Bush Shoe Thrower Monument In Iraq Quickly Taken Down

A shoe monument was put up yesterday in Tikrit, Iraq, to honor the journalist who threw his own shoes at former President Bush last month.

Reuters reported earlier today:

The two-meter (six-foot) high statue, unveiled on Thursday in former dictator Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit, depicts a bronze-colored shoe, filled with a plastic shrub. "Muntazer: fasting until the sword breaks its fast with blood; silent until our mouths speak the truth," reads an inscription, in honor of journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, who hurled his shoes at Bush and called him a "dog" at a news conference during the former president's final visit to Iraq.

Zaidi has been held in jail in Baghdad since the incident, facing charges of assaulting a visiting head of state.

However, shortly after it was unveiled, the central government requested its removal. CNN explains:

After the request was made, Iraqi police visited the location to make sure that the shoe monument was removed.

"We will not allow anyone to use the government facilities and buildings for political motives," said Abdullah Jabara, Salaheddin deputy governor.

The Earth Times discusses the significance of the structure's removal:

Al-Zaidi, who is in custody awaiting trial, is regarded by many Iraqis as a hero and demonstrators last month took to the streets across the Arab world calling for his release.

Although some people said that the shoe was removed because of the charges pending against al-Zaidi, others question the importance of erecting such a monument inside a children's facility.

Comments

[hortonhearsawho2]

Be kinda ironic if they painted a shoe on their doors...

[thaneb]

Is this a Passover reference?

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

WHY??!?!!?

I'd like to give a bid for that statue please! If that's not possible, please send the statue here to the US.

Americans will appreciate the ART and I'm sure we'll find an appropriate spot for it somewhere if not a museum.

[grf67]

No sense of humor over there. Folks, 75% of the US also thinks he was a jerk.

[Rog49Thomas]

As per Friday's Al Watan (Qatar), the alZaidi monument was in an orphanage in Saddam's home town. The article said many of the kids in the orphanage had lost their families in the Iraq War. Responsibility for that was put at the feet of former President Pan.

The article went on to say that several politicians - including some clearly Shi'ah - were using al Zaidi as a way of attacking the current Iraqi regime for the elections as not being pro-Iraqi enough.

There was also a hint of pro Saddam feeling as several of the orphans were described as having left notes in Saddam's tomb stating "O Father revenge me on Bush".

[LillianB]

"Freedom of speech", anyone?

[Rog49Thomas]

You should be proud as an American that our government is spending your tax dollars and your kids' lives to ensure that the Iraqis will have the freedom to elect rulers who agree with us. That's what democracy is all about isn't it?

[papapj]

If you think that's why the invasion took place, you are romantically delusional.

Record profits for Halliburton et al are testimony to that...

[FabulousAt52]

Can I have it??

[speckdog]

Shoe Resistance!
http://bad.eserver.org/editors/2008/shoeresistance.html

[speckdog]

Shoe Resistance!

[mikesw]

With all of the problems Iraq is facing does a funny statue truly deserve the attention of the Iraqi national police?

From the frontline of the war on terror to the frontline on zoning laws...

[Rog49Thomas]

AlZaidi is a potent symbol to those in Iraq opposed to the US presence and to the current regime in Baghdad.

If it were a statue to President Pan or to AlMaliki (unlikely given the venue), there would be a police honor guard to protect it.

[feuille0d0erable]

al-Zaidi is not just a hero to some Iraqis, he's quite the man in most of the world.

[smilodon1]

I wish we had one.

[Cherie Clark]

All that money, blood and treasure so that the Iraqi's would have true freedom of expression.

[Rog49Thomas]

free to express themselves freely as long as they agree with us

that's what democracy is all about isn't it

[drjasonmd]

"We will not allow anyone to use the government facilities and buildings for political motives,"

I wonder if that sounds stupid in Arabic as well.

[BADRALDUJA]

Beleive me it does,so much for freedom of expression,,well after all the iraqi government is subservants to american government..watch that shoe be installed again,i have a hunsh the same shoe will be made as souvier key rings all over iraq aoon,for now they can only be found in karballa,and najaf and basra

[Rog49Thomas]

Actually, among the Sunnis of Iraq there is a lot of support for AlZaidi for just the reason you mention.

The Iraqis are quite a nationalistic people.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

Where can I get a keychain??!?! I would love one!

[omobob]

Censorship and repression of dissent. Truly, the Iraqis have taken the Bush doctrine to heart. Karl must be so proud. The father of a whole new Rovinia. ( the nation of Rove)

[Rog49Thomas]

Check your American foreign policy history again.

As a nation, we have a solid and continuing track record of ensuring that nations around the world have the freedom to elect leaders who agree with us and support our policies.

And sometimes if the locals don't have any prominent leaders of that sort, we provide them to them.
We did it in Iran in 1953. In Iraq in 1963. In Indonesia. In Latin America. In Viet Nam (at one point we had to install a revolving door at the Presidential Palace we were appointing so many leaders so quickly).

[KarlaElisa]

I would like those to be mass produced so I can buy one and erect it in my version of a 'bush garden'....right next to the fire hydrant on which bush's face is painted out front of my house.