The journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush has been taken into custody.
He is being held by the occupation forces in Baghdad.
He should have been freed without harm.
You can hear al-Zaidi scream as he is taken into custody! (see U-tube video below)
This is a call for anti-war activists, unionists, and journalists to defend al-Zaidi! To demand his immediate release.
He should not be punished for what he has done, he deserves a medal!
It is easy to duck flying shoes…
What did the Baghdad journo, Monthather al-Zaidi, say as he threw his shoes at George Bush?
We know that when the US military used the surge to stop the resistance, this did not work.
However the occupation forces then used targeted killings to suppress the resistance [SeeIraqi people hit by targeted killing].
There are several reports. Iraqi Beacon says that it was “Take this kiss goodbye from Iraqis” and then Iraqi satellite channel correspondent threw his shoes at George Bush and yelled “out dog!” or if he were a like minded Australian journo it might have been “Give the bastard the boot!”
BAGHDAD: An official source of the Iraqi prime minister said that he called Bush a “dog” during the recent signing of the Convention security pact between the US and the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
The source explained in an interview with “Uzmatik” Sunday night, “the CBS correspondent channel space Zaidi expected to question President Bush, and when Bush turned to him, he shouted as he threw his shoes “you dog, this kiss goodbye from the Iraqis.”
The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, that “the security elements in the ceremony hall detained al-Zaidi, and took him to an unknown destination,” indicating that “by al-Zaidi said after the conclusion of the agreement between Maliki and Bush.” Source say that Montather al-Zaidi is a member of the Communist Party of Iraq.
Told several journalists witnessed, “Uzmatik” that “my correspondent flew over one of Bush’s, while the second shoe over the side without him.”
Iraqi Beacon reports (I hope this translation is correct) :
One witness said that “President Bush smiled cynically at what has happened, and asked the audience to calm and follow-up conference, past tensions with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who tried to repel the second shoe so as not to affect Bush.”
The satellite channel CBS was founded in September 2005, which is owned by Iraqi businessman Hussein Alkhclok Aoun, an independent channel of city and broadcast media in Cairo, administered by a number of personalities, including Arshad Yassin, a former Iraqi ambassador, lawyer and thinker Abdel-Hussein Shaaban , it has a network of correspondents in Iraq.
It is easy to duck flying shoes…but what if they were missiles?
Ian Curr
15 December 2008
With thanks to Iraqi Beacon
Why I threw the shoe by Munthater Al-Zaidi
I am no hero. I just acted as an Iraqi who witnessed the pain and bloodshed of too many innocents
I am no hero. I just acted as an Iraqi who witnessed the pain and bloodshed of too many innocents
I am free. But my country is still a prisoner of war. 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 act is the injustice that befell my people, and how the occupation wanted to humiliate my homeland by putting it under its boot.
Read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/17/why-i-threw-shoe-bush
http://www.hpg-online.com/eng/ (this website belong to PKK)
http://istqlal-cnt.com/?lan=en (Iraqi website)
http://ala7waz.org/English%20Site.htm (Another Ahwazi web)
http://www.mojahedin.org/pagesEn/index.aspx (People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran)
http://solidarityiraq.blogspot.com/ (Iraqi women website)
http://www.ncr-iran.org/ (National Council of Iran)
http://www.pukmedia.com/english/ (belong to Jalal Talabani’s Party)
http://english.farsnews.net/ (FARS News Agency – Iran)
http://iraqicco.net/ (Iraqi Consultant Council)
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/en/ (Palestinian Information Center)
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/
[Thanks to Iraqi Beacon for this information]
Obviously the majority of people on this planet want the Iraqi people to formulate a government free of torture, violations of international treaties, abuse of power, spying on its citizens and occupying countries.
What part of that experiment does the U.S. government not understand?
When I get on a train I can see people upset about a person with their feet up on the seat.
A friend says that women in a village in Lebanon would go and beat the Israeli soldiers with their shoes until they withdrew.
After the Syrian invasion of Lebanon (1978) the women tried to beat Syrian soldiers with their shoes only to be shot at and after taking refuge in a house were eventually let free but the house was blown up by one of the Syrian tanks.
No doubt there is more to it than this brief account suggests but it does give some idea of the insult of the sole of a foot in the Arab culture.
George Bush says he was not insulted by the shoes being thrown … he does not get it … but many opposed to his policies in the Middle east support al Zaidi for the shoe throwing that crosses cultures in a strange way. The sad thing is it will take more than shoes…
Contrast this with the story of the ex-pows in the UK who turned their back on the Emperor of Japan without knowing that to do so was the greatest honour, since you are not supposed to look at him.
Perhaps tragedy will be averted as a result of the shoe throwing, the Americans may make a calculation that al-Zaidi’s death is counter-productive and free him.
They may put him in hospital to recover from the beating he has already received … I hope so.
Ian Curr
17 Dec 2008
Muntadher Al-Zaidi was heavily beaten right after he made a protest in full view of the world media who should all exert themselves to seek his human rights and demand his safety from torture and imprisonment for saying and enacting what the whole world has been feeling.
Al-Zaidi spoke and acted against war criminals on behalf of the widows and the orphans and all those who were killed in Iraq.
You can view the petition at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/tell-a-friend/2563412
George Bush is a religious man
He believes in a soul
That will give him life for eternity
His christian country occupies Iraqi Land
Like Romans, the US soldiers stormed Baghdad
Bombing and killing
And targeting resistance leaders
For torture and death
When the surge did not work
Stealing oil for rich men’s sake
Only a gesture in return
Montather’s launches his shoe
A solitary missile
But a gesture nonetheless
Al-Zaidi’s sole will give
The only eternity Bush will ever know
Humiliation and disgrace
For what he has done to Iraqis
And the human race!
Hi,
I signed the petition “Free Montather (Muntadher)“.
I’m asking you to sign this petition to help us reach our goal of 1,000,000 signatures.
Mr. Al-Zaidi was heavily beaten right after the incident in close proximity to the world media.
It is the duty of all reporters to seek his human rights and demand his safety from torture and imprisonment for saying and enacting what the whole world has been feeling.
You can view this petition at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/tell-a-friend/2563412
Ray Bergmann
15 December 2008
Free al-Zaidi. Detain Bush. He deserves far more than a couple of shoes aimed at him for the millions of innocent women, men and children that have died or suffered extremely at the hands of his decisions.