We can now say, congratulations to the Syrians—all their humanitarian, political, social, and economic problems have been resolved. The only thing left to address in Syria is why Ahmad Shar’a refuses to shake hands with women.
The Western obsession with turning the so-called “Shar’a incident” involving German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock into an international event worthy of extensive political and media dissection is evidence of either sheer madness or an inability to mask deep psychological and political biases. Such behavior has stripped the West of the respect it once held, especially among the nations of the Global South.
How is it possible that the world’s attention is brought to a standstill by an incident as trivial and routine as this one? What was a simple matter of diplomatic protocol has been deliberately twisted into a narrative about gender, politics, culture, religion, and everything else except what it actually was.
Colonial Arrogance Disguised as Diplomacy
From the beginning, it was clear that this incident lacked innocence. It was framed with a preachy, condescending tone characteristic of Western “teachers.” Baerbock and her French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot, arrived in Damascus with the mindset of colonial overseers, aiming to impose their standards of humanity, politics, ethics, religion, tolerance, and human rights on Syria’s leaders.
The intention to provoke was obvious. Every official diplomatic visit, including Baerbock and Barrot’s, is preceded by detailed coordination regarding protocol. One wonders, then, if Baerbock’s choice of a “masculine” white outfit that revealed her body contours was a deliberate move to challenge her hosts.
While Germany took center stage in this drama, the stench of French manipulation is unmistakable. Germany, less familiar with Arab affairs, often relies on French and, to a lesser extent, British advice in dealing with the region. France’s hand in orchestrating this theater cannot be dismissed.
French Foreign Minister Barrot nearly refused to shake hands with Shar’a—not out of solidarity with Baerbock but to stage a performance. Despite prior arrangements where Baerbock herself was informed and prepared for the handshake issue, Barrot extended his fingers reluctantly, feigning discomfort.
Thus, the so-called “diplomatic incident” was triggered by Barrot, not Baerbock.
A Tale of Double Standards
Why France? Why did Barrot act like a colonial “teacher” testing the civility of residents in a former colony? The answer lies in the hosts: they were Syrians, Muslims of a particular sect that Barrot and his sponsors find distasteful.
Had Barrot been in Israel and greeted by ultra-Orthodox Jews, male or female, who refused to shake his hand for religious reasons, no one would have dared turn the incident into a diplomatic crisis. It would have been dismissed as an expression of religious and personal freedom, something that should be respected—unless, of course, the subject involves Muslims and Arabs.
Consider the reaction in 2022 when Israeli pop singer Yuval Dayan refused to shake U.S. President Joe Biden’s hand during a musical performance, citing religious reasons. The incident was celebrated as a display of personal and religious freedom.
The French are no strangers to such controversies, but they reserve their toughness for Arabs and Muslims. In 1999, a similar incident postponed Iranian President Mohammad Khatami’s visit to Paris over a disagreement about serving wine at official receptions—a staple of French hospitality. The Iranians refused wine on religious grounds, while the French insisted on its presence.
Had Khatami belonged to another faith and declined wine for doctrinal reasons, the French would have respected his preference, calling it personal freedom. Instead, the visit was canceled.
Western Hypocrisy in Practice
India offers a striking example of how Western countries adapt to local customs when the hosts are not Muslim. In 2008, Indian authorities refused to recognize Carla Bruni as the first lady during Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit because she was his partner, not his wife. Indian protocol only grants the “first lady” title to spouses. Sarkozy had to shorten his visit, and Bruni remained in Paris. She only returned to India as Sarkozy’s official wife in 2010.
Similarly, in 2013, during François Hollande’s visit to India with his partner Valérie Trierweiler, Paris requested that she be treated as the first lady. India declined, sticking to its protocol. A compromise was reached, granting Trierweiler the status of an “official guest.”
French media covered these incidents without delving into religious, cultural, or gender-based critiques. Why didn’t Paris make mountains out of these molehills, as it did with the Barrot and Baerbock visit to Damascus? Because Damascus is not New Delhi, and the hosts were not Hindus but Sunni Muslims.
Europe’s Misplaced Moral Authority
Europe, which handed Syria over to Assad to torment its people as he pleased, has no shame today in sending its high-ranking representatives to the same capital to lecture and impose conditions. Europe has forfeited any moral standing to claim concern for Syria and its people after being on the verge of normalizing relations with the very dictator who has drained Syrian blood for decades.
If Europe truly wants to help Syria and its people, it must first adopt some humility and free itself from the arrogance of moral superiority. Long ago, Europe failed the test of humanity and lost the credibility needed to lecture anyone.
