Region | Iraq
Iraqis protest for release of Bush shoe attacker
A wave of support streamed in on Monday for the now famous "shoe thrower", Iraqi journalist Muntadar Al Zaidi who heaved both his shoes on Sunday at US President George W. Bush.
- By Layelle Saad, Deputy GCC and Middle East Editor
- Published: 22:52 December 14, 2008
- Muntadar Al Zaidi has become famous for throwing shoes at Bush during a press conference in Iraq
- Image Credit: AP
Dubai: An Iraqi government official said on Tuesday the journalist who threw his shoes at US President George W. Bush has been handed over to the Iraqi military command in Baghdad.
The official says Muntadar Al Zaidi has been turned over to the prime minister's security guards to face further investigation by the military agency in charge of enforcing law in Baghdad.
A wave of support streamed in on Monday for the now famous "shoe thrower", Iraqi journalist Muntadar Al Zaidi who heaved both his shoes on Sunday at US President George W. Bush.
Thousands of Iraqis took to the streets demanding his release and beating the burning US flags with their own shoes, while his employer, independent Al Baghdadiya television, demanded his release.
"I received a wave of support from human rights groups and journalist associations, such as Reporters Without Borders," Dr Abdul Hussain Sha'aban, former managing director of Al Baghdadiya, told Gulf News.
Al Zaidi was kidnapped once by militants and, separately, detained briefly once by the US military - a story of getting hit from all sides that is bitterly familiar to many Iraqis.
His family told the AP that over time, he came to hate both the US military occupation and what he views as Iran's "moral" occupation too.
The Iraqi Journalists' Syndicate said Al Zaidi's "far from professional" and irresponsible conduct had placed it in an "embarrassing and critical" situation. Nevertheless, it called on Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki to release him for humanitarian reasons.
"It was the throw of the century. I believe Bush deserves what happened to him because he has not kept his promises to Iraqis," said Baghdad resident Abu Hussain, 48.
Parliamentary reaction was mixed, with some saying Al Zaidi chose the wrong venue for his protest. Others cheered. Al Zaidi remained in detention on Monday, accused by the government of a "barbaric act".
He would be tried on charges of insulting the Iraqi state, said the prime minister's media adviser, Yasin Majeed.
Arabs across the Middle East hailed the journalist as a hero and praised his insult as a proper send-off to the unpopular US president.
Also, Arab bloggers had a field day after the "shoe heard around the world" incident.
"Today is the day that 'Angry Arab' has been preparing itself for 3 years and finally it happened" remarked one blog.
It went on to joke, "please, please one shoe at a time"
Damascus was abuzz with the news; almost as if the entire city was watching a football match, and hurt that their favorite team, had missed a goal, a Gulf News correspondent reported.
Many users of the popular internet networking site Facebook posted the video of the incident to their profile pages and a floating text message in Riyadh joked: "Iraq considers Sunday as the international day for shoes."
"Al Zaidi did what Arab leaders failed to do," said Ghazi Abu Baker, a 55-year-old shopkeeper in the West Bank town of Jenin. "This journalist should be elected president of Iraq for what he has done."
On a more serious note, colleagues of the Iraqi journalist said they are worried about him as they have yet to hear news about him.
"They confiscated his mobile, I tried calling him but no answer. No one knows where he is now," Dr. Abdul Hussain Shaaban, former managing director of Al Baghdadiya Satellite TV, told Gulf News.
Shaaban, who is also a human rights activist, said he was approached by several Arab laywers wanting to defend Al Zaidi and many journalist associations, like Reporters Without Borders have expressed concern.
Saddam Hussain's former lawyer, Khalil Al Dulaimi, said on Monday that he was forming a team to defend Al Zaidi.
"It was the least thing for an Iraqi to do to Bush, the tyrant criminal who has killed two million people in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Dulaimi. "Zaidi should be released immediately."
An Iraqi government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Al Zaidi was being held for questioning by Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki's guards and is being tested for alcohol and drugs.
On Sunday, President Bush narrowly escaped a shoe to the head while making a surprise visit to Baghdad. His visit was intended to cement the newly signed security agreement between the US and Iraq that would allow US troops to stay in Iraq until 2011.
"This is a gift from the Iraqis, this is the farewell kiss, you dog!" Al Zaidi shouted just before he chucked his shoes at the US president during the live broadcast of the press conference.
"This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq!" Al Zaidi shouted as he hurled his other shoe.
Al Maliki's security crowded in on him, beating him relentlessly. Mohammed Taher, reporter from Afaq, a TV station close to the ruling government of Al Maliki, described Al Zaidi "crying like a girl."
"All I can report is that it is a size 10," Bush joked, as other Iraqi journalists reportedly rushed to apologise for Al Zaidi's actions.
Al Zaidi's act was not spontaneous but planned, according to colleagues.
"Al Zaidi was kidnapped last year by an unknown militia and until now no one knows who was responsible. He was not only protesting from a general anti-US point of view, but a personal one," Al Shaaban said.
Al Shaaban declined to comment whether he supported Al Zaidi's actions. He simply emphasised that it symbolized the "catastrophe of the American government".
Hitting someone with a shoe is a huge insult in Iraq. Iraqis beat Saddam's toppled statue with their shoes in 2003 and more recently a crowds of people demonstrating against the US Iraqi security agreement beat Bush's burning effigy with their shoes.
Al Shaaban said Al Zaidi has demonstrated what people around the world have been feeling for years about the Bush administration.
"Using shoes is just the Iraqi way," he joked.
With inputs from AP
Your comments
It is unethical to throw shoes at someone, but it is ethical to kill thousands of people,render their families to hopeless lives and make widows and orphans?
Neelam
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 14:32
You have the guts Al Zaidi. Tremendous courage. God Bless you.
Arif Zaidi
Kuwait,Kuwait
Posted: December 16, 2008, 14:30
THe journalist should have been more professional.
Eunice
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 14:29
I hate Bush and his policies, but i Do not agree with what this journalist did.
Macky
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 14:29
I don't know what happened to me, but I felt a rush of happiness all over when Bush was hit with the shoe.
Nette
Cavite,Philippines
Posted: December 16, 2008, 14:28
Thank you Al Zaidi. You are the hero of the year.
fartun
Frankfurt,Germany
Posted: December 16, 2008, 14:28
He has created history. He has to be called a hero.
Salman Zafar
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 14:28
This man is free to express himself and he should be freed instantly. Bush is a war criminal. Justice should be done to him.
Kobir
Helsinki,Finland
Posted: December 16, 2008, 14:28
Thank you. I wish all the Arab journalists had taken off thier shoes and thrown it at Bush after Mr Al Zaidi was being beaten up.
Hassan Humaid Al Shahwari
liverpool,Uk
Posted: December 16, 2008, 14:25
What Al Zaidi did is correct. Bush has no sympathy.
Nizam
Dubai,India
Posted: December 16, 2008, 14:22
This is very good. Now, Bush knows the reactions to his policies in Iraq.
Farhan
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 14:19
Shame on Bush. He deserves it.
Farhan Javed
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 14:13
If somebody deserve it. That is one and only Bush.
Vijay Nair
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 14:12
Bush deserved it.
Omeir
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 13:37
Most of the Iraqis agree with this action. All Iraqis should remember the widows and the kidnapped people.
Ahmed
Baghdad,Iraq
Posted: December 16, 2008, 13:17
Bush deserves more than this. He should thank God that only a shoe was thrown at him. I am proud of that journalist and I will support him.
Ayesha
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 12:43
I am American.I would like to give a blank cheque to Mr Al-Zaidi on having great guts to hit the guy who won't get the equal reward of the deaths he is responsible for no matter how much was done to him. Al-Zaidi you really are a Hero of this century.
Peter Grey
Los Angeles,America
Posted: December 16, 2008, 12:31
He is a hero. Bush deserves worse than this.
Habib
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 12:20
All I can say is violence begets violence, in any form big or small.
Russell Picache-David
Manila,Philippines
Posted: December 16, 2008, 12:18
Bush deserves something worse than this but for starters it was not that bad.
Mehwish
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 12:10
I want to be the next to do so. I
just wonder how i can have such an opportunity.
but where is Al Zaidi now?
Mohammad
Hyderabad,India
Posted: December 16, 2008, 12:10
Bush does not only deserve the Iraqi shoe but also the shoes of every person in the world.
Sandy
Washington,US
Posted: December 16, 2008, 12:10
It was not at all a civilized act, especially from a media person.
Surendran Padmanabhan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 11:54
He did what every Iraqi, Muslim,and Arab would like to do.
Hisham
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 11:48
The shoe-thrower should be severely punished so that nobody would ever think of doing such a stupid act
Alfred
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 11:48
It was the anger shown by Al Zaidi, which was kept in his heart for so long and Bush deserves more than this.
Naresh
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 11:30
He is a hero , I wish more shoes are thrown at Bush.
Omar
Riyadh,Saudi Arabia
Posted: December 16, 2008, 11:23
He got what he deserves! This is a throw from the mankind.
Faizel
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 11:13
It might be uncivilized, but it delivers the message all the Arabs want to tell Bush. We disrespect you, we are frustrated by your actions and you did no good to any country you intervened in. Despite being uncivilized, it is a symbolic action with great meaning.
Yahya
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 11:03
Right action at the wrong place. The journalist will suffer from his action.
Ali
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:54
There must be other ways to tell Mr Bush how you feel about him and his decisions
Tonette
Al Ain,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:51
Al Zaidi is the real hero.We are with him. He did a good job.
Muneer Ahmed
Kochi,India
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:48
Al Zaidi is a unique Arab right now.
Mourad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:47
Bush deserved it. I wish the shoe hit the target.
Fez
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:45
This definetely shows the ignorance of the journalist. Hope he stays in jail.
Minna
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:39
Bush received his Christmas and New Year present.
Riaz Chang
Shenyang,China
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:37
Best revenge ever for the million lives that have been lost.
NZ
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:32
This is just a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people.
John Rambo
California,America
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:28
What Al Zaidi did reflects general sentiments of Iraqi people in particular
Alafia
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:25
This is the gift for Bush from all. He deserved it.
Shehryar
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:20
Bush deserves what he got and this journalist is a real freedom fighter for his country.
Jassim
Al Ain,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:18
When no government had the courage to convict Bush for war crimes, then atleast a shoe is worth.
Md Hanif
Pune,India
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:09
It's entirely a barbaric act. There's always a decent way to show protest.
These are not the proper ethics of a journalist.
Jovy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:07
This man had the courage to stand and speak up not just for his own people but also the people of the countries which have been suppressed by the Bush administration. We hope there are more men like him who dare to speak the truth.
Shimura
Hokkaido,Japan
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:01
This journalist represents the people all around the world who are unhappy with the failing policies of the most unpopular president in the history of America.
Mohammad Ali Khan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 10:01
What this guy did is very unethical.
Laila Concepcion
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:57
A brave act. It's tough to understand how George Bush attended the press conference after being aware of how many Iraqis hate his administration. A pair of shoes well deserved, yet not enough!
Kazi
Chittagong,Bangladesh
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:55
Al Zaidi did an excellent job.
Bush is playing with human blood.
Shahi
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:49
Mr Zaidi is crazy thinking that President Bush is responsible in making Iraq a chaotic country.
Abu Salem
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:43
No matter how powerful or famous you are, people should have their freedom to express what they want.
Joseph
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:37
If I was there, I would have thrown my shoes at him too.
Shahid
Sialkot,Pakistan
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:33
We must give the hero of the year award to this journalist.
Ahmed Hussain
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:32
He is a professional journalist but where are his ethics? There are different ways of protesting and not in a barbaric manner. He deserves to be in jail.
Jae
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:31
That man is really an Iraqi hero.I think he should be put in the Guiness book of records and that Sunday should be made a public holiday in Iraq.
Moses
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:30
He deserved it for all he did.
Jericho
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:30
He truly loves his country, and he showed it.
Mohammad
Manchester,UK
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:30
Imagine for a second what made a man do such a thing. He must have had pain, dissapointment, anger and much more inside.
Shavkat
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:30
This action reflects the anguish of the Iraqi people all these years. Bush asked for it. His policies have been the cause for a lot of misery. He totally asked for this. Hope he gets many more shoes thrown at him.
Anisha
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:29
Well Done Al Zaidi. You did what we all want. Thank you.
Abdul Latif
Kerela,India
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:26
This is what many people in this world would want to do.
Mohammad
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:16
This is a message to the US saying enough, get out of Iraq.
Gig Smith
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:03
I think Bush deserved it because he destroyed the peace of world.
Oye Nahi
Lahore,Pakistan
Posted: December 16, 2008, 09:01
It's a cowardly act. I hate Bush too, but you should not hit a president.
Raymond Lim
Manila,Philippines
Posted: December 16, 2008, 08:47
I think Al Zaidi has done an excellent job by throwing his shoe.
Ziaur Rahman Haque
Chittagong,Bangladesh
Posted: December 16, 2008, 08:45
It was the throw of the centur. Al Zaidi did what the world failed to do to Bush. It is sad that Bush still thinks the war in Iraq is not yet over! What more does he want to do to them?I hope he learns a lesson from this.
Shaheen
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 08:45
Bush deserved it. One has to say that the Iraq invasion was a wrong decision by Bush.
Fahd Ali Akmal
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 08:43
Bush deserved that. I would have been happier if the shoes had hit his face.
Sarvar Ansari
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 08:22
What goes around comes around.
Shabir Zain Al Deen
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 08:19
Bush deserved it. Those who condemn the act of Al Zaidi should think about what Bush has done to Iraq and to the world. He killed millions of people with his policies.
Abeel
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 08:15
What happened happened, but does the president deserve this? You be the judge.
Hassan Al Jabri
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 08:13
True Hero. This action should be considered as freedom of expression.
Saqeer . S.V
DUBAI,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 08:06
We as Arabs are so proud of this.
Doa
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 08:04
This reporter has abused protocol and code of conduct.
Roy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 08:03
The action against Bush is the right action and I appreciate the guy who did that.
Salman
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 07:48
Bush seems to have forgotten a simple rule of life; you have to pay for your sins in this life.
I wonder what option Bush is going to choose now.
Satish Patil
Sydney,Australia
Posted: December 16, 2008, 07:33
I congratulate AL Zaidi on this brave act.
Shabana Sllauddin Mamlekar
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 07:33
This should be declared as the International Shoe day. Bush desreved it.
S Rafeeque Ahmed
chennai,India
Posted: December 16, 2008, 07:29
Just one word. He is a real hero of today's world and is a brave man.
Laeeq
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 07:25
I appreciate the young man. Well Done!
Baiju Sadasivan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 07:25
He may have done what he thought was right but he definitely cheated or misused his profession.
Sunil
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 16, 2008, 01:42
I am an American woman who believes this Iraqi is a hero. George W. Bush will be seeing many more shoes after his reign is over in Washington.
Wendy
Geneva,Switzerland
Posted: December 16, 2008, 01:35
Most of the Iraqis are against this uncivil action. Mr Al Zaidi should remember it is the freedom that President Bush campaigned for, which gave him the opportunity to enter the press conference in the first place.
Salem
Basra,Iraq
Posted: December 16, 2008, 00:41
Americans failed in giving him shoes for eight years, but this journalist did it. Bush deserved it.
Don
Calgary,Canada
Posted: December 16, 2008, 00:07
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