What a Missed Handshake Reveals About Syria’s New Leader

The Damascus medical school dropout has notably adopted a more polished appearance in recent years, trading the Osama bin Laden-like aesthetic for a neatly groomed beard and green military-style fatigues reminiscent of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, or sometimes opting for corporate blazers and chinos. “A person in their twenties will have a different personality than someone in their thirties or forties, and certainly someone in their fifties. This is human nature,” he told CNN shortly before the fall of Assad’s regime.

However, his reluctance to offer a handshake raises questions about where Shar’a falls on the spectrum of radical political Islam and the extent of his recent efforts at modernization. It may also reveal the balancing act required to maintain the support of his Islamist fighters.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, meanwhile, downplayed the incident, commenting to media outlets: “As I traveled here, it was clear to me that there would obviously be no ordinary handshakes.”

Through years of reporting on political Islam, observing how radical Islamists or jihadists interact with women when presenting themselves as more moderate has served as something of a barometer for this columnist. A refusal to engage—whether avoiding eye contact or declining to shake hands—often signals broader issues with inclusivity.

A photograph accompanying the article captured Baerbock’s response to the moment, with her remark, “As I traveled here, it was clear to me that there would obviously be no ordinary handshakes,” underlining her pragmatic approach to the cultural nuances at play.

Ultimately, whether or not a handshake is offered can serve as a telling indicator of just how moderate or pragmatic a leader truly is willing to be. For many conservative Muslims, physical contact between unrelated men and women is prohibited, yet exceptions have been made, particularly when diplomacy is at stake. Notably, this has been the case for leaders of traditional countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In 1987, for instance, Saudi King Fahd did not hesitate to shake hands with then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, recognizing the importance of a handshake as a symbol of trust—or, at the very least, a willingness to engage.