Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010
Muntazer al-Zaidi Throws His Shoes at the President
Sure, a lot of people were dissatisfied with President George W. Bush. One man took action — with his footwear. In December 2008, at a press conference in Baghdad, Muntazer al-Zaidi, an Iraqi journalist, threw both of his size-10 shoes at the American President. The Commander in Chief displayed impressive reflexes, while Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki extended a hand to try to block the second shoe. Though he missed his target, al-Zaidi made his point. And while it amused many in the West, shoe-throwing is particularly insulting in Iraqi culture. As a result, al-Zaidi spent nine months in prison for the attack.