Indonesian Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring experienced an awkward moment when shaking the hand of visiting U.S. first lady Michelle Obama in November 2010. What was so embarrassing about the handshake to inspire one U.S. journalist to jokingly label it “the cutest political sex scandal ever?”
Sembiring is a proud conservative Muslim who attempts to emulate the Prophet Muhammad by avoiding physical contact with women who are not family members, even when it has previously meant risking offense by refusing to shake the hand of a female journalist.
Unfortunately, the Internet erupted with negative chatter after video of the encounter showed the minister smiley graciously during the encounter. He defended himself on Twitter by tweeting, "I tried to prevent (being touched) with my hands but Mrs. Michelle held her hands too far toward me (so) we touched."
In the United States, we have a concept of what we consider to be appropriate contact and the proper distance to maintain from others in a professional setting. Personal space may vary slightly depending on familiarity and gender, but we generally subscribe to a certain set of norms that are considered acceptable to most. However, in other cultures, personal-space thresholds may be completely different, and awareness of those differences can help international businesspeople and politicians avoid making their clients or associates feel uncomfortable...
Read the rest at "Don't touch me: Personal space lost in translation" by Globalization Group vice president Adam Wooten in his International Business column on DeseretNews.com
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