CAIRO: “Did you see what happened to Bush? was the country’s most commonly asked question on Monday, as conversations centered on the Iraqi journalist who threw his pair of shoes at American President George W. Bush during a Sunday press conference.
Joy and pride were the dominant feelings in these conversations as people exchanged the incident’s videos, with some taking their discussions to online forums, blogs and TV. Frustration towards the Bush administration and its Middle East polices seemed to have finally found its outlet.
Rania Yousef, mother of two, was excited when she heard the news that she called up her sister in Qatar after midnight to share the news. “I was really happy to hear the news on TV last night and I wanted to get a good laugh with my family. It must have been embarrassing to Bush, Rania told Daily News Egypt. Tarek, 35, a call center owner said that he felt proud to be an Arab because of Al Zaidi. “It was such a good move from him and too bad he missed, Tarek said laughingly.
On Al Hayat channel, one caller described it as an Arab victory. Another young caller said it is a historic day.
The incident drew similar comments on news websites and blogs where many praised the journalist Muntadar Al-Zeidi. Some crowned him a public hero while a few celebrated the shoe calling it priceless. One commentator suggested putting the infamous shoes in a museum as another predicted a no-shoes- policy to be employed in future press conferences.
An online commentator blamed Al-Zeidi for not throwing his shoes at the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki instead as President Bush is a guest on Iraqi land. Another jokingly praised the fact that Al Maliki is a politician and not a goal keeper or else we could have lost all games in reference to the Iraqi prime minister s attempt to block the second flying shoe.
On the other hand, some Egyptians objected to the way Iraqi guards handled Al-Zeidi, beating him while dragging him outside the room, and called for his release. Essam Shaltout from the local Al-Youm Al Sabe applauded the Iraqi journalist s act describing it as a reason for Egyptians to regain the joy they lost after Al Ahly lost 4-2 to a Mexican football team in Japan. Muntadar Al-Zeidi scored a great goal with his shoes compensating Egyptians for their current Ahly sorrow. It was a wonderful last chapter to your aggressiveness Mr Bush, Shaltout wrote.
There is a good economic side to the issue as Mahmoud, newspaper stand owner, said that the newspapers that covered the subject were sold real quickly and that in his own words.
Mahmoud – who is not only happy about the boom in sales but about the incident itslef – excepts some sales to continue to rise as more publication cover the incident and commentators write about it.
It isn’t all cheers though; the Egyptian Union for Human Rights Organization issued a statement denouncing the incident and held the Iraqi government responsible for what they called a inhuman assault.
What happened to Bush could be followed by an attack with bullets or bombs that is considered a criminal terrorist attack. It represents a confiscation for democracy, the statement said.
