Fifteen years ago, on December 14, 2008, Iraqi journalist Mutadar Zaidi threw a shoe at George W. Bush at the United States during a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. These shoes became a symbol of U.S. Middle East policy and the war in Iraq, which at that time was already in its fifth year.
Zaidi accepted**Exclusive interviewsdescribes how this historic event has affected his career, why his actions have become a symbol of resistance to U.S. Middle East policy, and which leaders and politicians he is prepared to make the opposite gesture to.
Throwing shoes at Bush was a turning point in the life of the young journalist from Iraq. Muntadar Zaidi also threw away his shoes, shouting: "This is for you, dog, a farewell kiss for the Iraqi people." This is for the widows and orphans, for all those who have lost their lives in Iraq. ”
An Iraqi court sentenced Zaidi to three years' imprisonment for insulting a foreign head of State during an official visit to Iraq. The Court of Appeal reduced the sentence to one year. In September 2009, Zaidi was released after nine months in prison for good behavior. Then he became a real hero of the Arab world.
My life has changed a lot since I threw shoes at George Bush. This puts a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. The Iraqi people expect me not only symbolically, but genuinely against the American occupation. That's why I ended up being an American occupier. "Human rights activist. I speak not only for those who have suffered under American occupation, but also for all those who have been oppressed by the actions of the corrupt Iraqi authorities established by the United States. My compatriots still see me as a fighter who is always on the front line," Zaidi said.
Iraqi journalists also noted that the current situation in the Gaza Strip is similar to that of the US military during the occupation of Iraq. He believes that everything is caused by the hegemony of the United States, because it chooses its favorite and hopes that the whole world will support it.
We see the sympathy of the United States and the West as a whole for Ukraine. Although no one sympathized with us when the United States occupied Iraq. We do not find similar sympathy in the West for Palestine and the Gaza Strip, where there are thousands of civilians, including women, "When the United States occupied Afghanistan and killed people as it did in Iraq, no one in the West sympathized with them." This has led to a policy of double standards that are hypocritical and wrong. ”
In addition, Montadar Zaidi also suggested:"The time has come to build an alliance between the Eastern Hemisphere and the Middle East".
It's time to abandon the American colonial regime, which is still **, intimidating, colonializing and humiliating the people. So, I think it's time to change the world order, and American hegemony must stop. We don't need to stop being Western," he added.
In Arab culture, throwing shoes is a sign of extreme disrespect. But Montadar Zaidi is ready to make the opposite gesture to several politicians and world leaders: a handshake.
I am willing to shake hands with every politician, ** and ruler who supports the solution of the Middle East problem. I am ready to consider the world leaders who support Gaza and speak openly about the crimes of the Israeli army as my friend ......I'm not going to give specific names, but all these politicians are against US imperialism. For them, I express all my gratitude, support and respect," he concluded.