Friday, January 30, 2009
A sculpture of an enormous shoe has been erected in Iraq to honor the journalist who threw his shoes at ex-U.S. President George W. Bush. As he prepared to throw his shoes, Muntadar al-Zeidi, a TV journalist, shouted: “This is from the widows, the orphans, and those who were killed in Iraq.” He also told Bush, who launched the invasion of Iraq in 2003, “This is a farewell kiss, you dog.” Bush managed to dodge the shoes, but Zeidi was arrested and awaits trial. Throwing a shoe is a sign of extreme contempt in the Arab world. His action has brought Zeidi much praise, and inspired rallies across the Middle East and beyond.
About 400 people gathered on Thursday to see the monument unveiled in Tikrit, hometown of late Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein. The shoe sculpture, made of fiberglass and copper, with a poem praising Zeidi at its base, stands in the gardens of an Iraqi foundation that cares for orphans whose parents died in the violence following the US-led invasion. Artist Laith al-Amari insisted that the sculpture was not a political work, but a “source of pride for all Iraqis.” The shoe, which is about the size of a sofa, has a bush growing out of its opening.
Bush Shoe Attack Spawns Artwork (BBC News)
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