Shoe Thrower Surfaces

The famed shoe-thrower of Iraq has resurfaced in Geneva after serving nine months of a three-year sentence in an Iraqi prison.

The lawyer for Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist whose shoe President George W. Bush barely ducked during a press conference, told Swissinfo he wants to set up a foundation to help Iraqi war victims and "he hopes to surf on the wave of support he has gained to do some good."

His plan, according to Swissinfo is to build orphanages, a children's hospital, and medical and orthopedic centres offering free treatment and staffed with Iraqi doctors and medical staff. He also wants to set up income-generating schemes for widows to help them get back on their feet.

Zaide claims he was tortured and beaten by government officials after being arrested last December. His explanation for the incident: "I decided to send a message to the entire world about what was happening in Iraq." Regarded as a hero by some, he's purportedly been offered jobs from Arab networks as well as lavish gifts from businessmen. Women from "Baghdad to the Gaza Strip" want his hand in marriage, reports Al-Jazeera news channel.

Others label him rude and deserving of more jail time. Both the throwing of a shoe and calling someone a "dog" as Zaide did Bush, are considered grave offences in Iraq, yet the incident has since become a global phenomenon, described as the "ultimate non-violent weapon."

Photo courtesy of Muhammad Adnan Asim via Flickr.