Muntadhar al-Zaidi threw both of his shoes at President Bush, a vile insult in Arab culture, during an Iraqi press conference. What’s amazing is that he was able to throw both shoes, one after the other, before anyone tackled him. And I have to give the President credit for some pretty good reflexes in ducking the shoes. I imagine he practices ducking things that might be thrown at him a lot.
Al-Zaidi has become a celebrity in Arab culture for his act of defiance. President Bush joked about it afterwards and said that these were the types of things that can happen in a free and open society. Exactly. Given that, the President should encourage the Iraqi authorities to give the guy a slap on the wrist and let him go. Al-Zaidi was making a political point (however rude) and no one was hurt. He shouldn’t go to jail for this and he shouldn’t be roughed up by police, which is rumored to have already happened.
If al-Zaidi goes to jail, it just demonstrates to the Arab world that the Americans and their Iraqi allies are hard line and talk a good game of open expression but don’t back it up. Encouraging the Iraqi government to let him go (which Bush should have done immediately after the incident) will demonstrate compassion and an understanding of the frustration that lead to the shoe-throwing. We gain nothing by punishing this guy.
3 comments:
I agree.
Except, of course, that we *don't* control the Iraqi government, and it's up to them, not us, what happens to that idiot. Which is kinda the point, no?
Whatever happens to him, I daresay it'll be better than what would have happened to him and his family under Hussein.
Of course it's the Iraqis decision. But if Bush had believed his line about this being an exhibition of what happens in democracies, he could have suggested that the Iraqis let the guy go. Not tell them, but suggest. Since he was the "victim" that would have been magnanimous and a win/win for us.
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