In 2016, an Algerian woman based in France arrived in Grenoble for what should have been a life-changing ceremony.
She and her French sweetheart had been married since 2010. Thanks to this union, she qualified for and applied to become a French citizen.
Let’s call her Yasmina.
Yasmina attended her naturalisation ceremony that day, foreseeing no obstacles. Having waited six years for this moment, she was excited about the many benefits that came with her new status.
Algeria’s nationality law does not include provisions for dual citizenship. However, the Dual Citizenship Report indicates that the country allows it. This means any Algerian acquiring a second citizenship will not cease being Algerian.
Yasmina stood to gain from both worlds. But being Algerian and Muslim, her beliefs would not allow her to shake hands with men. At the ceremony, she declined to shake hands with a local state official and a local elected official, both men.
She was denied citizenship!
Not one to chicken out, Yasmina appealed. But two years and many hearings later, in April 2018, the court, known as the Council of State, ruled that the decree denying her citizenship was legal.
It ruled that Yasmina’s refusal “in a place and at a moment that are symbolic, reveals a lack of assimilation” into French life.
The ruling was based on a law that allows the government two years to reject a naturaliaation application by a foreign spouse on the grounds of “lack of assimilation, other than linguistic.” It also ruled that the denial did not violate her religious freedom.
Not far away from Yasmina, the Swiss government suspended the citizenship process for the family of two teenage Syrian brothers after they reportedly refused to shake hands with their female teachers for religious reasons.
A handshake is a globally recognised form of greeting, acknowledgment, or agreement in which two people grasp one of each other’s like hands, typically accompanied by a brief up-and-down movement of the grasped hands.
Commonly used in social interactions, business meetings and sports to convey trust, respect and balance, handshakes can vary in formality, firmness and duration. They can also be imbued with cultural significance and variations.
In Islamic tradition, many Muslim women avoid physical contact with men outside their immediate family, which includes practices like shaking hands.
This stems from religious teachings that emphasise modesty and physical boundaries between non-related men and women. The custom is rooted in the interpretation of Islamic law (Sharia) and Hadiths—sayings of the Prophet Muhammed (SAW) — which advise men and women to limit physical contact.
The aim is to maintain personal boundaries and respect and to avoid any actions that could be perceived as inappropriate or leading to temptation.
However, I must add that not all Muslims observe this practice. Observance varies widely, depending on cultural context, individual belief and interpretation of religious texts. More so, adherence is influenced by local customs, the degree of religious conservatism and personal choice.
This explains the event of last Wednesday afternoon at the Aso Rock Villa. Mrs Hindatu Abdullahi, after taking the oath as a member — representing Kaduna and Katsina — in the Federal Civil Service Commission, exchanged verbal pleasantries with President Bola Tinubu, not shaking his hand as her counterparts did.
Hindatu, a name of Arabic roots, is interpreted as “Beauty from God” and “Good girl.” We’ll revisit this point soon.
During such ceremonies, it is customary for officials to stand as their citation is being read. They simultaneously recite their oaths, sign the official register and then shake hands with the President.
However, when she walked forward, the President, reading the moment, clasped both hands behind his back as though restraining himself. He mildly said, “How are you Hajiya?”
Hindatu also clutched both her hands and took a bow. The President then motioned her to fix her gaze on the camera for a photograph. Her body language conveyed the message, “I mean no disrespect, Mr. President, but my religious beliefs forbid me from shaking your hand.”
The collective laughter and applause that roved through that room meant that the president and his cabinet of ministers accepted Hindatu’s gesture in good faith. Perhaps, they recognised her as a “good girl” or as someone who embodies “beauty from God.”
In any case, we hope that her beliefs will propel her to excel in the role she was called out of retirement to fill. So help her God.
Animals stand still for change of guards
The Change of Guards at 06:00 pm daily is an understated ritual in the State House. The brief event takes place when one set of soldiers guarding the State House finish their shift and are replaced by another. It is a military tradition with origins lost in antiquity but is still practised today.
A well-known counterpart is the Changing of the King’s Guard at Buckingham Palace in Britain. However, Abuja’s version is shorter, lasting less than the 45 minutes of the British ceremony, which seems excessive for a mere change of shifts.
The ceremony involves a flag swap at the front of the President’s office complex. Soldiers march in time to a distinctive bugle call. As the bugle sounds, all military personnel within earshot freeze, and vehicles stop moving, too.
For the first time, I noticed animals participating in their own way. The peacocks wandering the Villa’s forecourt stood motionless during the ceremony. Even the monkeys atop the corridors paused their movements.
It’s a case of monkey-see-monkey-do. Having lived their entire lives here, these animals are in tune with the Villa’s rhythms. On weekends, for example, you’ll see more monkeys crossing the roads. They have learned that there’s less traffic on such days and consider it a safe time to play.
Given their observation skills, they might have observed leadership changes. Since they have not seen the “taller, slender” president for six months, they should get a sense of what’s happening.
