Muntadar "Shoe-Tossing Iraqi Guy" al-Zaidi: Jailed, Beaten, Status Unknown
POSTED BY XENI JARDIN, DECEMBER 17, 2008 11:57 AM | PERMALINK http://www.boingboing.net/2008/12/17/mumtar-shoetossing-i.html I've been posting some funny internet ephemera related to the Bush Shoe-Tossing Incident over the last few days, but what's since happened to the 28-year-old Iraqi journalist who hurled his loafers at outgoing American war criminal George W. Bush is not funny. There are concerns al-Zaidi may have been tortured or abused. He is in jail with little or no information available about his present condition or whereabouts. Boing Boing community manager Teresa Nielsen Hayden (http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/) writes, Muntadar Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush, needs to be rescued. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7785338.stm) According to his brother Durgham Zaidi, Muntadar Zaidi is in the heavily fortified Green Zone compound in central Baghdad where the US embassy and most Government offices are housed. He's being held there by Iraqi forces under the command of Muaffaq al-Rubaie, Iraq's national security adviser. "He has got a broken arm and ribs, and cuts to his eye and arm," Durgham said. Three things the entire world knows: 1. Bush dodged both shoes with impressive speed, and didn't seem upset. 2. It was a symbolic act of contempt, not an attack. 3. If Muntadar Zaidi had intended harm, he wouldn't have been throwing shoes. One more extremely important thing the whole world knows: It may have been a serious expression of contempt, but it was also funny. Free Muntadar Zaidi now! (Making Light) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Mark Crispin Miller's "News From Underground" newsgroup. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to [email protected] OR go to http://groups.google.com/group/newsfromunderground and click on the "Unsubscribe or change membership" link in the yellow bar at the top of the page, then click the "Unsubscribe" button on the next page. For more News From Underground, visit http://markcrispinmiller.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
