Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Once again... In the Islamic Republic of Iran...

A kiss is just a kiss ... unless you're the president of Iran.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of the ultra-conservative Islamic country that last week rounded up hundreds of women for not properly covering up, is accused of indecency for publicly embracing and kissing the hand of a former schoolteacher.

Ahmadinejad was photographed and filmed bowing to kiss the elderly woman's gloved hand and hugging her at a ceremony Tuesday ahead of Iran's teacher's day, prompting charges of indecency by the influential and hard-line Islamic newspaper Hezbollah.

"The Muslim Iranian people have no recollection of such acts contrary to Shariah law during Islamic rule [since the 1979 revolution]," Hezbollah printed on its front page. "This type of indecency progressively has grave consequences, like violating religious and sacred values."

The woman, who was not identified, wore thick black gloves, a headscarf and a long, black coat, meaning Ahmadinejad avoided any skin contact.

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