On December 14, 2008, while attending a news conference in Baghdad, Muntazer al-Zaidi (Iraqi television journalist Muntadar) took off both of his shoes and launched them at US President George W. Bush. In Muslim eyes the throwing of a shoe is considered a deadly insult. Al-Zaidi was sentenced to three years in prison for his acts, but viewed as a hero throughout the Middle East.
This triggered a shoe throwing epidemic all over the world…including most recently Iran. The Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had a shoe hurled at him March 9, 2009 as he drove through the city of Urumiye in an open topped vehicle. The story never made media headlines; presumably because the individual who threw the shoe was never caught. The story did find its way out on the Iranian blogosphere. The blogs also reported a hat was thrown at the president also before the vehicle was able to pull off.
Many “pro-Ahmadinejad” bloggers reported that it was all just a “rumor spread by monarchists and anti-revolutionaries”, common terms for members of Iranian opposition.
It is funny this should happen in Iran, for after Zaidi threw his shoes at Bush in Baghdad, the Iranian officials held a public shoe throwing competition where people had the chance to throw apparel at posters and caricatures of George W. Bush.
Craig Walker(Iran)
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