Male Labour MPs take Twitter offence at Iranian handshakes (and what’s worse, you allowed Judith Collins to crow)
Hehehehe, thank you Kieran McAnulty and Rino Tirikatene,
Taking ‘Twitter Offence’ is where someone takes a ridiculous level of offence for some perceived identity politics micro aggression well above that of the person who has been offended. It’s tedious and intellectually cringe worthy and about as woke as someone who is tweeking after a 3 day meth binge.
Sure, by all medical reckoning the person is ‘woke’ after 3 days of smoking P, but their level of ‘comprehension’ becomes highly subjective.
So two Labour Party MPs, Kieran McAnulty and Rino Tirikatene, decided to take Twitter Offence at an Iranian delegation who wouldn’t shake hands with Labour MP Jo Luxton because in Iran, the meeting of a woman and a man is done by the man placing his hand over his heart and making a slight bow.
Kieran McAnulty and Rino Tirikatene however decided that the Iranian position was some sort of sexist attack on the rights of women and while Luxton was happy enough to greet the delegates in the manner they requested, McAnulty and Tirikatene took Twitter offence and allowed Judith Collins to rear her ugly heart to siphon up any of the anti-Muslim sentiment this childish and stupid stunt managed to create.
I get that McAnulty and Tirikatene were trying to be sensitive to Luxton’s perceived embarrassment but being Twitter Offended is best left for the Wellington Twitteratti, not actual Members of Parliament.
When Heather du Pleases Allan is congratulating you, you know you are on the wrong side of history.
Would we be having this debate if it was a delegation of Orthodox Jews who had visited and refused to shake hands? I honestly don’t believe we would, the anti-Muslim sentiment in all of this would be ugly enough, but dressing it up as feminism seems uglier.
You are members of the Labour Party, not fucking Giovanni Tiso!
Shouldn’t the Labour whip be relieving them of their cell phone privileges now?
Anything that involves Judith Collins or her male version of ‘toxic’ – Steven Joyce is are seen as the most ugly vicious side of politics ever seen in this country.
How can someone be insulted by being greeted “with the hand over the heart and slight bow”. I’ve been greeted this way many times and it’s actually the opposite of insulting.
Kieran McAnulty and Rino Tirikatene- who are these people??
100% agree, get real Labour and cut the buffoonery .We need a sensible and professional Government not this dribbling nonsense.
What we have here is an attack on religious freedom on the part of the Labour members of Parliament.It is against the Islamic religion for an Islamic male to touch a women who is not a member of his immediate family.It is also against the religion of Orthodox Jews to touch a women who is not a member of his immediate family. If it was a delegation of Orthodox Jews visiting Parliament would we have the same reaction to the refusal of the Orthodox male Jews to shake female Labour Members of Parliament hands? Absolutely not! They would be obsequious and grovelling to avoid giving offence and being accused of being anti Semetic. So what we have is not a noble act in defence of women, but a demonstration of ignorance, an act of Eurocentric cultural blindness. Do all people on the Planet greet other people with a handshake? Most of them don’t.It was simply an act of anti Islamic predjudice with overtones of an anti Iran hysteria.What it tells me is that unfortunately the Labour Party have a tail of misinformed low calibre members of Parliament. Not impressive!!!
Also culturally insensitive in these times of cultural sensitivity… I don’t really like having to hongi but have done so out of cowardice; a hand over the heart with a small bow is quite widespread among various professional and ethnic groups, and it has a certain grace and charm.
Christine: “I don’t really like having to hongi …”
Me either. And I’m guessing the Iranian delegation, presented with that practice, would view the handshake as the lesser of two evils?
In my experience it is older “courtly gentlemen” or men from rural backgrounds who tend to greet women in this very respectful manner.
Perhaps the MP in question would prefer a nice hug in the Harvey Weinstein tradition.
I’m a Kiwi and I’m not particularly keen on shaking hands with a female as there is quiet a lot involved with a handshake ,which most females do not preform correctly.
I will reluctantly shake a females hand but It usually a dead fish ,quite unpleasant.
My generation, boys where taught to shake hands like a man,to convey an understanding.
We all have some knowledge of Body language ,including the origins and meanings of cultural rituals and should be more understanding when interacting with other cultures or sex.
Hand shaking is not everyone’s cup of tea.
Personally as an older woman, my preference would be to be greeted with a hand over the heart with a slight bow, instead of having a strange hand thrust out at me to shake, then squeezed to the extent my circulation is compromised in my right hand.
I’d like to see this form of greeting take off in NZ, for what I consider its respectful and personal value more than anything else.
Martyn mentioned greeting Orthodox Jews. I’d greet them in the way I consider correct. Preferring though not being in a position to greet them at all!
Orthodox Jews are among the most cultured and achieved people I have known; perhaps some people get them confused with Zionism, and fundamental Judaism, which can be different kettles of fish altogether.
I thought everyone just does fist bumps these days. Handshaking seems kinda quaint to me.
We can’t stop other people from being offended when we brake protocol. Just don’t expect equal access to resources if you’ve got a vagina.
How boring, a dignified and reverent greeting was given.
The handshake as a greeting today really is rather irrelevant; its origins as a symbol of peace by demonstrating no weapons being carried. Given practically nobody carries weapons and the laws preventing it, a bow appears rather more civilised and reverent compared to the militant heritage of the handshake.
It is somewhat ironic, having an issue with a handshake and using it as a weapon in these times.
Andy K: “The handshake as a greeting today really is rather irrelevant….”
In central Europe – at least in the milieu within which we move – the handshake is de rigueur: family, friends, business associates, people one is meeting for the first time.
I don’t find this peculiar: NZ is pretty much the same, except that we have a bit more huggy-and-kissy stuff with friends and family here.
In my view, when in Rome and all that: the Iranian delegation should follow local customs and shake hands with whomever, male or female. After all, when we visit Iran, they expect women to follow local custom and cover their hair.