A Muslim woman police officer refused to greet Britain’s most senior police chief with a handshake just because he is a man and she a woman. And that her religion prohibits her to do so.
The incident occurred when Sir Ian Blair was inspecting a line-up of 200 recruits during a passing out parade.
Not only she showed reluctance for a formal hand shake but was clad in a traditional Muslim hijab headscarf and refused to be photographed with him as she did not want the picture used for ‘propaganda purposes’.
I personally feel that this is not done. If one is not in a position to fulfill the official formalities, then must not choose the kind of profession. One must go in for a job where there is comfort zone.
Here, the officer is not able to greet the chief with a handshake, what she will do when she would have to seize the criminals or has to go in for fieldwork one can easily imagine.
After all, people must adhere to the rules and regulations of the country where they are living. Had she been residing in some Muslim country, she would have escaped the chance but when living in UK, well, she has to follow the norms of London.
Comments
Islam does not say you cannot shake hands with the opposite sex. either the story is false or the lady is crazy. How does she handcuff male prisoners with her feet? headscarfes are optional and so are pictures.
There are many reports from the Prophet Sallallahi alayhi wasallam that he never shook the hands of any women, despite his status as a Prophet. All the allegiance [bay’a] he took was either without holding the hand or with a cloth tied around it. He explicitly informed the women when they extended their hands to him that he did not shake hands with women. [See Muhammad Ibn Sa’d, The Women in Madina, Chapter One: The manner in which the Messenger of Allah received women’s allegiance]