I’ve been tempted to heave shoes at the television, but an Iraqi journalist actually did it - in person - at the President of the U.S.
A pair of size ten shoes were tossed right over the head of President Bush during a news conference in Iraq. An accredited journalist threw his shoes, one at a time, shouting “this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog.”
Bush clearly sees the shoe coming and ducks, otherwise it would have nailed him right in the kisser. Bush was making a surprise visit to Iraq. Bush shrugged off the shoes being heaved in his direction by saying “it’s like driving down the street and have people gesture not using all five fingers.
In Arab cultures showing the sole of a shoe is the ultimate insult. The BBC has the video from many angles.
What's Driving This Trend
- Political Footwear Throwing
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- Cultural Differences in Anger Expression
- Potential for intercultural communication and conflict resolution training and services to bridge understanding and prevent escalation.
- Symbolic Insults in Different Cultures
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Who This Affects Most
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