Shoe-throwing journalist becomes a national hero
A SCULPTURE of the shoe hurled at former US President George W Bush on his last visit to Baghdad by journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi was erected in Iraq in January.
The bronze-coloured fibreglass shoe was displayed in the grounds of an orphanage in Tikrit, hometown of former dictator Saddam Hussein.
As he threw the shoe, Muntadar al-Zaidi had shouted: “This is from the widows, the orphans, and those who were killed in Iraq ... This is a farewell kiss, you dog”.
He became a national hero. The artist, Laith al-Amari, said the sculpture should be a “source of pride for all Iraqis”. But it was removed from the site after a day on the orders of the local authorities and destroyed.
The deputy governor of Salaheddin province, Abdullah Jabara, said: “We will not allow anyone to use the government facilities and buildings for political motives.”
Muntadar al-Zaidi was arrested at the press conference on December 6 and has reportedly been beaten in custody, suffering a broken arm and ribs. He has been charged with aggression against a foreign head of state, which can led to 15 years in jail, and was due to stand trial as the Journalist went to press.