On December 14th, Iraqi journalist Muntather Al-Zaidi threw his shoes at American president George W. Bush, and with them a huge insult in Iraqi tradition. On the ninth day since Muntather's arrest, we'd like to provide you with some updates on the case and the reactions it has spurred around the globe.
Friday there was a soccer game between two famous Iraqi teams. Tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens who attended the match chanted Muntather's name, calling him a hero. They shouted that, Sunni and Shi'i, they wanted him to be released.
The sight and the sound showed the power behind their words, and watching impressed me deeply with the strength of these men's demand for Muntather's release.
Also at Al-Anbar University, hundreds of students marched out of classes and into the streets calling for the release of "Muntather Al-Iraqi". American forces tried to stop them by shooting into the air. The students stopped in front of them and began throwing stones at the soldiers.
Muntather's family organized a sit-in in front of one gate of the Green Zone in Baghdad, and many Iraqis have joined them. A few members of the Iraqi Parliament were present as well. Iraqi security forces ended the sit-in using force, and they prevented Al-Baghdadiya, the television channel for which Al-Zaidi works, from documenting what happened there.
In London and Manchester, Iraqis living in Britain along with other British activists protested Muntather's incarceration and called for his immediate release.
Many news media are still providing updates and following the case, and many of these have been surprised by the way in which the Iraqi government is dealing with the situation. They cite similar cases in which eggs or tomatoes have been thrown as a form of protest, and none of these have been considered such a serious crime. They are asking why this one should be taken so much more seriously, especially since Muntather's actions enjoyed widespread public support and targeted a man responsible for what is widely understood as an ongoing illegal military occupation.
If you have not yet done so, please sign this petition demanding Muntather's release and forward this information to anyone you know who might be interested.
An Update about Muntather's court case:
The judge has rejected the defense's request to release Muntather on bail, refusing to change the way the case is classified under Iraqi law.
The leader of Munthather's Iraqi team of lawyers, Mr. Hashim Al-Futyan, was surprised by the government's decision to refer Muntather's case to be tried in the criminal court that Ambassador Paul Bremer established at the beginning of the occupation in 2003.
Regarding what the defense was seeking, but did not achieve:
They wanted to change the legal classification of Muntather's case to be considered under law no. 227, which would mean it would be considered in the misdemeanor court instead of the higher criminal court. Their next step is to appeal the case based on the belief that the government is discriminating against Muntather for political reasons.
The Iraqi Federation of Lawyers said that what Muntather did reflects the deep frustration resulting from the abuse of Iraq citizens during the US occupation of Iraq during the past years, a time in which journalists have been and continue to be among the professions which have been most targeted and persecuted.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 136 journalists and 51 media workers have been killed in Iraq since 2003, making it the deadliest conflict for the press in recent history.
Muntather's brother has stated that the family believes the letter allegedly written by Muntather to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki asking for a pardon and apologizing for his "big and ugly act" is either an outright forgery or was coerced by torture.
Regarding the fate of the shoes:
The government investigators claim that they tried to find out if there was a weapon hidden in Muntather's shoes. In the process of this "investigation", they claim, both shoes were cut into pieces. So the material evidence is gone - and with it two powerful symbols - but the court case continues.
Regarding Muntather's health condition:
After Muntather was tortured he was taken to an American hospital - originally an Iraqi hospital now occupied by American forces - and treated there. He has many injuries, one of them related to trauma he suffered when he was struck many times on his eye while in the custody of Iraqi security forces.
In other related events:
In Iraq, protests continue, and many Iraqi groups from across the society continue to call for Munthather's release.
An Egyptian man has offered his daughter (who is currenty a college student) in marriage to Muntather (with his daughter's permission), and has offered to cover all marriage expenses.
In Amman, Jordan, a comedy based on the shoe-throwing incident will be presented beginning on December 21.
Najlaa Al-Nashi is Direct Aid Iraq's Middle East Coordinator, organizing medical care and advocating for her fellow Iraqi refugees in Amman, Jordan.
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