National Security

Man? Woman? Terrorist? How a handshake set off a diplomatic kerfuffle

By Matthew Schofield

mschofield@mcclatchydc.com

October 09, 2016 12:49 PM

Iranian Environment Minister Massoumeh Ebtekar posted this uncredited photo to her Twitter feed caputring her handshake with Barbara Hendricks, her German counterpart.
BERLIN

The handshake between environmental officials looked innocent enough, but it set off waves of criticism in two nations.

Last week, the top Iranian and German environmental officials met in Berlin to sign an “action plan” on water, air and biodiversity. The agreement itself didn’t attract much attention. Meetings between environmental ministers are normally pretty low key affairs.

But then video and photos emerged of the two shaking hands. The Iranian wore her traditional robe and head scarf. The German wore a business suit.

Immediately there was an outcry in Iran. The Iranian minister, Massoumeh Ebtekar, who also is vice president, had been photographed publicly shaking hands with a man. What was she thinking? She was accused of having shamed her office, and there were rumbles from Iran that this could be cause for a resignation.

October 6, 2016
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The problem with that, of course, was that German Environmental Minister Barbara Hendricks is a woman.

Iranian news agency Tasnim, in correcting the mistake made by many in Iran, wrote, “Hendricks is a woman, though in the television footage she looks like a man.”

The handshake controversy, however, did not end there. Soon, Hendricks was criticized for shaking Ebtekar’s hand.

Ebtekar is probably best known for her role in the Iranian hostage crisis. She was the public face of the hostage takers, repeatedly appearing before international media. In 1979, Ebtekar famously told the international media that she was personally prepared to pick up a gun and kill a hostage.

German Member of Parliament Thomas Feist, a member of the Christian Democrats and therefore partner with Hendricks in Germany’s governing coalition, criticized Hendricks for the public show of cooperation.

“Ms Ebtekar does not stand for a changing Iran,” he told the German newspaper Bild Zeitung. “We should be more careful in picking political partners.”

The newspaper was a bit more blunt. The headline on one article about the meeting was “God-mother of terror a guest in Berlin.” And the article went on to ask: “Why is the federal government wining and dining a terrorist?”

Matthew Schofield: @mattschodcnews