Muntazer Al Zaidi is running in Iraq’s forthcoming elections for a parliamentary seat under the list of Sa’eroun, a political alliance formed of six parties, he promises the public to combat corruption and to promote greater integrity, transparency and good governance. Courtesy of Muntazer Al Zaidi
Muntazer Al Zaidi is running in Iraq’s forthcoming elections for a parliamentary seat under the list of Sa’eroun, a political alliance formed of six parties, he promises the public to combat corruption and to promote greater integrity, transparency and good governance. Courtesy of Muntazer Al Zaidi
Muntazer Al Zaidi is running in Iraq’s forthcoming elections for a parliamentary seat under the list of Sa’eroun, a political alliance formed of six parties, he promises the public to combat corruption and to promote greater integrity, transparency and good governance. Courtesy of Muntazer Al Zaidi
Muntazer Al Zaidi is running in Iraq’s forthcoming elections for a parliamentary seat under the list of Sa’eroun, a political alliance formed of six parties, he promises the public to combat corruptio

Iraqi reporter who threw his shoes at George Bush launches election bid


Mina Aldroubi
  • English
  • Arabic

The Iraqi journalist who sparked widespread international attention a decade ago when he threw his shoes at former US President George Bush is now pursuing a political career of his own.

Muntazer Al Zaidi is running in Iraq’s forthcoming elections for a parliamentary seat under the list of Sa’eroun, a political alliance formed of six parties, he promises the public to combat corruption and to promote greater integrity, transparency and good governance.

“By running for elections I pledge to ensure that America’s mistakes are amended – their mistakes created a corrupt sectarian government”, Mr Al Zaidi told The National by phone.

Mr Al Zaidi’s bloc is advocating for a democratic pluralistic state that aims to put an end to corruption in government. Iraq, long beset by allegations of corruption at all levels of government, was ranked 166th out of 176 in the 2017 corruption index released by Transparency International, a Germany-based corruption watchdog, in 2017.

“I intend to push for a law that discloses Iraqis' offshore bank accounts as well as their properties”, he said, adding that his party will take further action to open an investigation that “will confiscate all their fortune for the benefit of the Iraqi treasury”.

Mr Al Zaidi will compete against nearly 7,000 candidates for 329 seats in the general election on May 12 – the first since 2014 and Iraq's fourth since 2003.

“I’m calling for an end to this era”, he said.

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Mr Al Zaidi promises to work on establishing a secular government that is free from religious policies. He says previous administrations have only succeeded in creating wars, conflict and sectarian divisions.

The shoe-thrower-turned-politician says he does not have any affiliation with neighboring countries, political parties or religious movements, something that he believes will aid his quest to end political corruption in Baghdad.

“I will not be bribed and will not be subdued by corrupters”, he said.

An image grab taken from footage broadcast by the Al-Arabiya news channel shows US President George W. Bush (L) reacting as an Iraqi journalist hurls one of his shoes at him during a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki (R) in Baghdad on December 14, 2008. Muntazer al-Zaidi from Al-Baghdadia channel hurled his shoes and an insult at Bush, without hitting him, as the US president was shaking hands with the Iraqi premier at his Baghdad office. AL-ARABIYA / AFP
An image grab taken from footage broadcast by the Al-Arabiya news channel shows US President George W. Bush (L) reacting as an Iraqi journalist hurls one of his shoes at him during a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki (R) in Baghdad on December 14, 2008. Muntazer al-Zaidi from Al-Baghdadia channel hurled his shoes and an insult at Bush, without hitting him, as the US president was shaking hands with the Iraqi premier at his Baghdad office. AL-ARABIYA / AFP

The 39-year old was working as a correspondent for Al Baghdadia, an independent Iraqi news organization, when he threw his shoes at Mr Bush during a 2008 press conference with former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki in Baghdad.

The former US President – who launched the invasion of Iraq in 2003 to remove alleged weapons of mass destruction that never surfaced – ducked as the shoes sailed past his head.

Security guards bundled Mr Al Zaidi to the ground and he was swiftly removed from the room where the American leader was speaking.

He shouted “you killed the Iraqis” as security officials pinned him to the ground.

He was sentenced to three years in prison for the act, which was reduced to 12 months. He was subsequently released after nine months.

“I am no hero, I acted as an Iraqi who witnessed the pain and bloodshed of many innocents”, he said.

The journalist called the shoe throwing “a traditional insult in Arab culture”. The message of the act is the targeted person holds a status below that of shoes. “It was a farewell kiss to the man who invaded my country”, he said.

Since his release from prison, he has spent much of his time outside of Iraq in Beirut, Lebanon, but returned nearly two months ago to take part in elections.

The next elected Iraqi parliament will face the daunting task of rebuilding the country after a three-year war with ISIS and a battle against entrenched corruption that is eating away at its oil revenue.

But Mr Al Zaidi is not hoping to gain public support for the incident, he only wants to serve those who have suffered years of occupation and conflict.

“For the past ten years I have been supporting the oppressed and to stand against the oppressors”, he said. “I have been fighting for the poor and disadvantaged and will continue to do so”.

Baftas 2020 winners

BEST FILM

  • 1917 - Pippa Harris, Callum McDougall, Sam Mendes, Jayne-Ann Tenggren
  • THE IRISHMAN - Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, Martin Scorsese, Emma Tillinger Koskoff
  • JOKER - Bradley Cooper, Todd Phillips, Emma Tillinger Koskoff
  • ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh, Quentin Tarantino
  • PARASITE - Bong Joon-ho, Kwak Sin-ae

DIRECTOR

  • 1917 - Sam Mendes
  • THE IRISHMAN - Martin Scorsese
  • JOKER - Todd Phillips
  • ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - Quentin Tarantino
  • PARASITE - Bong Joon-ho

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

  • 1917 - Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Callum McDougall, Jayne-Ann Tenggren, Krysty Wilson-Cairns
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  • FOR SAMA - Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts
  • ROCKETMAN - Dexter Fletcher, Adam Bohling, David Furnish, David Reid, Matthew Vaughn, Lee Hall
  • SORRY WE MISSED YOU  - Ken Loach, Rebecca O’Brien, Paul Laverty
  • THE TWO POPES - Fernando Meirelles, Jonathan Eirich, Dan Lin, Tracey Seaward, Anthony McCarten

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

  • THE FAREWELL - Lulu Wang, Daniele Melia
  • FOR SAMA - Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts
  • PAIN AND GLORY - Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar
  • PARASITE - Bong Joon-ho
  • PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE - Céline Sciamma, Bénédicte Couvreur

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  • SCARLETT JOHANSSON - Marriage Story
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  • CHARLIZE THERON - Bombshell
  • RENÉE ZELLWEGER - Judy

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  • ADAM DRIVER - Marriage Story
  • TARON EGERTON - Rocketman
  • JOAQUIN PHOENIX - Joker
  • JONATHAN PRYCE - The Two Popes

SUPPORTING ACTOR

  • TOM HANKS - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
  • ANTHONY HOPKINS - The Two Popes
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  • JOE PESCI - The Irishman
  • BRAD PITT - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

  • LAURA DERN - Marriage Story
  • SCARLETT JOHANSSON - Jojo Rabbit
  • FLORENCE PUGH - Little Women
  • MARGOT ROBBIE - Bombshell
  • MARGOT ROBBIE - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

  • THE IRISHMAN - Steven Zaillian
  • JOJO RABBIT - Taika Waititi
  • JOKER - Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
  • LITTLE WOMEN - Greta Gerwig
  • THE TWO POPES - Anthony McCarten

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

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  • KNIVES OUT - Rian Johnson
  • MARRIAGE STORY - Noah Baumbach
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  • PARASITE - Han Jin Won, Bong Joon ho

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  • DIEGO MARADONA - Asif Kapadia
  • FOR SAMA - Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts
  • THE GREAT HACK - Karim Amer, Jehane Noujaime

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

  • BAIT - Mark Jenkin (Writer/Director), Kate Byers, Linn Waite (Producers)
  • FOR SAMA - Waad al-Kateab (Director/Producer), Edward Watts (Director)
  • MAIDEN - Alex Holmes (Director)
  • ONLY YOU - Harry Wootliff (Writer/Director)
  • RETABLO - Álvaro Delgado-Aparicio (Writer/Director)

ANIMATED FILM

  • FROZEN 2 - Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho
  • KLAUS - Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh
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  • MARRIAGE STORY - Douglas Aibel, Francine Maisler
  • ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - Victoria Thomas
  • THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD - Sarah Crowe
  • THE TWO POPES - Nina Gold

EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)

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  • 1917 - Roger Deakins
  • THE IRISHMAN - Rodrigo Prieto
  • JOKER - Lawrence Sher
  • LE MANS ’66 - Phedon Papamichael
  • THE LIGHTHOUSE - Jarin Blaschke

EDITING

  • THE IRISHMAN - Thelma Schoonmaker
  • JOJO RABBIT - Tom Eagles
  • JOKER - Jeff Groth
  • LE MANS ’66 - Andrew Buckland, Michael McCusker
  • ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - Fred Raskin

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  • THE IRISHMAN - Christopher Peterson, Sandy Powell
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  • JUDY - Jany Temime
  • LITTLE WOMEN - Jacqueline Durran
  • ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - Arianne Phillips

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  • 1917 - Dennis Gassner, Lee Sandales
  • THE IRISHMAN - Bob Shaw, Regina Graves
  • JOJO RABBIT - Ra Vincent, Nora Sopková
  • JOKER - Mark Friedberg, Kris Moran
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  • 1917 - Scott Millan, Oliver Tarney, Rachael Tate, Mark Taylor, Stuart Wilson
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  • 1917 - Thomas Newman
  • JOJO RABBIT - Michael Giacchino
  • JOKER - Hildur Guđnadóttir
  • LITTLE WOMEN - Alexandre Desplat
  • STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - John Williams

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

  • 1917 - Greg Butler, Guillaume Rocheron, Dominic Tuohy
  • AVENGERS: ENDGAME - Dan Deleeuw, Dan Sudick
  • THE IRISHMAN - Leandro Estebecorena, Stephane Grabli, Pablo Helman
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  • 1917 - Naomi Donne
  • BOMBSHELL - Vivian Baker, Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan
  • JOKER - Kay Georgiou, Nicki Ledermann
  • JUDY - Jeremy Woodhead
  • ROCKETMAN - Lizzie Yianni Georgiou

BRITISH SHORT FILM

  • AZAAR - Myriam Raja, Nathanael Baring
  • GOLDFISH - Hector Dockrill, Harri Kamalanathan, Benedict Turnbull, Laura Dockrill
  • KAMALI - Sasha Rainbow, Rosalind Croad
  • LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WARZONE (IF YOU’RE A GIRL) - Carol Dysinger, Elena Andreicheva
  • THE TRAP - Lena Headey, Anthony Fitzgerald

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION

  • GRANDAD WAS A ROMANTIC - Maryam Mohajer
  • IN HER BOOTS - Kathrin Steinbacher
  • THE MAGIC BOAT  - Naaman Azh
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Sector: Online food delivery

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