It seems that a majority of Iraqis support the actions of journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi, who threw his shoes at President Bush during a press conference on Monday while exclaiming, ‘This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog. This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.’
But the Kurds are another story.
According to this op-ed by Kay Azadabben of the Kurdish Media of Iraqi Kurdistan, this type of attention is the last thing the region – and particularly its journalists – need.
“Although I’m not an Iraqi but a Kurd, I felt embarrassed over the angry reporter’s behavior. For decades, Kurds and Iraqis have fought for freedom of speech and the press. If a journalist cannot respect his own profession and violates the rules of a free press, how can the world trust our region to become free? As Middle Easterners, we’re already labeled as backward for people barefoot people who take off our shoes at home, the mosque, beaches and deserts. The last thing we need is to have our reporters labeled “barefoot journalists” and denied access to press conferences where shoes are part of appropriate attire and good manners! In fact, we must reject barefoot journalism.”
By Kay Azadabben
December 15, 2008
Iraqi Kurdistan – Kurdish Media – Original Article (English)
On December 14, 2008, President Bush and Prime Minister Maliki held a press conference in Baghdad. One at a time, during the briefing, an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at the American president. Interestingly, Mr. Bush moved quickly and dodged the shoes, so neither struck him. He is apparently very physically fit, and may well have had extensive experience playing dodge ball. Most likely, dodging shoes will now become the favored game of children who watch Al-Jazeera. I wonder whether, if the angry man had thrown his shoes at his own leaders who had welcomed Mr. Bush, Prime Minister Maliki or President Talibani would have been fit enough to avoid being hit. Probably not.
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