Of the growing corpus of Arab reaction to the Iraqi shoe-attack on President Bush, this article from Algeria is one of the most intriguing yet.
According to Abdelaziz Ghermoul of the newspaper El Khabar, the Iraqis have invented a new ‘weapon’ that is not only effective in combating the lies of foreign leaders like George W. Bush. If things go the way he predicts, Arab leaders who similarly misbehave will find themselves on the receiving end of the same treatment. And not only by shoes – but by rotten eggs as well!
“Striking leaders who lie to their people with shoes and rotten eggs is the best punishment for them! … there’s much to laugh about here. As we have learned from Iraq over the years, there are many ways to struggle against the occupier. But the best is to laugh in his face! So the novelty at the end of 2008 is the ‘nuclear shoe’ from Iraq, soon to be utilized against Arab leaders. … Attention all officials! … Watch your step!”
By Abdelaziz Ghermoul
Translated By A. Ait El Hara
Algeria – El Khabar – Original Article (French)
The shoe incident involving [Iraqi journalist] Muntathar Al-Zaidi has been transformed into a gag that is touring the world. Arab cell phones are abuzz exchanging dozens of jokes, like one that says President Bush will demand that [Palestinian] President Abbas and the journalists traveling to the White House with him come without shoes! Another says that Arab leaders plan a decree requiring all journalists to remove their shoes for all press conferences. …
In less than 48 hours, Al-Zaidi’s shoes became more famous than the shoe of former Soviet President Khrushchev, [who slammed the podium in the U.N. General Assembly in protest of U.S. policies ] … and Jacqueline Kennedy [widow of President John Kennedy]. Already, the former coach of Iraq’s national football team, Adnane Hamad, has offered $1,000 to acquire the pair!
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