Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former President George W. Bush, has been sentenced to three years in prison — sixteen months per shoe. The decision has already produced protests in Iraq where the vast majority of citizens view him as a hero for his act.
Al-Zeidi claimed a type of private necessity in claiming his innocence, explaining that p”what I did was a natural response to the occupation.” When he was hit with the lengthy sentence, al-Zeidi reportedly shouted “long live Iraq.”
This was actually the minimum sentence for the assault charge — a far shot from the 15 years in prison that he could have received.
He has now inspired not just a fashion craze but copycats who have thrown shoes at both the Chinese and Iranian leaders.
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