President US (America) : George Bush Dodges Shoes Thrown by Iraqi Journalist

Wow..........George Bush Dodges Shoes Thrown by Iraqi Journalist


The world was shocked - while the Muslim world rejoices - to see an Iraqi journalist Muntather Zaidi threw a pair of shoes at President George W. Bush during a press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Nour Maliki. Although the man did not hit his target, the act alone hit the heart of the freedom-living citizens of the world.

To the Arab world, throwing of shoe on another person signifies the lowest form of contempt against the individual. This avowed declaration of personal sentiment against another person was best caught by television footage during the invasion of Iraq. Hundreds of Iraqis hit the fallen monument of Saddam Hussein with their shoes after the American forces had captured Baghdad in 2003.

It is incongruous for Zaidi to show his utter disdain to a president who had liberated 28 million Iraqis from a despotic leader that murdered millions of his people. One wonders what would happen to Zaidi had he thrown his shoes at Hussein during his college days. For sure, Zaidi along with his family, relatives and community will be terminated with extreme prejudice.

The throwing of shoes at President Bush is symbolic in nature. The left shoe thrown really meant declaration of hateful sentiment to the members of the United States armed forces who are serving in Iraq and to those who died to free it from tyranny. Similarly, the right shoe thrown at President Bush pronounced scornful attitude to his fellowmen who now embrace freedom and enjoy the benefits of a democratic society.

The sentiment espouses by Zaidi mirrors those of the hundred millions of Muslims in the Middle East who would rather submit to a strong-fisted ruler than accept a western-style democracy. This is a case of pathological hatred of everything that comes from the west. From the slums of Sadr City to the fortified streets of Gaza, Zaidi became a household name and regarded by Muslims as a hero.

The left-leaning Los Angeles Times even equate Zaidi with Joe the Plumber - the rallying name of the Republican Party during the 2008 US presidential election. The Times also reported that Zaidi has his room decorated with a picture of Che Guevarra, the communist revolutionary who fought with Cuban leader Fidel Castro in the 1950s. It is no wonder why the leftist media heralded the action of Zaidi as victory against the "imperialist United States." Just ask Tina Susman of the Times.

Zaidi, a correspondent with the Cairo-based TV channel Baghdadiya, is now in the custody of Iraqi security unit and is waiting for his appearance in the criminal court. Is not it ironical for a man who loathes the democratic system now enjoys the egalitarian process that he opposes of? He will have his day in court and his counsel will defend his action and seek absolution for his deed. Ah, what a democracy.

The fact that Zaidi was able to express his animosity and attempt to inflict harm towards the most powerful leader in the world and still given the chance to defend himself in the court of law speaks volume of the positive changes that permeate the Iraqi society nowadays.

The left-leaning mainstream media reported the shoe-throwing incident to mock President Bush. It highlighted the antagonism of the individual to a foreign leader rather than significance of the event that night. Bush had a press conference with Maliki on December 14 in Baghdad to accept symbolically the US-Iraq security agreement that provides for the US troops withdrawal in Iraq on 2012. The agreement was approved by the Iraqi parliament and will be finalized by the Iraqis in a referendum next summer.

20 years from now, history would judge if the bold action of President Bush to infuse democracy in the Middle East had brought positive results or not. However, the way it goes right now, Iraq has never been freer since the time of its existence thousands years ago. One thing is sure also, President Bush's legacy will always be remembered along with the flying freedom-shoes.


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