Arab culture perceives the display of shoe soles as rude. . |
At a press conference during President George Bush’s fourth and final visit to Iraq, Iraqi journalist Muntader al-Zaidi threw a pair of shoes at the American leader, who was not injured. The journalist cried, ”This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog!”
Some news publications have suggested that the act was highly symbolic, particularly given that in 2003 Iraqis pelted pictures and statues of toppled leader Saddam Hussein with shoes.
Arab culture perceives the display of shoe soles as rude, as they are considered lowly and dirty.
Worldfocus producer Mohammad al-Kassim, a Palestinian-American, discusses the cultural significance of throwing a shoe.
Below, bloggers discuss the shoe toss in Iraq and its implications.
Adam Ashton of The Modesto Bee’s “Hive” blog was at the press conference and describes the scene following the outburst.
Blogger “Paul Ibrahim” argues that the shoe incident has inadvertently displayed Iraq’s newfound freedom, since a similar act during Hussein’s regime would likely have brought deadly repercussions. He also argues that the media has overstated the importance of shoes in Arab culture.
The “Angry Arab” blog also mocks media portrayals of shoes in Arab culture, pointing out that throwing a shoe at someone’s face is an insult in any culture.
The “Baghdad Bureau” blog from The New York Times writes about reactions to the shoe toss across Iraq, from condemnations in Ramadi to supportive demonstrations in Baghdad’s Sadr City neighborhood.
The “More Light than Heat” blog writes that the incident does need to be seen throught the lense of Middle East cultural mores, and that understanding nuances like the importance of shoes would enhance cultural communication.
Photo courtesy of Flickr user gipigrl under a Creative Commons license.
12/26/2008 :: 12:29:30 AM
Yaldaz Says:
Yes, great segment.