Jokes thrive on Bush shoe-attack

Cairo: "Having been humiliated by an Iraqi reporter, hurling his shoes at him in Baghdad, US President George W. Bush ordered that all his press conferences be held in mosques where everyone will have to take off their footwear."

This is one of the jokes, which have spread widely across Egypt since the shoe-throwing attack. Egyptians, known for an acute sense of humour even in tough times, have capitalised on the incident to poke fun at Bush whose popularity ratings are at an all-time low in this Arab nation of 80 million for his perceived muddled policy in the Middle East.

Another joke goes: "The Americans have asked the UN Security Council to pass a resolution, considering Iraqi shoes weapons of mass destruction."

Instant fame

Iraqi reporter Muntadar Al Zaidi was catapulted to instant fame across the Arab world after he lobbed his shoes at Bush at a press conference in Baghdad on December 14. Al Zaidi, whose family said was deeply angry with Bush for ordering the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the death of thousands of Iraqis, is due to go on trial on December 31 over the attack.

Throwing shoes at others reflects contempt in the Arab culture. Likewise, calling someone "a son of shoe" is a grave insult in the Arab world.

"President Bush has declared that shoes of size 8 or bigger have now become a prime target of the US military policy."

"President Bush has ordered all factories of shoes be shut and their makers detained as sponsors of terrorism."

These are more jokes circulating among Egyptians via short text messages.

The Arab elation over the incident did not impress some analysts, however.

"Al Zaidi's shoe pelting at Bush made the Arab nation forget its present and future catastrophes and feel childish gloating," wrote Salama Ahmad Salama, a veteran columnist, in the semi-official newspaper Al Ahram.

"We are satisfied with cracking jokes at ourselves and others, thus making joking the only weapon of massive deterrence we have against our enemies. I would have liked it if Al Zaidi had posed an embarrassing question to Bush on his crimes instead of hurling his shoes."