Monument to Bush shoe-thrower shines at Iraqi orphanage

A statue built for Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, who hurled his shoes at former US president George Bush, is seen in Tikrit, 150 km (95 miles) Baghdad, January 27, 2009. An Iraqi town has unveiled a giant monument of a shoe in honour of the journalist who threw his footwear at former US President George W. Bush. The letters on the sign reads "Muntazer is fasting until the sword breaks his fast with blood, silent until our mouths speak the truth". Picture taken January 27, 2009. [Agencies]

　　For the war-beaten orphans of the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit, this big old shoe fits.

　　A huge sculpture of the footwear hurled at President Bush in December during a trip to Iraq has been unveiled in a ceremony at the Tikrit Orphanage complex.

　　Assisted by children at the home, sculptor Laith al-Amiri erected a brown replica of one of the shoes hurled at Bush and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki by journalist Muntadhir al-Zaidi during a press conference in Baghdad.

　　Al-Zaidi was jailed for his actions, and a trial is pending. But his angry gesture touched a defiant nerve throughout the Arab and Muslim world. He is regarded by many people as a hero. Demonstrators in December took to the streets in the Arab world and called for his release.

　　The shoe monument, made of fiberglass and coated with copper, consists of the shoe and a concrete base. The entire monument is 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) high. The shoe is 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) long and 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) wide.

　　The orphans helped al-Amiri build the $5,000 structure -- unveiled Tuesday -- in 15 days, said Faten Abdulqader al-Naseri, the orphanage director.

　　"Those orphans who helped the sculptor in building this monument were the victims of Bush's war," al-Naseri said. "The shoe monument is a gift to the next generation to remember the heroic action by the journalist."

　　"When the next generation sees the shoe monument, they will ask their parents about it," al-Naseri said.

　　"Then their parents will start talking about the hero Muntadhir al-Zaidi, who threw his shoe at George W. Bush during his unannounced farewell visit."

　　Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi leader toppled by the United States in 2003, was from the Tikrit region.

　　Al-Zaidi marked his 30th birthday in jail last month. One of his brothers said he is "in good health and is being treated well."

　　Al-Zaidi's employer, TV network al-Baghdadia, keeps a picture of him at the top left side of the screen with a calendar showing the number of days he has spent in detention. The network has been calling for his release.

　　By tradition, throwing a shoe is the most insulting act in the Arab world.

　　(Agencies)

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　　对于伊拉克北部城市提克里特饱受战乱之苦的孤儿们来说，这个巨大的“鞋形雕塑”建在这里再合适不过了。

　　美国前总统布什去年12月访问伊拉克期间遭到飞鞋袭击，以这只鞋为原型的一座巨大雕塑日前在提克里特孤儿院的落成仪式上亮相。

　　在孤儿院儿童的帮助下，雕塑家雷斯?艾尔-阿米利以一只飞鞋为原型，创建了一个棕色的鞋形雕塑。飞鞋事件发生在巴格达的一个新闻发布会上，当时记者蒙塔兹?扎伊迪将鞋子砸向了布什和伊拉克总理马利基。

　　扎伊迪因此被捕，目前仍在等待判决。但他表达愤怒的举动激发了阿拉伯和穆斯林世界人们的反抗精神。很多人视他为英雄。去年12月，阿拉伯国家的示威者纷纷走上街头呼吁将他释放。

　　“飞鞋雕塑”由鞋型和混凝土基座构成，鞋雕塑的材料为玻璃丝，外面镀有一层黄铜。整个雕塑高3.5米（合11.5英尺）。鞋长2.5米（合8.2英尺），宽1.5米（合4.9英尺）。

　　孤儿院院长纳歇里称，在孤儿院孩子们的帮助下，阿米利在15天内建成了这个雕塑，造价5000美元，已于上周二正式亮相。

　　纳歇里说：“帮助建造雕塑的孩子们都是布什所发动的伊拉克战争的遗孤。这座雕塑是留给下一代人纪念扎伊迪记者英勇事迹的礼物。”

　　他说：“当下一代人看到这座鞋形雕塑时，他们会问父母它是怎么来的。”

　　“接着父母就会给他们讲英雄扎伊迪在布什的告别之旅时向他扔鞋的故事。”

　　2003年被美国推翻的伊拉克前领导人萨达姆?侯赛因就来自提克里特地区。

　　扎伊迪于上月在看守所度过了他30岁的生日。他的一个弟弟称他现在“健康状况良好，待遇也不错。”

　　（扎伊迪被捕后，）他所在的巴格达迪亚电视台在电视屏幕的左上方打出了他的一张照片，并在旁边附上日历注明他被拘留的天数。该电视台一直呼吁释放扎伊迪。

　　按照阿拉伯世界的传统，向人扔鞋是极具侮辱性的行为。