Obama bows down to Saudi King Abdullah

The White House is denying that the president bowed to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at a G-20 meeting in London, a scene that drew criticism on the right and praise from some Arab outlets.

“It wasn’t a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he’s taller than King Abdullah,” said an Obama aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The Washington Times called the alleged bow a  “shocking display of fealty to a foreign potentate” and said it violated centuries of American tradition of not deferring to royalty. 

No Americans of any station are required to bow to royalty,” the Times stated. “It is one of the pillars of American exceptionalism that our country rejected traditional caste divisions.”

The Times editorial also opined that Obama’s bow “to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques does not help his image with those who believe he is secretly a Muslim, and why he chose to bow only to the Saudi king and not to any other royal remains unexplained.”

For instance, Obama did not bow to Queen Elizabeth when he first met her last week in London. Subjects of the crown may bow to the monarch but are not required to do so.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0409/White_House_No_bow_to_Saudi.html

 
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