An Iraqi journalist threw a pair of shoes at US President George W. Bush at a media conference he was about to address with Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad yesterday. The Associated Press reports that “the president was not hurt in the incident”.
“This is a farewell kiss, you dog,” the reporter, later identified as television correspondent Muntadar al-Zeidi, yelled in Arabic. “This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.”
“So what if the guy threw a shoe at me?” Bush said, comparing the action to political protests in the United States. “It’s a size 10.”
Video: courtesy The Associated Press
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Should journalists take sides and express their feelings so openly? Which Indian politician would receive the most pairs of shoes if such incidents were to take place in India?
15 December 2008 at 5:38 pm
The action is completely democratic and complies with the “democracy & freedom of speech” rhetoric of the united states.
So, is he already in g bay already?
15 December 2008 at 6:19 pm
Bush dodged the shoe. Obama, with his basketball skills would have caught it and throw it back.
No Indian politician would have dodged a shoe.
No Indian journalist would have thrown a shoe. Most likely, the shoes, the dress, the trip, and the liquor would have been paid by the politician
15 December 2008 at 6:49 pm
If at all that happens in India, It will be a protest against them for not gifting a good pair of shoes, and politicians will be happy for getting their investments back!!
15 December 2008 at 6:56 pm
Firstly – our ‘esteemed brethren/sista’ in the media wear – “Slippers/Chappals”.
Secondly – why would we waste a fine & self effacing product like foot wear on Indian Politicians.
Thirdly – For asking such ridiculous & idiotic question, you “may” be the Proud Recipient of “My Second Hand Kaalmari – with decades of experience of squelching Trash Media”
15 December 2008 at 8:10 pm
Yeah, but George Bush is no mug!
15 December 2008 at 8:28 pm
Indian journalists neither have the courage nor the throwing arm to hurl shoes, nor should they do so. But, in the spirit of “Enough of Enough”, judging from what one sees on TV, these targets seem especially worthy of a few pairs for what they have done and what they stand for.
1) Narendra Modi + L.K. Advani
2) Rajiv Pratap Rudy
3) Jagdish Tytler + D.K. Shiva Kumar
4) Bal Thackeray + Raj Thackeray
5) H.D. Deve Gowda + Kumaraswamy + Revanna
6) Mu. Karunanidhi + Mu Ka Azhagiri + Mu Ka Stalin
7) Mulayam Singh + Amar Singh
8) Mayawati
15 December 2008 at 8:32 pm
It is a known fact that OBJECTIVITY in journalism is a myth. The Iraqi scribe’s action cannot be viewed as violation of “Code of Ethics of Journalism.” After all every journalist has is a citizen of a nation and obviously lives the feelings and aspirations of HIS/HER motherland.
Can the journalists be universal citizens? Can they be called as “NON STATE” people?
15 December 2008 at 9:37 pm
No matter what, I respect Bush for the humor he displayed after the incident. In fact, immediately after the shoes were hurled he said something like “Don’t worry about it”.
Now THIS is something I cannot visualize any of our politicians doing.
Clash:
Yeah, right. It is certainly ‘democratic’. When I set eyes on you I’ll certainly throw both my shoes on your head, as hard as I can. Coz’ I don’t really agree with some of your views you see. And no, he is not in G-bay. He has been arrested by the Iraqi Government forces. I pity him. He would have been much better off in G-bay, seriously. Not kidding.
15 December 2008 at 10:01 pm
The truth is that each Nation deserves the rulers they get. Deserves the systems they evolve.
These need to be meddled with from the outside, only when their delinquency becomes a threat to their neighborhood or to the larger comity of civilized nations.
Meddling need not mean only invasions per se. They can mean creating conditions whereby the troublesome country is deprived of the capacity to cause trouble. Completely and decisively.
My opinion – Bush tried to do a “Mother Teresa” in Iraq. At least that was his stated goal. His program lacked imagination and it lacked the right kind of conservative support..unpolluted by liberal garbage.
The truth also is that if the Islamic world is not sufficiently controlled, everybody will pay…dearly.
15 December 2008 at 10:22 pm
It is unbecoming on the part of a journalist to do so, to whichever party/country/newspaper he belongs. One may have many reasons. He could have asked probing questions, saracastic questions. It is also very indecent to ask which Indian politician receives most shoes/slippers. A cultured country should not think in these lines. We have seen many protestors throwing rotten eggs, tomatoes etc. Let us not stoop to those levels.
15 December 2008 at 11:42 pm
For a change, I think the situation in India is such, its journos who should be receiving Shoe-missiles from Public.
The list should include practically whos who of Indian media and Ag-Mark Secular Journalists.
16 December 2008 at 12:11 am
How, now, folks. Let’s spare thoughts for the lucky rotten eggs and tomatoes that were introduced to Chiranjeevi, recently. Unlike Bush, Chiru was man enough to take the insults in full public view, not behind a private audience like Bush.
16 December 2008 at 12:15 am
…and chiru didn’t even duck!
16 December 2008 at 3:07 am
Iraqi jornalist? That must be a joke! These cowards were lying low in Saddam Hussain ‘s time. I always thought that the Iraqis are ungrateful nation. The so called journalistif he had done this for Saddam would have his head cut off on the spot.
16 December 2008 at 5:17 am
Damn. How did he miss Bush?
16 December 2008 at 6:23 am
I remember an identical honor bestowed on the late Azeez Sait by an irate protester in Nazarbad (Mysore).
(I don’t think Sait was as deft as Bush!)
My two paisa:
1. Utterly unprofessional conduct by reporter Muntadar al-Zeidi; he basically asked to be fired.
2. Indian politicians who deserve a similar “jooton ka abhishek” would include Karnataka’s Deve “Bhrashta” Gowda and his two uncouth sons, followed closely by that high priest of corruption R.V. Deshpande. From Maharashtra I would include Vilasrao “Nero” Deshmukh.
16 December 2008 at 6:40 am
AS>>1) Narendra Modi + L.K. Advani
2) Rajiv Pratap Rudy
3) Jagdish Tytler + D.K. Shiva Kumar
4) Bal Thackeray + Raj Thackeray
5) H.D. Deve Gowda + Kumaraswamy + Revanna
6) Mu. Karunanidhi + Mu Ka Azhagiri + Mu Ka Stalin
7) Mulayam Singh + Amar Singh
8) Mayawati
These shoes were thrown towards NOT only Bush, but those who praised Bush saying “INDIA LOVES GEORGE BUSH”.
The persons in India who should brace these shoes are:
Manmohan Singh
Sonia Gandhi.
16 December 2008 at 6:43 am
Iraqi Journalist, well done!!
Bush deserves not just two shoes but a garland of it!
16 December 2008 at 7:45 am
I want to start a footwear store specialising in throwable shoes at every Indian politician. I know of no street in Bengaluru that does not sport a discarded chappal or a shoe. That is my source.
Maybe many journalists too are worthy recipients of this gift.
16 December 2008 at 8:35 am
That guy(journalist) is a true desha premi. He knew he wold count bars in jail for his action.but he did not fear it. No matter how others view his actions,he deserves a great respect to stand up for his ruined country which lost lakhs of people in that war caused by bush.
16 December 2008 at 9:23 am
Indian politicians would not have dodged the shoe, as they are too fat and flabby to show such agility. Probably, the Balck Cats would have shot dead the bowler of the shoes!
On a more serious note, the tournalists are supposed to be dispassionate about the matters they report, quite like Chitragupta, the reporter to Yama. They are not supposed to add opinions to their reports, unless they are writing an editorial or feature. There was no need for this journalist to get passionate about the subject matter of his work.
Be that as it may, what has the worthy journalist got to say about widows and children of Saddam’s victims? All the leftists and liberals were singularly silent about it when they protested for Saddam’s cause. Perhaps, because, they are hiding a bigger monster of the past in their closet, Joseph Stalin, responsible for the death of about 80 million, another 20 M more than Adolph Hitler.
16 December 2008 at 11:31 am
B.N.Gururaj – Bush and the rest should have left the miserable Muslim rogues to the very small mercies of Saddam. The best to do as far as the Liberals and their commie dosts is to ship them to various Saddam lands. I am serious.
16 December 2008 at 11:38 am
That guy(journalist) is a true desha premi. He knew he wold count bars in jail for his action.but he did not fear it. No matter how others view his actions,he deserves a great respect to stand up for his ruined country which lost lakhs of people in that war caused by bush.
I fully agree with Raajakeeya!!
Muntadar al-Zeidi is the hero of the century. George little Bush deserved it. Only grudge is that he missed the kiss.
The “shoe” is also a slap on our own Sardarji who famously gushed “Indians love Bush”
16 December 2008 at 12:15 pm
TAL Saabre, legend has it that Sardarji was inspired by Yudishtra’s fine print when announcing the death of Ashawathaama.( “YES, ASHAWATHAAMA the elephant IS DEAD!” ) and thus told Bush that INDIA LOVES to hate GEORGE BUSH”
I for one, would like to know which ‘Kivida’ heard these golden words and reported it to the hungrily waiting media who in turn published it all over the world!
16 December 2008 at 12:18 pm
That journalit is also a desh bhakta!. How many of our (psudo-secular) journalists can even think of protesting , whatever be the way!
The persons in India who should brace these shoes are are all the pseudo-secs.
16 December 2008 at 12:44 pm
Azeez…rest assured it was only Bush. Imagine what would have happened to the “brave” journo if the recepient of that shoe was Saddam or any other Muslim “leader”. No cheers there huh?
16 December 2008 at 2:14 pm
Palahalli
If india were to be occupied by USA and if any journalist had hit gerge bush then doesn’t our people would have called that journalist as a hero.
Brushing aside hate for muslims i think considering what bush has done to iraq,journalist did best thing to protest.
Atleast he did not try to blew a bomb and kill innocents.I respect him for his protest.Its not easy for a well settled journalist to do such thing which would have given no materialstic benefits.
16 December 2008 at 2:42 pm
I am sure that journalist will face punishment.. for giving Bush time to duck, and hence miss the kiss!!!
BTW, anyone here, did you hear another news doing rounds that Bush had come barefoot to that conference?!?! Who was wearing his shoes in that case? And did they come flying back to him? ;)
16 December 2008 at 2:43 pm
and now.. the shoe became mightier than the pen.. forget the sword :))
16 December 2008 at 2:55 pm
We should throw new Ekkadaas rather than “kitthogiro ekkadaas” on our politicians so there is a permanent sole mark on their faces.
16 December 2008 at 2:56 pm
From next press meet onwards reporters will be asked to remove their shoes before entering?
16 December 2008 at 3:07 pm
First three on my list for the shoe treatment:
1. Sonia Gandhi – For subverting the post of PM and for being an extra constitional High Command.
2. Manmohan – puppet of a semi literate phoren lady despite being so well qualified.
3. Padmashree Burkha Dutt and Padmashree Rajdeep Sardesia – For being congressi psychophants, lack of objectivity and demeaning the profession of Journalism.
16 December 2008 at 3:43 pm
Dr. Reddy,
Our politicians are so greedy that they take home the garland of shoes as a complimentary gift.
16 December 2008 at 5:40 pm
Raajakeeya – My question was, would “this” “brave” journo have thrown his shoe at Saddam or any other Muslim leader? Indeed, did “he” in fact throw anything at Saddam or any other Muslim leader?
16 December 2008 at 6:19 pm
Click on this link! You can also do it!
http://www.kroma.no/2008/bushgame/
16 December 2008 at 6:23 pm
@Hande,
You are right! It happenned when the Israeli leader Ariel Sharon addressed a press meet in New Delhi, a few years back.
16 December 2008 at 6:38 pm
There is a Paki politician,Musahid Hussain,who is in India these days.I think he should be given this treatment.But then our ‘secular,liberal’ journalists are ever so worried about the ‘people to people’ contact and those candles…Mullah Luthfullah wont demand the same for Paki politicians..
16 December 2008 at 8:03 pm
The way some people are equating Bush and USA to Saddam and other dictatorial regimes, amazes me. Saddam has killed more people in his reign than the USA has in all its wars combined.
If there was even a small suspicion in Saddam’s mind that someone was involved in ‘treachery’ or ‘treason’, he would get that person tortured to death, and his entire family shot dead, so that not even a seed of potential discontent/vengeance be allowed to live on. His extreme paranoia ensured that there was a steady supply of victims for the torture chambers and firing squads.
I have been reading in TOI that people are protesting angrily that the US Marines use loud English music to disorient prisoners who are uncooperative and who need to be interrogated. The protesters would do well to remember that Saddam would have got the AMAM (Iraqi secret service) to dismember the person part by part, and … ….. ………..
All the above facts about Saddam’s regime are known, proved and acknowledged. For years and years under that brutal regime, this journalist was too scared to even scream too loudly, and now since it’s Bush and the USA, he is throwing slippers and shoes. Think for a moment, what would have happened if he had thrown shoes on Saddam.
16 December 2008 at 11:52 pm
paapa namma bussappa,, ussappa !!
17 December 2008 at 8:37 am
@ Pulikeshi the last
wonderful idea! start a shop right away and keep only beautiful shoes with soft and sturdy soles before the next elections .
May your business prosper!!
I think our politicians instead running away or ducking, probably will pick up the shoes to take home.
@3Kha
very true, they will take home shamelessely
By the way, our journalists are also equally shameless people, specially political correspondents and they pick up left over food stuff and take it home!!
17 December 2008 at 10:30 am
There is a clear lesson here for the west – some people do not deserve democracy, a decent government and a decent life. Let them live and die the way they want. That is if US genuinely intended to do it.
17 December 2008 at 2:42 pm
@Vinay,
Superb! I agree.
17 December 2008 at 3:49 pm
I would say that this is the biggest event of the century.
The Iraqi scribe is the hero of the century.
It is the toughest slap on the face of all the Americans who think, act and fool like George W Bush. And there is a lesson here, to Obama too!
Lastly, look here the contrast between the two persons involved here.
The man perceived to be the most powerful man in the earth proves to be the most coward. He doesn’t take it head on. He didn’t have the courage to take it in his stride. He ducks like a coward to save himself. Look at his eyes. There is shock and awe!!!
In contrast, look at the other man. He is the REAL MAN. He had manhood with him intact. He is the hero. He is the brave man. He knew the consequences of the action. He plunged in it with everything he had. He used a pair of worn out shoes to make the powerful man on earth duck and jump.
All praise to God.
17 December 2008 at 6:33 pm
@Vinay, Excellent post.
17 December 2008 at 6:36 pm
@T Azeez Luthfullah
I think Saddam Hussain is the hero of century. At least he kept journalist like this at the bottom of his shoe.. Agree ;-))
17 December 2008 at 7:09 pm
mullah Luthfullah thinks Bush is a coward to duck …I guess mullah would have gladly accepted if the shoe was thrown at him..!!!
17 December 2008 at 9:00 pm
Bhup agree with you, why shoes, een if anything like s..t was thrown at him he would have taken a catch of it and enjoyed showing it to the people present there and would have described it vividly.
18 December 2008 at 1:20 am
luthfullah,
i see you are passionate about the invasion of iraq. i am too.
i myself think that Bush had a great historical opportunity and he squandered it. he could have put the houri headed arabs in their place. and yet he squandered the opportunity. only solace is that he succeeded in letting the tribal arab yahoos know that their hatred would not go unrequited, and their duplicity will be called for what it is.
can you tell me why you are passionate about iraq? why does it concern you so much? what is the impulse that drives you to take a position on the issue of iraq.
I dont hate Bush as much as I am disappointed in him. So why do you hate him?
thanks,
tarlesubba.
18 December 2008 at 1:39 am
actually, the above is addressed to clash and glodstar too.
why exactly are you guys against bush?
18 December 2008 at 3:31 pm
i love bush, he is a simple guy, what ever he has done is in self defence,
He has taken care to see that 11/9 doesnot occur again in US atleast.
Now that he is retiring, wish we would insource him as our PM
18 December 2008 at 11:49 pm
No Indian journalist will throw a pair of shoes at the any Indian politician. Because Journalists are more currept than the politicians. They are eating the shit of the politicians and living on it only. I have seen journalists who are aquring acres of lands, 2, 3 houses, Flats, becoming overnight lakhpatis. Last elections in Karnataka, at least 100 journalists have become lakhpathis.
Then, how can you expect any journalist will throw the pair of shoes at politicians?
24 December 2008 at 6:03 pm
I am sure if the same shoe is produced for action, the betting will be in billions!
25 December 2008 at 12:57 am
well, i clarify,
INSULTING ANY MEDIA CENTERED MAN IN FRONT OF EVERYONE IS A BAD THING,
BUSH HASN’T DONE ANYTHING WRONG ? WHY DO PEOPLE THINK HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT 400 MILLION AMERICANS LIVING ANYWHERE DO, ITS IRONY, HE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE, HE IS JJUST A PUBLIC FACE BUT BEHIND TAKING ACTIONS ARE 100S OF BRAINS , AND THAT IS THE STRATEGY OF AMERICA – TO BE THE KING OF WORLD ? NO , ITS EVERY HUMAN BEINGS DESIRE TO BE ON TOP OF FOOD CHAIN, AND YEAH NOT JUST AMERICA .
THIS KIND OF INCIDENTS MAKE ME HAPPY THAT THEIR ARE FOOLS AROUND THE WORLD THAT I CAN EASILY OVERTAKE. THEY WONT UNDERSTAND EVEN THE SIMPLEST OF THE THINGS,