Lebanese president, handshake is enough!

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THE COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a new cultural pattern in social relations and communication, especially in terms of kisses, hugs and handshakes.

I remember a strange incident that occurred to me when I was in Beirut in 1992 after the late Rafiq Hariri was elected for the first time as the Lebanese Prime Minister. I had visited the newly elected Prime Minister at his home to congratulate him. He told me to accompany him to visit the then Lebanese President Elias Hrawi.

When we went to the presidential palace, I was interested in kissing the president in accordance to the Arab customs of greeting by shaking hands and exchanging kisses. However, he hastened to say, “Kisses are for women, not for men”, and so we settled for a warm handshake.

To be honest, that day was a good day; I didn’t give much of a thought to that incident. However, I recently remembered this incident while contemplating on the spread of COVID-19. The international health authorities have issued precautionary guidelines for dealing with this pandemic, especially in relation to handshakes and exchange of kisses. These authorities have been emphasizing on refraining from such habits.

Wise were the words of the late president Hrawi. One would never know what viruses or diseases can be transmitted from one person to another while following the customs of greeting such as kisses; furthermore, sometimes the other person may not be ready for such customs.

This habit does not exist in Europe and the West in general. Usually, when two men meet, they shake hands; however, it seems even this habit will take a long time to become normal again after the coronavirus pandemic subsides, especially for Arabs who sometimes do not adhere to health instructions or even protocol as they greet each other with kisses and hugs in a very exaggerated manner.

During formal receptions, the protocol officials only require handshakes, but some ignore such protocols. This puts the leaders in an uneasy position, especially those who are exceptionally tall and have to greet those who are relatively shorter.

For instance, the heights of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed among others compel them to bow or bend for exchanging customary greetings. The protocol officials rush to rebuke the citizens who go for kisses, and this creates an embarrassing scene.

Everyone has to change many habits today due to this pandemic. Opting not to exchange kisses as a form of greeting would limit the transmission of many communicable diseases.

It was uncomfortable for us in the past to prevent someone from kissing us as a form of greeting because the other person might feel embarrassed or might think we do not like him; but in reality, it is the complete opposite.

Perhaps, the Arabs needed a pandemic of this kind in order for them to save their kisses, especially during the flu season when infections are frequently transmitted through handshakes and kisses. Many do not consider the others’ peculiarities, hence the frequent infections. The most affected are the elderly who have weak immune system. So, will the Arabs learn?

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

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