GENEVA (AFP) – An Iraqi journalist who was jailed for throwing his shoes at US President George W. Bush on Monday launched a foundation to help Iraqi widows and orphans.
"I am making an appeal on behalf of my people and I announce the launch of a humanitarian foundation for my people," Muntazer al-Zaidi told journalists in Geneva. "I am planning to help orphans, widows and the deported in priority. We want to build hospitals, medical centres, a centre to replace limbs of people handicapped by this war," he added.
A website has been created for the Al Zaidi Foundation, which already has a capital of 50,000 Swiss francs (33,021 euros/49,387 dollars), although Zaidi would only say that the funds came "from friends."
Zaidi criticised the war in Iraq, calling on the international community to bring those responsible for the war "led by George Bush" to justice. According to official figures from Iraq's human rights ministry, more than 85,000 Iraqis died violently from 2004 to 2008.
The data did not include the number of dead and wounded in the immediate aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.
GENEVA – The Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at President George W. Bush leaned back in his chair and soaked in the round of applause.
This was not Baghdad or Damascus or Beirut. This was Geneva, where Muntadhar al-Zeidi was given a hero's welcome Monday far warmer than the subdued reception in his own homeland.
"I am one of the victims of the occupation," al-Zeidi said at a press conference alongside two local politicians, repeating his allegations that he was severely tortured, including with electric shocks, during his nine months of Iraqi detention.
His claims were often inexact, and it was unclear if the confusion was a result of faulty interpreting.
He said he was tortured for "three months," and then later he said the mistreatment was over "three days."
He pledged to decline all gifts from wealthy Arabs until he sets up a foundation to support suffering Iraqis and said he was visiting Switzerland and other countries with financial support from friends.
He condemned the United States, saying it played a role in 1 million deaths and forcing 5 million people to flee. He made no mention of the violence among Iraqi groups since the 2003 U.S. invasion.
Most of Iraq's 2 million international refugees live in neighboring Syria and Jordan, while the International Organization for Migration says a similar number of Iraqis are uprooted inside the country's borders. About 100,000 Iraqis have suffered violent deaths over the last 6 1/2 years, according to The Iraq Body Count, a London-based group whose figures are widely considered a credible minimum.
Al-Zeidi's reception in Switzerland was noteworthy. While his shoe-throwing act of protest in December made him a hero for many in the Muslim world, there was little public outpouring of support for him when he was released last month in Baghdad.
Since the incident, U.S. forces have pulled back from Iraq's cities, significantly lowering the profile of the U.S. military ahead of a planned full withdrawal from the country.
Also, President Barack Obama is seen by many Muslims as far more sympathetic to their cause than Bush, whom many blamed for unleashing Iraq's turmoil. Security improvements have also left Iraqis undecided on whether the invasion was the unmitigated evil depicted by many war critics.
In Geneva, those issues faded as al-Zeidi was cheered by reporters and others after recounting his tale of torture at Iraqi hands, his inspiration for throwing the shoes at Bush, and his demands that U.S. forces leave Iraq and Bush face an international tribunal.
He was asked if he was tortured by Americans as well. He denied that.
The U.S. diplomatic mission in Geneva declined to comment on al-Zeidi's visit.
Al-Zeidi was released three months early for good behavior, and, with the help of his Geneva lawyer, obtained a tourist visa for Switzerland.
The lawyer, Mauro Poggia, is a leader of the right-wing Geneva Citizen's Movement party that has gained popularity recently with proposal to limit foreign workers in the city.
At least two reporters were scolded by the imam of a Geneva mosque for posing more challenging questions or making certain remarks, even as al-Zeidi spoke about unfair restrictions on journalists in Iraq.
GENEVA — The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush said Wednesday he has no regrets and would carry out his brazen protest again, even if it cost him his life.
Muntadhar al-Zeidi told Swiss television station Leman Bleu that, after being mistreated in Iraqi custody for two days following his outburst last Dec. 14, a judge asked him whether he regretted the gesture.
"I told the judge only one thing: if the hands of the clock could go back I would do the same act even if it cost my life," al-Zeidi said, speaking through a translator. continued.
GENEVA (AFP) – The Iraqi journalist who was jailed for throwing his shoes at George W. Bush said in an interview that he wants to move to Switzerland and rally Iraqis to take the ex-US president to court.
"I really want to go to Switzerland because it is a neutral country and because it is a country that did not support the occupation of Iraq," Muntazer al-Zaidi told TSR television in an interview broadcast Monday.
"Switzerland hosts many international organisations, including some that fight for children, and Switzerland is a country that has a great democratic tradition. It is an example for the world," he said in an interview taped Thursday from an undisclosed location.
Zaidi, who says he was tortured while in prison, was freed last week after being jailed for nine months for hurling the shoes at Bush last December during a Baghdad press conference one month before he stood down as US president.
His employer, Al-Baghdadia TV station in Baghdad, and a family member have said that Zaidi had left Iraq for Syria and would travel on to Greece for medical treatment.
Zaidi told TSR that he wants to launch a "vast operation" to rally Iraqi families in order to lodge a legal complaint against Bush.
Bush and his collaborators should face trial in an international tribunal for "war crimes committed during the occupation of Iraq," he said.
Zaidi told the Swiss broadcaster that he was beaten with metal bars, tortured with electric cables and endured simulated drowning during his detention.
An attorney in Geneva said in February that he had lodged a political asylum application on Zaidi's behalf. But one of Zaidi's brothers had denied this at the time, calling it a "lie."
The newsman was initially sentenced to three years for assaulting a foreign head of state, but had this reduced to one year on appeal. His sentence was cut further for good behaviour.
Iraq shoe-thrower in Greece for medical treatment (AFP) AFP - The Iraqi journalist jailed for throwing his shoes at former US president George W. Bush has arrived in Greece following his release, Iraqi diplomats said Thursday. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090917/wl_mideast_afp/iraqusjusticeshoegreece Shoe-thrower’s Release Revives Ethics Dispute Iraqi journalists still divided over actions of reporter who served prison sentence for insulting Bush. By IWPR-trained reporters (ICR No. 305, 17-Sep-09) http://www.iwpr.net/EN-icr-f-355971
Shoe-thrower flown out of Iraq Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the television reporter jailed for throwing his shoes at George Bush, the former US president, has left Iraq after being released from prison. He flew to Syria on a private jet on Tuesday, before heading to Greece where he will undergo medical treatment, Uday al-Zeidi, one of his brothers, said. Uday al-Zeidi said his brother had been hiding after making remarks to the press the same day, "because we fear for his life". http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/09/200991520503102628.html
Iraq frees shoe-throwing journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the television reporter jailed for throwing his shoes at George Bush, the former US president, has been released. Speaking shortly after his release on Tuesday, al-Zeidi, 30, said he had been tortured while in prison and demanded that Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, apologise for withholding information about his treatment. http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2009/09/200991591039210330.html Freed Iraqi shoe thrower tells of torture in jail 'My flower to the occupier': Defiant journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi stands by protest against visiting George Bush. The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush has marked his release from jail by angrily defending his action and claiming he was tortured after his arrest. Muntazer al-Zaidi's supporters and family gave him a rapturous welcome, sacrificing six sheep to mark his release and hanging laurels of flowers around his neck. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/15/iraqi-shoe-thrower-freed
Iraq frees Bush shoe thrower; here's what he had to say Muntadhar al Zaidi, the Iraqi reporter who threw his shoes at former President Bush last year in an act of protest that gained international notoriety, was freed from an Iraqi prison Tuesday after nine months behind bars. He gave a news conference after his release that included a lengthy explanation for his actions. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/story/75438.html
The Arab world is waiting.. to receive the shoe thrower from Iraq. Newscasts and newspapers are already talking about celebrations and festivities to welcome Muntazar Az-Zaydi. (As is known, shoes are not respected in the Arab world, unlike Western culture). Brother of Muntazar Az-Zaydi told New TV today that there were political offers to Muntazar to run on parliamentary lists in Iraq but that he refused. http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2009/09/arab-world-is-waiting.html
Mutadhar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi who threw his shoe at George Bush gave this speech on his recent release.
In the name of God, the most gracious and most merciful.
Here I am, free. But my country is still a prisoner of war.
Firstly, I give my thanks and my regards to everyone who stood beside me, whether inside my country, in the Islamic world, in the free world. There has been a lot of talk about the action and about the person who took it, and about the hero and the heroic act, and the symbol and the symbolic act.
But, simply, I answer: What compelled me to confront is the injustice that befell my people, and how the occupation wanted to humiliate my homeland by putting it under its boot.
And how it wanted to crush the skulls of (the homeland's) sons under its boots, whether sheikhs, women, children or men. And during the past few years, more than a million martyrs fell by the bullets of the occupation and the country is now filled with more than 5 million orphans, a million widows and hundreds of thousands of maimed. And many millions of homeless because of displacement inside and outside the country.
We used to be a nation in which the Arab would share with the Turkman and the Kurd and the Assyrian and the Sabean and the Yazid his daily bread. And the Shiite would pray with the Sunni in one line. And the Muslim would celebrate with the Christian the birthday of Christ, may peace be upon him. And despite the fact that we shared hunger under sanctions for more than 10 years, for more than a decade.
Our patience and our solidarity did not make us forget the oppression. Until we were invaded by the illusion of liberation that some had. (The occupation) divided one brother from another, one neighbor from another, and the son from his uncle. It turned our homes into never-ending funeral tents. And our graveyards spread into parks and roadsides. It is a plague. It is the occupation that is killing us, that is violating the houses of worship and the sanctity of our homes and that is throwing thousands daily into makeshift prisons.
I am not a hero, and I admit that. But I have a point of view and I have a stance. It humiliated me to see my country humiliated. And to see my Baghdad burned. And my people being killed. Thousands of tragic pictures remained in my head, and this weighs on me every day and pushes me toward the righteous path, the path of confrontation, the path of rejecting injustice, deceit and duplicity. It deprived me of a good night's sleep.
Dozens, no, hundreds, of images of massacres that would turn the hair of a newborn white used to bring tears to my eyes and wound me. The scandal of Abu Ghraib. The massacre of Fallujah, Najaf, Haditha, Sadr City, Basra, Diyala, Mosul, Tal Afar, and every inch of our wounded land. In the past years, I traveled through my burning land and saw with my own eyes the pain of the victims, and hear with my own ears the screams of the bereaved and the orphans. And a feeling of shame haunted me like an ugly name because I was powerless.
And as soon as I finished my professional duties in reporting the daily tragedies of the Iraqis, and while I washed away the remains of the debris of the ruined Iraqi houses, or the traces of the blood of victims that stained my clothes, I would clench my teeth and make a pledge to our victims, a pledge of vengeance.
The opportunity came, and I took it.
I took it out of loyalty to every drop of innocent blood that has been shed through the occupation or because of it, every scream of a bereaved mother, every moan of an orphan, the sorrow of a rape victim, the teardrop of an orphan.
I say to those who reproach me: Do you know how many broken homes that shoe that I threw had entered because of the occupation? How many times it had trodden over the blood of innocent victims? And how many times it had entered homes in which free Iraqi women and their sanctity had been violated? Maybe that shoe was the appropriate response when all values were violated.
When I threw the shoe in the face of the criminal, Bush, I wanted to express my rejection of his lies, his occupation of my country, my rejection of his killing my people. My rejection of his plundering the wealth of my country, and destroying its infrastructure. And casting out its sons into a diaspora.
After six years of humiliation, of indignity, of killing and violations of sanctity, and desecration of houses of worship, the killer comes, boasting, bragging about victory and democracy. He came to say goodbye to his victims and wanted flowers in response.
Put simply, that was my flower to the occupier, and to all who are in league with him, whether by spreading lies or taking action, before the occupation or after.
I wanted to defend the honor of my profession and suppressed patriotism on the day the country was violated and its high honor lost. Some say: Why didn't he ask Bush an embarrassing question at the press conference, to shame him? And now I will answer you, journalists. How can I ask Bush when we were ordered to ask no questions before the press conference began, but only to cover the event. It was prohibited for any person to question Bush.
And in regard to professionalism: The professionalism mourned by some under the auspices of the occupation should not have a voice louder than the voice of patriotism. And if patriotism were to speak out, then professionalism should be allied with it.
I take this opportunity: If I have wronged journalism without intention, because of the professional embarrassment I caused the establishment, I wish to apologize to you for any embarrassment I may have caused those establishments. All that I meant to do was express with a living conscience the feelings of a citizen who sees his homeland desecrated every day.
History mentions many stories where professionalism was also compromised at the hands of American policymakers, whether in the assassination attempt against Fidel Castro by booby-trapping a TV camera that CIA agents posing as journalists from Cuban TV were carrying, or what they did in the Iraqi war by deceiving the general public about what was happening. And there are many other examples that I won't get into here.
But what I would like to call your attention to is that these suspicious agencies -- the American intelligence and its other agencies and those that follow them -- will not spare any effort to track me down (because I am) a rebel opposed to their occupation. They will try to kill me or neutralize me, and I call the attention of those who are close to me to the traps that these agencies will set up to capture or kill me in various ways, physically, socially or professionally.
And at the time that the Iraqi prime minister came out on satellite channels to say that he didn't sleep until he had checked in on my safety, and that I had found a bed and a blanket, even as he spoke I was being tortured with the most horrific methods: electric shocks, getting hit with cables, getting hit with metal rods, and all this in the backyard of the place where the press conference was held. And the conference was still going on and I could hear the voices of the people in it. And maybe they, too, could hear my screams and moans.
In the morning, I was left in the cold of winter, tied up after they soaked me in water at dawn. And I apologize for Mr. Maliki for keeping the truth from the people. I will speak later, giving names of the people who were involved in torturing me, and some of them were high-ranking officials in the government and in the army.
I didn't do this so my name would enter history or for material gains. All I wanted was to defend my country, and that is a legitimate cause confirmed by international laws and divine rights. I wanted to defend a country, an ancient civilization that has been desecrated, and I am sure that history -- especially in America -- will state how the American occupation was able to subjugate Iraq and Iraqis, until its submission.
They will boast about the deceit and the means they used in order to gain their objective. It is not strange, not much different from what happened to the Native Americans at the hands of colonialists. Here I say to them (the occupiers) and to all who follow their steps, and all those who support them and spoke up for their cause: Never.
Because we are a people who would rather die than face humiliation.
And, lastly, I say that I am independent. I am not a member of any politicalparty, something that was said during torture -- one time that I'm far-right, another that I'm a leftist. I am independent of any political party, and my future efforts will be in civil service to my people and to any who need it, without waging any political wars, as some said that I would. My efforts will be toward providing care for widows and orphans, and all those whose lives were damaged by the occupation. I pray for mercy upon the souls of the martyrs who fell in wounded Iraq, and for shame upon those who occupied Iraq and everyone who assisted them in their abominable acts. And I pray for peace upon those who are in their graves, and those who are oppressed with the chains of imprisonment. And peace be upon you who are patient and looking to God for release.
And to my beloved country I say: If the night of injustice is prolonged, it will not stop the rising of a sun and it will be the sun of freedom.
One last word. I say to the government: It is a trust that I carry from my fellow detainees. They said, 'Muntadhar, if you get out, tell of our plight to the omnipotent powers' -- I know that only God is omnipotent and I pray to Him -- 'remind them that there are dozens, hundreds, of victims rotting in prisons because of an informant's word.'
They have been there for years, they have not been charged or tried.
They've only been snatched up from the streets and put into these prisons. And now, in front of you, and in the presence of God, I hope they can hear me or see me. I have now made good on my promise of reminding the government and the officials and the politicians to look into what's happening inside the prisons. The injustice that's caused by the delay in the judicial system.
Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you
The translation is by McClatchy’s special correspondent, Sahar Issa.
BAGHDAD (AFP) – Muntazer al-Zaidi, the Iraqi reporter who shot to fame when he threw his shoes at then US president George W. Bush, is set to be released from jail on Monday, his lawyer said on Saturday.
"I do not think there are any obstacles to his being freed, and I have great hope that he will be released on Monday," Dia al-Saadi said.
The "defence team has presented a petition for (Zaidi's) release to the Iraqi central criminal court, which has handed an order for his release to the prison administration. All the legal conditions have been fulfilled."
A little-known reporter for a small, privately owned television channel, Zaidi stunned the world on December 14 when he hurled his footwear at Bush, who was on a farewell visit to the country he ordered to be invaded and occupied six years ago.
His actions at a news conference won him admiration across the Arab world, with offers of plum jobs, marriage, and even a career in politics flooding in.
Zaidi, 30, was initially sentenced to three years in jail for assaulting a foreign head of state, but had that reduced to one year on appeal. He is being released early because of good behaviour.
IslamOnline.net's correspondent in Sudan interviewed Uday Al-Zaidi in Khartoum shortly after his return from Darfur where he was visiting along with an international delegation of activists, academics and diplomats.
"Muntazer was tortured," says Uday Al-Zaidi, brother of the Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes toward former US President George Bush last year in a press conference, to IslamOnline.net in an interview.
Muntazer Al-Zaidi was sentenced in March to three years in jail, but an Iraqi court decided to reduce his sentencing to one year.
Yet, Uday Al-Zaidi still fears for his brother's life.
"We cannot feel safe for Muntazer until he is in one of the Arab countries. He must not stay in Baghdad; he must leave it for good."
IslamOnline.net: What do you think of your brother's action against the former US president George Bush?
Uday Al-Zaidi: I am extremely proud of what my brother Muntazer Al-Zaidi did just as 250 million Arabs and one billion Muslims are, even though I did not believe it when I was told. I was shocked by this act from Muntazer, not because Bush was the president of the most powerful nation, but because of the courage Muntazer showed which was surprising. I am grateful to God that he had such courage: the shoe that did not fall on Bush fell on the American flag. This is a source of pride for us Arabs and Muslims. It reclaimed our dignity, even if just partially, from that criminal [George Bush].
IOL: Is there evidence that it was a planned act or was it spontaneous?
This was the dream of any honorable person, to reclaim our dignity, and Muntather started this trend.
Al-Zaidi:I would lie to you if I said it was simply spontaneous. Muntazer was a journalist in the heart of events and saw what American soldiers were doing. In one instance, when Abeer al-Janabi was raped, Muntazer cried and said: "a fourteen year-old girl was raped, burnt and her family killed!" Muntazer was also extremely disturbed when the US soldiers fired shots at the Noble Qur'an in al-Ghazaliyya. All of this anger built up inside Muntazer.
When he saw Bush, and he even said this at the trial to the judge: "When I saw Bush I saw the blood of Iraqis flowing under his feet." It was a build-up of anger. He may have not planned it, but this was the dream of any honorable person, to reclaim our dignity, and Muntazer started this trend.
IOL:You have made statements that Muntazer was tortured in custody but Iraqi officials deny this. Is there evidence that he was tortured?
Al-Zaidi:Yes, Iraq's minister of human rights acknowledged that Muntazer was barbarically tortured, and she delivered a complaint to the Iraqi Judiciary which ignored it. A number of attorneys that met with the President of the Bar, Dhiyaa al-Sa'di, and his assistant, Abd al-Qadir al-Qaysi, stated that Muntazer Al-Zaidi was tortured. Dhiyaa al-Kinani, the examining magistrate, said: "I saw Muntazer and he had been tortured and I will file a lawsuit." Three months later, when Muntazer entered the courtroom and in front of all the journalists to see, his face was full of stitches and bruises and one of his teeth was uprooted. On the trial day it was discovered that he has a broken right foot that was not treated.
IOL:What do you think of the national Iraqi and international responses to the shoe-throwing incident?
Al-Zaidi: I think they were natural responses because of what Bush has done. These responses are what saved Muntazer Al-Zaidi. If there were no reactions as many as there were, and considerable media coverage, Muntazer Al-Zaidi would have been killed in the same instance or even when he was dragged out of the [press conference] room.
This verdict is against one billion Muslims, every Arab and free person in the world.
It was when the Iraqi government saw people react to this incident in Iraq, the Arab World and the World, even in the United States, and this is what made them not kill Muntazer Al-Zaidi. But they are monsters. Muntazer was tortured for three months. They tried to compromise by trying to make him say he was sent by an Arab country or Iran or any country and they would then release him instantly. But he insisted that he did this for Iraqis only.
IOL:What do you think of the trial and the verdict of three years against Muntazer?
Al-Zaidi:The verdict did not come from the court; it came from the United States. The three years ruling from the court is criminal. Before the trial I said that the Iraqi Judiciary is under a test and it should know that it is not only trying Muntazer but one billion Muslims too. I believe that this verdict is against one billion Muslims, every Arab and free person in the world who would have loved to do the same thing against Bush; the idea simply was Muntazer's. This verdict is unjust. There is no plaintiff in the court. When Muntazer entered the court there was no complaint against him from Bush. But it rather was an act of "courtesy" from the Iraqi government to Bush. He is the one who placed them [in power] so they must repay him the debt.
IOL:After all the demonstrations against the trial, and the court not taking these demonstrations into consideration, what do you think today of the court?
Al-Zaidi:On the contrary, I think that the demonstrations pressured the court. The court intended to punish Muntazer with seven to fifteen years according to Article 223 of the Iraqi law. But the large demonstrations put pressure on the court. The court was between a rock and a hard spot: between demonstrating [Iraqi] citizens and the orders issued by the prime minister and the Americans, so, it chose a middle solution.
IOL:Are their voices still calling for his release or to have the sentence reduced and do you worry that his case may be forgotten?
Al-Zaidi:Yes, it has been forgotten by some. Muntazer did what he did to restore the pride of Iraqis, Arabs and Muslims. The demonstrations were only in the first days. But after that, I had to plea, even with the press, to allow me to appear on a satellite channel to speak about Muntazer. He should be continuously in the press so his case will not be forgotten; otherwise, he will be killed in jail.
"Please don't forget my case, I am tortured everyday with electricity shocks from the Commander of the Baghdad Brigade."Munather
Today we received news that his punishment has been reduced to one year. That is still unjust; he should not serve one day. Muntazer was subjected to brutal torture and that is more than enough to have his sentencing nullified. I am greatly fearful over this reduced sentencing and I hope my hunch is wrong. The Iraqi government views Muntazer as the one who insulted it and its guest and I don’t think they will forget that easily.
IOL:What do you fear?
Al-Zaidi:Muntazer is susceptible to anything, even murder. They have their ways and flimsy excuses. They listen to no one! Demonstrations with millions took to the streets against the occupiers and they listened to no one. There were demonstrations critical of the constitution and they didn't care. There were demonstrations against the security agreements also and they did listen to the people. They might do something to Muntazer and say he committed suicide or was food-poisoned or anything like that. We cannot feel safe for Muntazer until he is in one of the Arab countries. He must not stay in Baghdad; he must leave it for good.
IOL:Were you in touch with Muntather after the court's verdict of three years? Are you in contact now with your family and the attorneys after the sentencing reduction?
Al-Zaidi: I was inside the courtroom when the verdict was issued. When they were going to take him back to his prison cell, he sat on the floor and refused to move until he would be allowed to see me. When I was allowed to see him he said: "Please don't forget my case, I am tortured everyday with electricity shocks from the Commander of the Baghdad Brigade." Then he saw a notebook in my hand and wrote a letter to Gaza and the Arab people that was published then. He then said: "Don’t worry, these three years are a sacrifice from me to the people of Iraq and the Iraqi martyrs and I am willing to sacrifice even more."
IOL:What do you know of the decision to reduce Muntazer’s sentencing?
Al-Zaidi: What I know is that the Iraqi court reduced the sentencing from three years to one year. He has already spent four months in prison. He has five more months left, because three months-a quarter of the time- will be dropped.
IOL:Who told you that the three year sentencing was reduced?
Al-Zaidi:My brother, Durgham Al-Zaidi called me from Baghdad and I also called the attorneys, from Darfur.
IOL:You were in Darfur when you heard the news?
The future of Iraq is with heroes like Muntather, the martyrs and the resistance fighters.
Al-Zaidi:In Darfur, I was with the wali (governor) of North Darfur State. He welcomed me in front of more than thirty Arab and African ambassadors and gave me a pair of shoes made in Darfur as a gift. He said that these shoes must reach Muntather in prison and I promised him that I would deliver the shoes to him. It was a magnificent gathering.
The Arab, African, Chinese, Korean and Iranian ambassadors all welcomed me and said we all are with Muntazer. But the best statement came from the ambassador of Qatar who said: "Your brother restored our dignity."
In Darfur people know of Muntazer Al-Zaidi. Interestingly, Muntazer asked me to buy a pair of shoes from every Arab country I visit on my tour to raise support for him. I bought shoes in Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Syria. I was going to buy shoes from Sudan, but the wali of North Darfur surprised me with the shoes as a gift to Muntazer. They were the only pair of shoes that were a gift; the rest I bought.
IOL:In the eyes of many, Muntazer Al-Zaidi is a hero and a symbol in the Arab World and around the globe. What do you want people to know about your brother and how do you see the future of Iraq in light of this?
Al-Zaidi:In sha' Allah, the future of Iraq is bright because of the resistance. I don’t mean the agent "resistance." There are two resistance [movements] in Iraq: one that implements a foreign agenda and kills civilians and another noble resistance that has caused the enemy great losses. The future of Iraq is with heroes like Muntazer, the martyrs and the resistance fighters. The future of Iraq, in sha' Allah, will be glorious and we will kick out this group that came with the occupier until Iraq is ruled by Iraqis.
Could it be coincidental? Just minutes before Barack Obama's first visit to Iraq as the US president, the journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush had his sentence reduced.
Muntazer al-Zaidi, who started a worldwide trend for shoe-chucking protests, will serve one year in prison instead of three, an Iraqi court announced just minutes before Obama flew in to Iraq.
A court spokesman said the decision had been made because Zaidi had no prior criminal history.
Really? It wasn't designed to calm anti-US feeling in Iraq ahead of the president's trip?
Obama's arrival couldn't quite secure Zaidi's release, but the sentence reduction will do nothing to dent the new president's reputation.
He may be unlikely to be greeted as a hero in Iraq, but Obama probably won't have shoes thrown at him either.
BAGHDAD — What does it take for an Iraqi woman to fall in love with a man?
In parks and dress shops, in university halls and on picnics, Iraqi women are still smitten — three months and one new American president later — by the shoe thrower, Muntader al-Zaidi.
His conviction and sentencing for three years on Thursday, only burnished his image as someone who lives out the dream of the common man and in doing so becomes gallant and desirable.
Zainab Mahdi, a 19-year-old student sporting a red baseball cap, swung on a swing set in a riverside park on Friday as she spoke admiringly of Mr. Zaidi.
“Every Iraqi wanted to beat Bush,” she said. “Muntader made our wishes comes true.”
Her sister, Hanan Mahdi, 22, who was standing next to the swing set, spoke with passion in her voice. “Muntader make us proud of ourselves as Iraqis,” she said.
“We were in Syria when he hurled his shoes at Bush, and we noticed the change in the way Syrian people treated us,” she said. “They treated us in a better way.” continued.
Muntader al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President Bush, probably isn't happy that he's been sentenced to three years in the slammer. But perhaps he can take comfort in the knowledge that he joins the great Nikita Khrushchev in the immortal pantheon of Folks Who Use Their Shoes As a Medium for Political Statements.
BAGHDAD (AFP) – The Iraqi journalist who won global attention when he hurled his shoes at former US president George W. Bush goes on trial on Thursday charged with assaulting a foreign leader.
Muntazer al-Zaidi faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted, but his legal team will ask for the charge to be thrown out and for the reporter to be freed.
"He should be released because he was only expressing himself and protesting against the occupation," Zaidi's lawyer Dhiya al-Saadi told AFP on Tuesday.
Bush, who orderd the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, was on a farewell visit to the country when Zaidi threw his shoes during a Baghdad press conference on December 14.
Zaidi, 30, who works for the Al-Baghdadia television channel, also insulted Bush, shouting: "It is the farewell kiss, you dog," in an action that was hailed across the Arab world.
Bush managed to duck, and after the shoes whizzed past his head joked with reporters that they were a "size 10".
A 25-strong defence team has been preparing the defence of Zaidi, whose gesture is considered a grave insult in the Arab and Muslim world.
If they fail to get the charges dropped they will argue that the journalist did not try to kill Bush and was entitled to make a protest about the US invasion and occupation of Iraq.
"We will present our demands on the day of the trial," Saadi said. "The journalist only wanted to express his opinion," insisting that the law under which Zaidi is charged is not applicable to his case.
The charge of assaulting a foreign leader carries a prison term of between five to 15 years, but Saadi said the reporter should be freed because the shoes did not constitute a "lethal weapon" and could not have killed Bush.
Judicial authorities had the option of dismissing the charge, or have altered it to a lesser one of "attempted aggression" which carries a prison term of one to five years.
The case will be heard at the Central Criminal Court, which is responsible for terrorism cases and is located in the Green Zone, the heavily-protected area of Baghdad where the government and some Western embassies are located.
A judge in December rejected allegations by the journalist's family that he had been tortured in custody, charges that were levelled after his brother was allowed to visit him in prison.
The incident inspired a British student, Alex Tew, to create a "Sock and Awe" (www.sockandawe.com) shoe-throwing website which says it has so far had more than 86 million hits in the face of ex-president Bush on the Internet.
Other journalists at Al-Baghdadia, who asked not to be named, told AFP that Zaidi, who was abducted by insurgents during the sectarian strife that engulfed Iraq in the wake of the US invasion, should not be punished.
"He did not want to say goodbye to Bush in a traditional way, so he said farewell in his own way," said one of the reporter's colleagues.
"I feel that what he did was a national gesture to lift the sorrow of children and widows."
Another Al-Baghdadia journalist added: "Muntazer al-Zaidi is a quiet, respectful and educated person and a professional in every sense of the word. He does not deserve to be sentenced and should not be put on trial."
BAGHDAD (AP) — When an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at George W. Bush last month at a Baghdad press conference, the attack spawned a flood of Web quips, political satire and street rallies across the Arab world. Now it's inspired a work of art. A sofa-sized shoe statue was unveiled Thursday in Tikrit, the hometown of the former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Baghdad-based artist Laith al-Amari described his fiberglass-and-copper work as a homage to the pride of the Iraqi people.
The statue also has inscribed a poem honoring Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi journalist. Al-Zeidi was charged with assaulting a foreign leader, but the trial was postponed after his lawyer sought to reduce the charges.
Unlike Muntazer al-Zaidi, the Iraqi reporter who inspired the protest, none of the shoe-throwers in the group were arrested. (Later that day, reports NBC, one man was arrested for chucking a shoe at the White House.)
Marching down Connecticut Avenue with handfuls of footwear, the group of about a hundred was on the receiving end of enthusiastic honks, thumbs-up and waves from people in the street.
The reception was almost as warm from the people guarding the White House.
"Don't hit me!" one officer behind the White House fence joked as shoes rained around him.
Tracey Primavera, a shoe-lobber from Provincetown, Massachusetts, shouted at the guard that she had a pump that would look nice on him. Article continues
BAGHDAD — The Iraqi journalist jailed since throwing his shoes at President George W. Bush got a visit from his brother Friday and a birthday party from his guards as he turned 30.
Muntadhar al-Zeidi, who has gained cult status for his bizarre protest, is in good shape but has been denied access to his lawyer, relatives said after his brother Maitham visited him for two hours in his detention cell in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.
Al-Zeidi has been in custody since the Dec. 14 outburst at Bush's joint news conference with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Thousands demonstrated for al-Zeidi's release and hailed his gesture. Article continues.
BAGHDAD — More than a month has passed since an Iraqi television reporter threw his shoes at President Bush during a Baghdad news conference held to highlight what Mr. Bush called a successful American military effort to pacify Iraq.
The journalist, Muntader al-Zaidi, 29, who was immediately arrested, has been allowed only two visitors — and none since Dec. 21, according to those close to Mr. Zaidi. His family and his lawyer say they do not know where he is being held and are gravely concerned about his well-being because they have not been allowed to speak with him by telephone. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/world/middleeast/16iraq.html?_r=1 Shoe and Awe: From Bush in Iraq to Gaza Fury
It was bound to continue. The shoe has been transformed into a weapon of protest and fury at Israel's onslaught on Gaza, and by extension George W. Bush's unconditional support for the Jewish state.
The December 14 shoe-throwing incident involving an Iraqi journalist venting his anger at the U.S. president during the latter's visit to Baghdad and a news conference there has taken many forms with the explosive situation in Gaza.
It may have been the most important product placement in history, surpassing the American colonists' dumping of crates of East India tea into Boston Harbor 235 years ago. When journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi crystallized world opinion by hurling his shoes at American President George Bush during a news conference in Baghdad in December, sales exploded at the Istanbul shoe company that identified the projectiles as its "model 271."
Other shoe companies have also claimed paternity, but the only known evidence -- the shoes themselves -- is said to have been blown to bits as a security measure.
Huffington Post Istanbul Footwear Correspondent Anthony Giacchino forwards exclusive
Other shoe companies have also claimed paternity, but the only known evidence -- the shoes themselves -- is said to have been blown to bits as a security measure.
Huffington Post Istanbul Footwear Correspondent Anthony Giacchino forwards exclusive
photos of the shoe heard round the world, which the company has recently renamed the "Bye Bye Bush." And in less than a week, the shoe will attain still greater international renown when al-Zaidi's traditional Iraqi gesture of contempt serves as inspiration for a Washington peace demonstration known as "Shoes for Bush."
At Baydan's Shoes, Ramazan Baydan's factory in the nondescript outskirts of Istanbul, where the international furor unwittingly began, Baydan has told interviewers that he has been overwhelmed with international orders since the lone journalist's shoe-hurling during yet another of Bush's "mission accomplished" press conferences, his last one in Iraq.
Nearly a month ago, Baydan told Bloomberg news that he had received more than 300,000 orders for what he has now renamed the Bye Bye Bush shoe -- more than four times the company's previous annual production of model 271. Ten days later, the number was up to 370,000 as orders that had started coming in from Iraq (120,000 initially) began to flood in from the rest of the world.
The shoemaker was sending advertising posters for model 271 throughout the Middle East. The poster's message was simple: "Goodbye Bush, Welcome Democracy."
Baydan told Bloomberg that he was hiring 100 more employees to handle the added workload. Baydan said he had also received orders for 19,000 Bye Bye Bushes from the United States, as well as requests from distributors in other countries.
Huffington Post correspondent Giacchino traveled to Kucukcekmece, a dreary neighborhood about 40 kilometers from the center of Istanbul, to see Baydan's small and hectic workshop. He was taken through the showroom, where model 271, now the Bye Bye Bush, has a prominent place.
Giacchino reports that model 271 is the talk of Istanbul's shoe industry, where opinion is split on whether the shoe was actually manufactured by Baydan or whether he is simply a clever businessman with a brilliant marketing campaign. Many competitors in the Istanbul shoe business don't believe Baydan could have recognized his shoe from the Baghdad video of the shoe hurling. Although a few have claimed the celebrated footwear was theirs, said the wife of one shoe wholesaler, "Baydan claimed the loudest."
Although shoe makers as far afield as China have leapt to claim credit, Baydan will have none of it, telling the Christian Science Monitor: "I have a sensitive relationship with this shoe. I designed it myself, so it's like a father and a child. I was very happy when I saw it on the video."
Turks of a more philosophical bent, says Giacchino, are quoting a Turkish proverb: "The rich man's money makes the poor man's mouth tired."
Giacchino, an Emmy- winning documentary film maker whose last film was The Camden 28, reports that it's full steam ahead at the Baydan shoe factory. The film maker/footwear correspondent, who has just completed "Beltway Unbuckled," a two-hour special exploring the cross of sex and American politics (scheduled to air March 15 on the History Channel), is considering doing a video himself on the famed Istanbul shoemaker.
Meantime, the shoe's paternity is a trivial detail to the millions around the world who were inspired by the shoe-hurling to vent their suppressed anger at the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi invasion. Numerous shoe-related protests have already occurred, and the celebrated gesture of contempt is coming home to Washington on January 19, President Bush's last full day in office. A coalition of peace groups is planning a "shoe hurling action" at the White House.
Organizers, including the Washington Peace Center, After Downing Street, Code Pink and other organizations, plan to rally at 11 a.m. at Dupont Circle and then march to the White House "with shoes." Organizers, who have set up a web site at www.shoebush.org, say some war veterans will be traveling to Washington, prepared to hurl their combat boots.
Organizers promise a "cathartic shoe hurling action ... in the spirit of journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi and for the widows, orphans and all those who have lost their lives in Iraq."
A few hundred Bosnians on Saturday vented their spleen at political leaders in a shoe-throwing protest in Sarajevo inspired by an Iraqi journalist's footwear attack on George W. Bush. http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/01/03/63416.html
Iraq's Central Criminal Court has delayed the trial of an Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George W Bush during a press conference in Baghdad.
A court spokesman said on Tuesday the postponement was agreed following an appeal by the journalist's lawyers.
The spokesman said a new trial date would be set in due course, pending a higher court ruling on the charges against the journalist.
Muntazer al-Zaidi, a 29-year-old reporter working for the Iraqi Al-Baghdadia television channel, gained international fame after hurling his footwear at Bush during his farewell visit to Iraq on December 14.
Grave insult
As well as throwing his shoes at the US leader - something that is considered to be a grave insult in the Arab world - al-Zaidi shouted: "It is the farewell kiss, you dog."
However, al-Zaidi was immediately arrested and had been due to appear in court on Wednesday on charges of "aggression against a foreign head of state during an official visit".
If found guilty al-Zaidi could face up to 15 years in jail.
His lawyer, Dhiya al-Saadi, lodged a request for the trial to be cancelled on the grounds that court action would breach al-Zaidi's constitutional right to freedom of expression.
"Our appeal is based on the fact that Zaidi simply expressed his rejection of the occupation and the policy of repression against Iraqis. Zaidi's action falls within the framework of freedom of expression," said al-Saadi.
WASHINGTON (AFP) – US activists on Monday urged Baghdad to release the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at US President George W. Bush, insisting that his gesture was meant to insult, not harm the US leader. "This was a form of insult... If he had wanted to hurt George Bush, he would have chosen a different weapon," Medea Benjamin of the Codepink peace activism group told AFP at a rally of about a dozen people outside the Iraqi consulate in Washington. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081229/ts_alt_afp/iraqusmediabushprotest
The Green Party urges the release of the Baghdad shoe-thrower, and condemns his torture and prosecution. The Green Party in the UK is calling on the US and British governments to condemn the torture and prosecution of the Baghdad shoe-thrower, Muntadar al-Zaidi. It is urging the Iraqi government to order his immediate release and the dropping of all charges against him. If Mr al-Zaidi feels it is no longer safe for him to remain in Iraq, the US and Britain should offer him political asylum, according to the British Greens. http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticlePrint/20089
ISTANBUL, Turkey - For the past 10 years, model 271 has been the bestseller of Ramazan Baydan's Ducati line of shoes. It's got all the attributes of a workhorse – affordable and durable, chunky, yet presentable. To these winning qualities, now add another one: throwable. According to Mr. Baydan, it was a black pair of his shoes that Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi threw at President Bush during a Dec. 14 press conference. Mr. Zaidi now stands accused of "aggression against a foreign head of state during an official visit," an offense that carries a prison term of between five and 15 years under Iraqi law. His trial begins Wednesday. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1229/p07s04-wogn.html
Iranians join Bush shoe protest Dozens of Iranians in the country's capital Tehran have held their own shoe-throwing rally in protest at US President George W Bush. They were showing support for the Iraqi journalist who threw his footwear at the American leader in Baghdad. The protesters waved their shoes in the air before throwing them at posters featuring caricatures of Mr Bush. The journalist, Muntadar al-Zaidi, is due to go on trial in Iraq, accused of assaulting a foreign head of state. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7800453.stm
The Shoe-Thrower Becomes an Issue in Iraq Election Iraqis go to the polls next month in provincial elections that promise to be the most fiercely contested thus far, as the post-Saddam era moves to open a post-U.S. chapter. And one major issue will undoubtedly be case of shoe-tossing journalist Muntader al-Zaidi, who became a hero on the streets of Iraq and much of the Arab world after his failed attempt to bean President Bush at a press conference. Zaidi is to stand trial on New Year's Eve, Abdul Satar Birqadr, the spokesman for Iraq's High Judicial Council said Monday, on charges of "assaulting a foreign head of state visiting Iraq." Even if putting Zaidi on trial appears to risk igniting public hostility, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki may yet seek to make the case work to his a political advantage ahead of next month's poll, for which some 17.5 million are registered to vote. http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20081226/wl_time/08599186864400
Unscripted: Green Zone Theater and the Shoe Drama The plot, so unexpectedly, thickened in Iraq on a Sunday like no other. The two main actors - US President George W. Bush, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki – took to the stage to perform another well-rehearsed press conference. The scripts were ever so predictable: Bush to tout the ‘progress’ achieved in Iraq, while al-Maliki to express gratitude for the freedom bestowed on his country. Both men were to caution from overstated optimism, and to forewarn of the great challenges that are yet to come. The two partners were to shake hands, smile and walk away. Things, however, didn’t go according to plan on Sunday, December 14. http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=14527
Shoe-thrower is brave: Iraqi ex-speaker The newly resigned Iraqi parliament speaker has praised the journalist who threw shoes at US President George W Bush and says the legislature should have supported him. http://news.theage.com.au/world/shoethrower-is-brave-iraqi-exspeaker-20081225-74xi.html
Shoe-Hurler Raises Up Iraq's Reputation Abroad BAGHDAD — When traveling outside Iraq, I would sometimes hide my nationality by refraining from speaking in an Iraqi dialect. When Arabs would find out where I was from, I would be lectured about how Iraqis are too willing to accept the presence of American troops in our country. But after an Iraqi television reporter threw his shoes at President Bush during a news conference, other Arabs seem to have raised their opinions of us. http://baghdadbureau.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/25/shoe-hurler-raises-up-iraqs-reputation-abroad/?hp
Where's al-Zaidi's Pulitzer? "Que Huevos!" ("What Balls!") grinned Don Juanito the tailor, sipping his tea across the counter and extolling the bravery of Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi reporter who gained instant hero status for hurling his shoes at U.S. president George Bush during a Baghdad news conference last week (Dec. 13th). "He should have thrown clown shoes - that way he wouldn't have missed Bush," Daniel the greeter chimed in. An avid wrestling fan, Daniel was impressed by Bush's stutter step dodge of the incoming missiles. "The shoes must be the weapons that Bush was looking for, no?" smiled Manuel the waiter, "now they will take all the shoes from Iraq!" Berta the nurse invited the crowd to bring their old shoes to the U.S. Embassy here to bid goodbye to George Bush.
http://www.counterpunch.com/ross12242008.html
Iraqi ex-speaker praises shoe-thrower as 'brave' AP - The newly resigned Iraqi parliament speaker on Wednesday praised the journalist who threw shoes at President George W. Bush and said the legislature should have supported him.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081224/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq
Shoe thrower exposes Bush's arrogance Using humor to shrug off the incident shows how little regard the president has for the opinions of those most affected by administration policies. The Times' Dec. 16 editorial, " Bush's shoe toss," takes an appropriate and interesting look at the "history of footwear and politics" and the reactions by President Bush and the Iraqis immediately following the incident. The Times notes how deftly Bush ducked and made light of the "size 10" shoes hurled at him, and we read about how the shoe was "laced" with blame, insult and pent-up anger. We also read about how deeply insulting such a "shoe episode" is in the Arab world, especially when accompanied by the words "you dog."
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-dewind23-2008dec23,0,6219043.story
Iraqi shoe thrower: I'd do it again (21 Dec) The Iraqi journalist who shocked the world by throwing his shoes at the US president reportedly says he would do it again if given the opportunity. "In a letter to Iraqi prime minister, Muntadhar al-Zaidi has only apologized to Nuri al-Maliki himself," Fardanews reported, citing comments by an Iraqi source familiar with the case. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/21/iraqi-shoe-thrower-id-do_n_152660.html
Remembering Iraq (Dec 12-18) Iraq was back in the headlines this week, ironically the least violent since I began writing these posts. This time the newsmaker was not a terrorist nor a politician, but a journalist by the name of Muntadhar al-Zaidi. Sama put it best when he said, "it was a great bookend to the president's Iraq legacy." That pretty much sums it up, but we'll be hearing about it for a while longer. Apparently, the incident inspired new online video games (if I was a Tim Johnson, I'd check 'em out).
http://www.kabobfest.com/2008/12/remembering-iraq-dec-12-18.html Iraqi Shoe Thrower Prompts Racist Rant From Bill O'Reilly First he says that the shoe thrower is evidence of the ingratitude, "violence" and "irrational thinking" in the "Arab world", before going to on discuss the "danger from the Muslim world" and whether torture is the right way to go about dealing with it. Note also the graphic shown at the beginning and end of the segment of the American flag and a menacing, red-coloured star and crescent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PJnoD9JV40
Iraqi shoe thrower: I'd do it again (21 Dec) The Iraqi journalist who shocked the world by throwing his shoes at the US president reportedly says he would do it again if given the opportunity. "In a letter to Iraqi prime minister, Muntadhar al-Zaidi has only apologized to Nuri al-Maliki himself," Fardanews reported, citing comments by an Iraqi source familiar with the case. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/21/iraqi-shoe-thrower-id-do_n_152660.html
Shoe-assault served Bush well, some US citizens say (20 Dec) San Francisco: US President George Bush deserved the shoes-assault by Iraqi journalist, some US citizens told Gulf News. "A number of shoes should be hurled at him, equivalent to the number of deaths he has caused since the start of the Iraq's war in 2003," said Luci, a female cashier at one of Walgreens stores in San Francisco city.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/region/Iraq/10268808.html
Iraqi PM not to sue Bush shoe thrower BAGHDAD, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)--Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said Sunday that he will not file a lawsuit against the reporter who threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush during a news conference in Baghdad last week. "I will yield my personal right (to file lawsuit) over the Zaidi case, but I will not relinquish the right of the state of Iraq and its guest in suing Zaidi," Maliki told a news conference in Baghdad. "If the Iraqi judiciary releases Zaidi, we won't object that," Maliki said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/21/content_10533092.htm
Arab dads offer brides to shoe throwing hero Iraq's shoe-throwing journalist has become a hero in the Arab world and men have started offering their daughters in marriage to the courageous man who threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush in Baghdad on Sunday. An Egyptian man said he was offering his 20-year-old daughter in marriage.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/12/19/62350.html Palestinians ask for release of Iraqi shoe tosser BETHLEHEM, West Bank: Several dozen Palestinian journalists have taken off their shoes in a protest in Bethlehem's Manger Square. Thursday's demonstration was a show of support for an Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush this week. The journalist remains in Iraqi custody and could face two years in prison for insulting a foreign leader. A spokesman for Iraq's prime minister says Muntadhar al-Zeidi has apologized for throwing the shoes.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/18/news/ML-Palestinians-Shoe-Tosser.php
Magda Abu-Fadil: Shoo haida?The shoe saga snowball rolls on The affair continues to reverberate in the Arab world with comedians, the media and average citizens capitalizing on Iraqi journalist Muntadhar Al Zaidi's shoe-tossing episode at President George W. Bush in Baghdad with little end in sight. Just before flying from Beirut to Dubai this week, I was flooded with SMSs from a friend in Cairo who wanted to share the latest jokes on the affair. Egyptians are noted for their sense of humor and have had a field day with the story.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/magda-abufadil/shoo-haida-the-shoe-saga_b_152145.html
Undaunted "Zaidi" Brought Before Iraqi Judge The brave Iraqi journalist who became a star in the Arab world when he hurled his shoes at visiting US President George W. Bush and called him a dog, appeared before a judge on Wednesday, his brother said. Durgham al-Zaidi said he and another brother were told by the investigating judge that 29-year-old Muntazar al-Zaidi "had cooperated well," but gave no details. Under Iraqi law, Zaidi faces up to seven years in jail for "offending the head of a foreign state." Durgham al-Zaidi said his brother had been taken to Ibn Sina hospital in the heavily fortified Green Zone after being badly beaten by security guards and suffering a broken arm and ribs, as well as injuries to an eye and a leg. He was unable to say whether Muntazer had sustained the injuries while being overpowered during Sunday's protest or after his arrest. There was no immediate information about the journalist's condition on Wednesday.
http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=67376&language=en
Iraqi journalist says sorry for throwing shoes at George Bush An Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush has publicly apologised and asked the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, to forgive him, Iraqi officials said today. Muntazer al-Zaidi said in a letter that his "big ugly act cannot be excused," said Yasin Majeed, Maliki's media adviser.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/18/george-bush-shoe-thrower Montazer Al Zaidi appears before Iraq court Iraqi journalist Montazer Al Zaidi who threw his shoes at US President Georges Bush appeared before court. His attorney, head of Iraqi lawyers' Syndicate, Diyaa' Al Saadi, declared that he will request from the government to see his defendant in order to check out his health and will call as well to bail him out as Al Zaidi would appear before the investigation judge when needed. Meanwhile, an official from Al Baghdadiya clarified that the TV has appointed three Iraqi lawyers to defend Al Zaidi. On the other hand, US President Georges W Bush affirmed that Iraqi authorities should deal reasonably with the reporter noting that the shoe-throwing incident was one of the weirdest moments encountered during his presidential term.
http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News/1-25784-Montazer-Al-Zaidi-appears-before-Iraq-court.html
Judge visits Iraqi shoe-tossing journalist in jail Al Zaidi was expected to appear in court, but his brother, Durgham, tells The Associated Press he was informed by a judge that another judge has visited him in jail instead. Durgham says he believes the visit suggests his brother was beaten "and they fear that his appearance could trigger anger at the court."
http://archive.gulfnews.com/region/Iraq/10267957.html
Al-Zaydi refuses to empower Saddam's lawyer to defend him - spokesman BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The official spokesman for the higher judicial council said on Tuesday that Muntadher al-Zaydi refused to entrust Khalil al-Dulaimi, who chaired the commission to defend former president Saddam Hussein, or Arab lawyers to defend him. "The government dealt with defendant al-Zaydi according to 3rd article of the 223 clause of [...]
http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=104782
The shoes we longed for Within a few unlikely seconds, a pair of size 10 shoes have become the most destructive weapon the people of Iraq have managed to throw at the occupying powers, after nearly six years of occupation and formidable resistance. One Iraqi writer called the shoes, hurled by a journalist at George Bush, "Iraq's weapon of comprehensive destruction". While the uprisings of Falluja, Najaf, Basra and Baghdad against the occupation will always remain as landmarks of a people resisting occupation, these incredible seconds have united Iraqis in the most dramatic fashion.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/17/bush-shoes-iraqi-journalist-hero The boot is on the other foot Is it any wonder that George Bush had shoes thrown at him as a symbol of utter contempt (Shoe assault, 16 December)? The US has trampled on its own ideals with its illegal wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; it has torn to shreds its notions of democracy and justice for all with its illegal prisons in Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo, and by rendition. As if that wasn't enough, the breathtaking greed and fraud of its Wall Street traders has brought the entire world to its knees. Every economy has suffered the negative effects of the "greatest country in the world".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/17/letters-george-bush-iraq
Al-Zaidi Puts Iraq Back on the Map I can't lie. I've watched Iraqi journalist Montather Al-Zaidi whip those two shoes past George Bush's head more times than I can count. I loved it; I even got into the corny jokes about the Red Sox drafting Al-Zaidi in the spring (cementing my belief that Iraqis have the second strongest arms in the Middle East—behind Palestinians of course). I also read endless blog coverage and joined the Facebook group, "Release Montather Al-Zaidi and Give Him New Shoes."
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=14494
Hezbollah Praises Iraqi Journalist al-Zaidi as Hero Hezbollah on Monday commented on the incident in which an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at US President George W. Bush. "This is a goodbye kiss on behalf of the widows and orphans and people who have been killed in Iraq," a statement issued by the media relations in Hezbollah read, recalling the words of Mountathar al-Zaidi, a correspondent for a Baghdadi television channel, who called U.S. President George W. Bush a "dog" and threw his shoes at him on Sunday. http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=67251&language=en Journalist who threw shoes at George Bush emerges as hero of resistance An Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush and called him a dog emerged yesterday as an unlikely hero among angry Arabs across the Middle East, who embraced his chosen weapon as a symbol of resistance. A US military patrol in Najaf was pelted with shoes by Shia protesters, as crowds gathered around Iraq brandishing footwear and demanding the release of Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the television reporter whose attack on Bush at a Baghdad press conference on Sunday made him the toast of the radical Arab press.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/16/george-bush-journalist-shoes Bush's record and the shoes heard around the Arab and Islamic worlds It goes without saying that journalists, during the course of carrying out their duties, will inevitably be asked to interview or interact with individuals or groups with whom they themselves might disagree, or even regard with complete contempt. For the most part, Arab reporters carry out these responsibilities. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=17&article_id=98471
If the Shoe Fits Since yesterday, Muslims and Arabs throughout the Middle East have not simply rushed to the defense of al Zaidi -- they've praised him as a hero. They say that he spoke for the millions of Iraqis and millions more Arabs throughout the region who feel that they've suffered at the hands of the Bush administration's foreign policy for the past eight years. They say that he'll go down in history as the man who stood up and did something many would've thought impossible by lashing out at the president of the United States. They're talking about putting the shoes he threw in a museum as a lasting symbol of defiance.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chez-pazienza/if-the-shoe-fits_b_151210.html
A Hero of Our Time: Muntadar al-Zaidi When Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi heaved his two shoes at the head of President George W. Bush during a press conference in Baghdad, he did something that the White House press corps should have done years ago.
http://www.counterpunch.org/lindorff12152008.html The weapon of the occupied Shoes are a weapon of the masses. The fact is that most do not have the means to defend against their foreign invaders equipped with superior American-made weaponry. Shoes, like stones and most other projectiles used by people under occupation are not about defeating or causing physical damage to the enemy. It is a symbolic act, and one filled with anger, like I'm sure all of us at one point have thrown something during a fit. It is a clear and simple message from the people to the occupiers that they are not welcome. And it is a message that the occupiers and its media so arrogantly refuse to admit. Matthew Cassel comments for EI.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10031.shtml A New Job for Zaydi New TV announced in its newscast that it is extending an offer for Muntazir Az-Zaydi to become its correspondent, and that his salary is effective from the second the shoe was hurled at Bush--I am not making this up. [end]
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-job-for-zaydi.html
IRAQ: Shoe tosser hits the big time His Facebook fan club keeps on growing. Members of Iraq's parliament have taken up his cause. Activists are demanding his release from custody, and SMS jokes are flashing between mobile phones across the Middle East. Even comedian Jay Leno got in on the act, citing the bizarre case of Iraqi journalist Muntather Zaidi, better know as the "shoe thrower," on his latest show.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/12/iraq-shoe-tosse.html
Dean Obeidallah: "Shoe Tossing" - An Arab perspective When something big happens in the Arab world, all Arab-Americans suddenly become "experts" having to answer questions from our non-Arab friends about what is going on. Consequently, since the news broke yesterday about Iraqi reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi throwing his shoes at President Bush during the press conference, I have been inundated with questions such as: "Why did he throw his shoes?" What does a shoe represent in Arab culture?" "Is a wing tip shoe more of a statement than a sandal?" "Did the reporter throw the shoes he was wearing or do Arabs carry spare shoes with them to throw when they are angry?"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dean-obeidallah/shoe-tossing-an-arab-pers_b_151090.html The Artless Dodger It wasn't just a Size 10 shoe thrown at President Bush at his final press event in Baghdad, it was the coda to his presidency. An Iraqi television journalist insulted an American president with a pair of thrown shoes. Millions around the world cheered the humiliation. But for many more, the coda has a different meaning. We are used to incompetence and bad behavior from public officials in democracies, too. But this American president has been different. Those thrown shoes say, good riddance.
http://www.counterpunch.org/farago12152008.html
Family: Shoe thrower hates both US, Iran role AP - The Iraqi TV reporter who hurled his shoes at George W. Bush was kidnapped once by militants and, separately, detained briefly by the U.S. military — a story of getting hit from all sides that is bitterly familiar to many Iraqis.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081215/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_shoe_tosser Bush shoe attacker's actions outcome of occupation BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: An Iraqi parliamentarian on Tuesday said the actions of journalist Muntadher al-Zaydi, who threw shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush at a press conference in the capital Baghdad, were the result of occupation. "What Muntadher al-Zaydi, a correspondent for al-Boghdadiya satellite channel, has done was the outcome of five years of [...]
http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=104752 Bush shoe incident catches Secret Service flatfooted WASHINGTON — Although the Secret Service put everyone who attended President George W. Bush's Baghdad news conference through several layers of security Sunday, the agency appeared to be caught off guard when an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the president.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/story/57882.html Iraqis Hail Journalist Who Threw Shoes at Bush as a Hero BAGHDAD, Dec. 15 -- Iraqis demonstrated in the streets Monday demanding the release of the journalist who hurled two shoes at President Bush during a press conference on Sunday, as Arabs across the Middle East hailed Bush's assailant as a hero who reflected their anger at American policies. Iraqi authorities have placed Muntadar al-Zaidi under arrest for "his aggressive actions against an official and a visitor of the Iraqi government," said Yaseen Majeed, a top media adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. In a statement, Majeed blasted Zaidi as "a disgrace to journalism" and said he would be handed over to the Iraqi justice system for "punishment."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/15/AR2008121500161_pf.html
Jacob Heilbrunn: Bush's Solecisms in Iraq Not since Soviet premier Nikita Khruschev took off his shoe and pounded it at the United Nations has anyone had the effect that an Iraqi journalist did when he hurled both his shoes, one after the other, at President Bush during his new conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki. While Bush talked about the great progress America is making in Iraq, his assailant was having none of it. Nor should anyone else. The flying shoes shouldn't distract attention from Bush's continued delusions about the conflict in Iraq and elsewhere.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacob-heilbrunn/bushs-solecisms-in-iraq_b_150925.html
Jamal Dajani: Bush: Not a Shoe-in in Iraq I don't like to say "I told you so", President Bush, but three weeks ago I blogged about how thousands of Iraqis gathered in Ferdous Square, where Saddam Hussein's statue one stood and pelted your effigy with thousands of shoes, then set it afire. This is what I wrote then: "The president must have missed the sight of tens of thousands of Iraqis who on Friday gathered in Firdous Square where Saddam Hussein's statue once stood and chanted, "No, no, no to the occupiers!" He must have missed them dragging and pummeling his effigy with their shoes--a gesture of contempt in the Arab world--then jumping hysterically on it as they stamped out flames that had erupted after someone set it afire. "
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamal-dajani/bush-not-a-shoe-in-in-ira_b_150942.html
Angry Arabs The journalist who threw his shoes at Bush is Muntadhir al-Zeidi and he works for Baghdadiya TV. Translational Broadcasting Studies describes this is as a "moderate Sunni channel", and a glance at their current front page will show you that there isn't anything particularly sectarian about them. For instance today their story on the reponse to Odierno's latest statement (US forces to remain in Iraqi cities past June 2009) features a Sadrist spokesman.
http://arablinks.blogspot.com/2008/12/angry-arabs.html
A New Arab Hero Emerges The highlight of my day, by far, and maybe even year. President George Bush's surprise trip to Iraq had one eventful happening, the perfect act of Arab dissent against the Bush administration. During his press conference with Al-Maliki, an Iraqi journalist--Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for Al-Baghdadiya television--got up, yelled "this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog," and threw his shoe at Bush. I sound like I am making this up, but I'm not. It's on video. And its truly lovely.
http://www.kabobfest.com/2008/12/new-arab-hero-emerges.html
Bush shoe protest journalist al-Zeidi interrogated An Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes, and insults, at George Bush during the US president's surprise visit to Iraq is being questioned over whether anybody paid him for the protest as footage of the incident plays continually on the internet and rolling news channels. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Iraq to demand the release of Muntadar al-Zeidi, who is being held at the headquarters of the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/15/iraq-georgebush
Video: Iraqi Throws Shoes At Bush Press Conference (VIDEO) Bush had just finished his prepared remarks in which he said the security agreement was made possible by the U.S. surge of troops earlier this year, when the journalist, Muthathar al Zaidi pulled his shoes off and hurled them at the president. "This is a goodbye kiss, you dog, this is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq!" " Zaidi shouted.
photos of the shoe heard round the world, which the company has recently renamed the "Bye Bye Bush." And in less than a week, the shoe will attain still greater international renown when al-Zaidi's traditional Iraqi gesture of contempt serves as inspiration for a Washington peace demonstration known as "Shoes for Bush." 
correspondent, who has just completed "Beltway Unbuckled," a two-hour special exploring the cross of sex and American politics (scheduled to air March 15 on the History Channel), is considering doing a video himself on the famed Istanbul shoemaker.
