to possess a photo of her shaking hands with an unrelated man.
Previously, some incidents sparked controversy but carried no real consequences. A photo allegedly showing former president Mohammad Khatami shaking hands with a woman in Italy was dismissed as fake. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, meanwhile, embraced the mother of Venezuela’s late president Hugo Chávez without punishment - protected by his political standing at the time.
Still, not all cases are brushed aside. Each handshake, or refusal, shapes the tone of Iran’s foreign relations.
The ban rests on a hadith attributed to the Prophet of Islam, who is said to have refused physical contact with women outside his family. According to the tradition, after the conquest of Mecca, women pledged allegiance by dipping their hands in a bowl of water that the Prophet had also touched.
Khamenei has declared male-female handshakes outside marriage “haram.” During a 1991 trip to Bushehr, BidarMaghz recalled, he even instructed that a sheet be placed over his hand so women could symbolically pledge allegiance without direct contact.
Because this prohibition is linked to the Prophet, no senior cleric openly challenges it. Violations can mean punishment or career termination.
In the early years after the Revolution, Islamic Republic politicians even avoided speaking directly with women. Over time, such taboos loosened, for instance, during meetings between then-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Over the years, the Islamic Republic has developed its own “solutions.”
Protocol teams now warn foreign counterparts in advance that Iranian men will not shake hands with women and vice versa. Even so, as Pezeshkian’s awkward refusal in China shows, misunderstandings still occur.
A former UN mission protocol officer explained, “Sometimes my job was to warn foreign women not to extend their hands to our president or foreign minister. If they weren’t warned, they would feel disrespected.”
The restrictions don’t stop at handshakes. They also apply to official receptions, especially those where alcohol is served. No Iranian president has ever attended the UN Secretary-General’s annual leaders’ reception during the General Assembly in New York.
During Ali Khamenei’s presidency, on a visit to Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe hosted a banquet. Protocol staff had failed to inspect the venue. Khamenei walked out as soon as he saw wine glasses on the tables and a singer performing.
By contrast, during Masoud Pezeshkian’s recent trip to China, his team deliberately delayed his arrival to avoid the banquet altogether. Yet his refusal to shake hands with Xi Jinping’s wife still overshadowed the visit.
Not all clerics see handshakes as strictly forbidden. Hossein Hamadani has argued that diplomats forced into the gesture should not be punished. History offers an example: when AbdollahJavadiAmoli carried Ruhollah Khomeini’s message to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989, delegation member Marzieh Dabbagh shook Gorbachev’s hand twice.
Former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani recorded the moment in his memoirs, “Mohammad JavadLarijani reported on the meeting with Gorbachev. He said Gorbachev warmed to the delegation and shook hands with Mrs. Dabbagh. At the beginning she extended her hand under her chador, and at the end he reached under it to shake her hand, praising her for her activism. She came to see me this morning, worried, and I reassured her.”
But under Khamenei’s leadership, the red lines hardened. Handshakes with women and even attending events where alcohol is served became violations that could end a political career.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/news/144586-the-dilemma-of-handshakes-between-islamic-republic-politicians-and-women/
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UN Envoy Roza Otunbayeva Ends Mission in Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati
September 6, 2025
Roza Otunbayeva, UN special envoy for Afghanistan, concluded her mission after two years, underscoring ongoing humanitarian aid efforts and the UN’s commitment to supporting vulnerable communities in Afghanistan.
The mission of Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, has officially concluded. On Friday, she held a farewell meeting with Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s acting Minister for Refugees.
According to a statement from the Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees, Kabir thanked Otunbayeva for her service, acknowledging the UN’s humanitarian work during her tenure.
During the meeting, Otunbayeva highlighted the UN’s ongoing humanitarian commitments, noting that 25 working groups had been deployed to disaster-hit provinces to assess needs and begin distributing aid. She also announced the launch of a $23 million project aimed at addressing migration challenges in northern Afghanistan, with a second phase planned in Nimroz and Farah provinces.
Her departure follows confirmation by the UN Security Council that her mandate will expire in September. Otunbayeva will present her final report on Afghanistan at an upcoming council session, which will also feature addresses from civil society representatives and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Appointed in September 2022 by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Otunbayeva also led the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). She previously served as President of Kyrgyzstan from 2010 to 2011 and held several terms as her country’s foreign minister.
Despite Taliban requests for closer cooperation, international donors continue to channel assistance through humanitarian agencies rather than directly via Taliban ministries, citing concerns over sanctions and reports of aid diversion. Rights groups have accused the Taliban of misusing or redirecting portions of humanitarian aid for political purposes.
Otunbayeva’s exit comes as Afghanistan faces overlapping crises of displacement, economic collapse, and natural disasters. Her successor will inherit the delicate task of maintaining aid flows while balancing international concerns about Taliban governance.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/un-envoy-roza-otunbayeva-ends-mission-in-afghanistan/
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Muslim UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, To Take Harder Line On Illegal Migration
Charles Hymas
6 September 2025
Shabana Mahmood, who in Sir Keir Starmer’s reshuffle was appointed the first female Muslim Home Secretary, will take on Reform and the Tories by articulating a tougher line on illegal migration.
As Justice Secretary, she impressed Downing Street with her handling of Labour’s first big crisis with prison overcrowding last summer and then closing down a row over two-tier justice by slapping down the Sentencing Council.
Insiders said Sir Keir would be looking to the new Home Secretary to push a similar uncompromising but assured approach on migration to wrest back the initiative.
After a summer of protests against asylum policy, polls suggest the public has lost faith in the Government’s ability to handle the small boats crisis.
“She has coped with the prison crisis pretty well without a drastic kind of backlash. Now it’s about getting Shabana in that position to try to claw back some of the ground that Labour has lost on immigration,” said a source.
“She will be able to deliver some tough messages around immigration because of her Pakistani heritage, which Yvette Cooper might have found much harder.”
In a recent interview with The Spectator, Ms Mahmood acknowledged her strong views on immigration placed her firmly within the conservative Blue Labour movement in Labour, alongside Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir’s chief of staff, to whom she is close.
“I have a natural affinity for the faith, flag and family element of Blue Labour,” said Ms Mahmood, who represents Birmingham Ladywood.
“I look at a community that I represent which is 70 per cent non-white. If you ask my constituents, they want a fair managed migration system.
“They think there should be rules. Most of them will say they came in on the basis of really quite strict rules that they followed to come to this country to work and make a life for themselves.
“They want that sense of fairness for everybody that might come now or in the future. I just don’t know why we’ve got ourselves in a tangle talking about migration controls on the Left of politics, because it’s really pretty fundamental to the way a lot of our voters think.”
Michael Gove, The Spectator editor who interviewed Ms Mahmood for the magazine, said that although most people on the centre-Right rated Wes Streeting, his view was that the new Home Secretary was even sharper.
One of her heroines, she has revealed, is Margaret Thatcher because of the way she broke the mould as a woman to become Britain’s female prime minister.
When Sir Keir was under fire for his “island of strangers” comments echoing Enoch Powell, Ms Mahmood backed him but flipped the message to say she wanted Britain to be a “nation of neighbours”.
The Home Office has, however, broken political careers.
And Labour is on the back foot with 71 per cent of voters believing the Government has handled the asylum hotels issue badly, with Blairites including Lord Blunkett and Jack Straw calling for a more radical approach.
Yvette Cooper has put in place the building blocks: the one in, one out policy with France; new counter-terror style laws to combat the people smugglers; a ban on refugees bringing in their families; and plans to curb judges’ powers to block deportations under human rights laws.
It will be for Ms Mahmood to develop, deliver and sell them as part of the Prime Minister’s so-called phase 2.
Just this week she backed reform of the UK’s extreme “maximalist” application to the European Convention on Human Rights and told police they should “focus on the day job” rather than pursue spats on X.
She has bailed out Sir Keir once before at a critical juncture. In his shadow cabinet, she spent more than two years as national campaign coordinator, a role in which she became indispensable to his then strategy chief Mr McSweeney.
She is credited for helping secure the narrow but fateful win in the 2021 Batley and Spen by-election, without which Sir Keir would probably have faced a leadership challenge that summer – or even been forced to resign.
The ball is now in her court to do it again.
Source: yahoo.com
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/muslim-home-secretary-harder-line-183339428.html
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Eid-El-Maulud: NigerianFirst LadyOluremiTinubu Urges Prayers For Peace, Progress
by BolajiOgundele, Abuja
September 6, 2025
First Lady OluremiTinubu has called on Nigerians to dedicate prayers for peace, prosperity, and progress of the country as Muslims celebrate Eid-El-Maulud.
In a goodwill message yesterday, Mrs. Tinubu said the occasion of the birth of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) should serve as a moment of reflection and supplication for the nation.
She stressed that Nigerians must remain steadfast in seeking divine guidance for stability and growth.
The First Lady congratulated Muslim faithful across the country on the special occasion, describing Eid-El-Maulud as a reminder of the Prophet’s exemplary life.
According to her, the Prophet embodied humility, compassion, forgiveness, and devotion to Allah—values which all Nigerians should emulate in their daily lives.
She urged citizens to show love, kindness, and unity, noting that such virtues remain vital to strengthening bonds across the country.
“On this special day of Eid-El-Maulud, I extend my warmest greetings to all our Muslim faithful across the nation.
“This celebration of the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad is a time to reflect on his exemplary life. As we mark this blessed day, let us continue to pray for our nation, for peace, prosperity, and progress,” the First Lady stated.
Source: thenationonlineng.net
https://thenationonlineng.net/eid-el-maulud-first-lady-urges-prayers-for-peace-progress-2/
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Dabiri-Erewa Inaugurates First Nigerians Diaspora Commission Office In Cross River
September 5, 2025
By Richard Ogunsile
The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. AbikeDabiri-Erewa, has concluded a two-day working visit to Cross River State, where she inaugurated the state’s first-ever Diaspora Commission office, CRIDCOM.
According to a statement issued on Friday, September 5, by NiDCOM’s Media and Public Relations Unit, Gabriel Odu, Dabiri-Erewa was received on arrival by the Chairman of CRIDCOM, Prince OtuOkor, and other officials before proceeding to a meeting with Governor BasseyEdetOtu at the Government House, Calabar.
Naija News understands that during the reception, Governor Otu praised Dabiri-Erewa for her trailblazing role in strengthening ties between Nigeria and its diaspora.
“Prior to your leadership, there was a gap between Nigeria and other nations. Now, that narrative has transformed,” the governor remarked, crediting her efforts for inspiring the swift establishment of the Cross River State Diaspora Commission.
Cross River Becomes First State With Diaspora Office
In her response, Dabiri-Erewa described Cross River’s achievement as historic, applauding the state for being the first in Nigeria to establish a dedicated state-level Diaspora Commission building.
“When I saw your diaspora office, I jokingly said NiDCOM’s headquarters could relocate here,” she said, commending Governor Otu for appointing Prince OtuOkor, a pioneer staff of NiDCOM, as head of CRIDCOM.
“No wonder he hit the ground running,” she added.
The highlight of the visit was the official commissioning of the CRIDCOM office, which Dabiri-Erewa described as a remarkable milestone in engaging the state’s diaspora community.
The event was attended by the First Lady of Cross River State, Rev. (Mrs.) EyoanwanBasseyOtu, along with top government officials and commissioners.
Naija News reports that the establishment of CRIDCOM is seen as a strategic step to harness the skills, resources, and investments of Cross River indigenes in the diaspora to drive growth and development at home.
Dabiri-Erewa noted that the new office would “open more doors of opportunities” for the state and deepen its diaspora engagement agenda.
Source: naijanews.com
https://www.naijanews.com/2025/09/05/dabiri-erewa-inaugurates-first-state-diaspora-commission-office-in-cross-river/
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Niger: Bandits disguised in hijabs abduct school principal, woman
September 6, 2025
Armed bandits have abducted two persons, including the Principal of Junior Secondary School Melehe, in a late-night attack on Melehe community, Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State.
The incident occurred on Friday night when the attackers, numbering about four, stormed the community between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
According to sources, the gunmen disguised themselves in hijabs and sat casually at the entrance of the victims’ residence, pretending to be ordinary women.
Around 11:00 p.m., they reportedly removed the hijabs and forcefully entered the house, where they whisked away the school principal and a Fulani woman identified as AminuRuntoje.
Source: dailypost.ng
https://dailypost.ng/2025/09/06/niger-bandits-disguised-in-hijabs-abduct-school-principal-woman/
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Case Against Girls Islamic Organisation Activists For Holding Pro-Palestine Rally At Madayi Para
6 September 2025
Kannur: Pazhayangadi Police have registered a case against AfraShihab and 29 other identifiable persons of the Girls Islamic Organisation for holding a pro-Palestine rally without permission at the ecologically sensitive Madayi Para.
As per the FIR registered, police said the rally in which the participants waved flags and banners was held in the evening on Friday (the Thiruvonam day) in an attempt to create a wedge between communities.
They have been booked under sections 189(2), 191(2), 192, and 190 of the BNS for unlawful assembly, rioting, and hiring to join rioters. Police said 30 activists gathered on Madayi Para without permission to hold a pro-Palestine rally in such a manner as to create a wedge between followers of various religions.
Police took a suo motu case after receiving complaints from credible sources against the rally and their slogans, which were intended to create division in society.
Source: onmanorama.com
https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2025/09/06/kannur-palestine-rally-case.html
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Women Sue Arizona University Police Over Forcibly Removed Hijabs After Gaza Protest
September 5, 2025
Four Muslim women have filed a lawsuit against Arizona State University (ASU) and several law enforcement agencies, including the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, alleging that their constitutional rights were violated when officers forcibly removed their hijabs following arrests at a pro-Palestine protest in April 2024, Middle East Monitor reported. The lawsuit claims the women were left without their head coverings for over 24 hours while in custody, causing significant mental and emotional distress.
According to a report from 12News, a newly released police report indicates that not all officers were in agreement with the decision to remove the hijabs. One ASU officer reportedly protested the action, but a deputy from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office insisted on the removal, citing an internal policy. The women’s attorney argues that the act was a violation of their First Amendment rights to religious expression.
The incident, which was also captured in a viral video, drew condemnation from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which called for a full investigation into what it described as a violation of religious freedom. The lawsuit seeks both financial and punitive damages, as well as a declaration that the actions of the police were unconstitutional.
Source: shiawaves.com
https://shiawaves.com/english/news/islam/133121-women-sue-asu-police-over-forcibly-removed-hijabs-after-gaza-protest/
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Journalists Mehta Sadri And Reza Mahmoudi Summoned In Gilan And Golestan
SEPTEMBER 5, 2025
Two Iranian journalists have been summoned to court in the latest wave of judicial and security pressure on the media.
In Gilan Province, Mehta Sadri, editor-in-chief of Gilan Sadr news outlet, was summoned after a complaint by the head of the IRGC’s Student Basij.
The case reportedly stems from her critical coverage of a Basij deputy official.
The Organization for the Defense of Free Flow of Information noted that Sadri had already faced prosecution earlier this year for remarks on the suspicious helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage.
In that case, she was fined six million tomans in lieu of a six-month prison sentence.
At the same time, journalist Reza Mahmoudi has been ordered to appear before the Revolutionary Court of Gonbad-e Kavus in Golestan Province.
The same court had previously sentenced him to one year in prison, a six-month ban on journalistic work, and a two-year ban on political party membership. He is currently free on bail.
The summonses come amid a new crackdown on journalists and lawyers across Iran. In Gilan alone, at least ten lawyers have been arrested or summoned in the past ten days.
The Organization for the Defense of Free Flow of Information reports that in the first half of 2025, at least 95 journalists and media outlets faced judicial or security action. Within six months, at least 46 legal cases were opened against journalists, at least six were detained, and courts collectively handed down 22 years and three months in prison sentences along with more than 50 million tomans in fines.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/news/144599-journalists-mehta-sadri-and-reza-mahmoudi-summoned-in-gilan-and-golestan/
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