From Journalist to Hero

Muntazer al-Zaidi aka The Shoe-Thrower, considered one of the living hero of Iraq threw his shoes on the ex-president of USA, G W Bush during a press conference on his farewell visit to Iraq.

Below I have compiled the pictorial story of the Shoe-Thrower of his nine months prison.

The Iraqi TV reporter who threw his shoes at President Bush was released from jail yesterday. Muntazer al-Zaidi embraces his sister upon arrival at the Al-Baghdadya television station

Muntazer al-Zaidi was released after serving nine months of a one-year sentence for assaulting a foreign head of state after throwing his size 10 shoes at Mr Bush during the outgoing President’s final Baghdad press conference on December 14,2008.

He threw both of his shoes at President Bush, one after another. The then President ducked at both throws, and neither he nor Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was hit.As he threw the shoes the reporter shouted: “It is the farewell kiss, you dog.”

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki tried to block the shoes from hitting President Bush

Mr al-Zaidi, was unrepentant as he gave a press conference at the headquarters of his  employer, the al-Baghdadia television station. “I believe what I did was right,” he said. “This was against the war criminal George Bush. He destroyed my country and destroyed my nation and after six years he came to Baghdad, claiming victory and wanting to say goodby to his victims. This is my flower to the occupation.”

The reporter, now 30, was initially sentenced to three years but had his jail term reduced to one year on appeal, Children from the neighbourhood play with shoes owned by Mr al-Zeidi outside his apartment

His sentence was cut further on account of his good behaviour. He is ushered into the television station

Mr al-Zaidi had been due to be released 15th but his homecoming was delayed by legal red tape. Family members were upset that the release was delayed

However, within 24 hours relatives were celebrating back at his house following the news of his release

The throwing of shoes is considered a grave insult in the Arab world.
A protest against the US President’s visit, showing support for Mr al-Zaidi,
in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad, in December 2008

The use of shoes to protest has even been adopted by demonstrators in the West following the well publicised incident. Hundreds of shoes lie in the street in Whitehall as a protester attempts to throw a shoe into Downing Street in London, in January 2009

In Tikrit a sculpture of a shoe that serves as a monument to the shoes that were thrown at President Bush. The shoe-hurling spawned a flood of web quips, political satire and street rallies across the Arab world