Muntadhar al-Zaidi

Muntadhar al-Zaidi, born on January 15, 1979, is an Iraqi journalist, peace activist, writer, politician, and humanitarian. He gained international notoriety as a correspondent for Al-Baghdadia TV, an Iraqi-owned channel based in Egypt, and later worked with a Lebanese TV channel as of February 2011.

On November 16, 2007, al-Zaidi was kidnapped in Baghdad by unknown assailants, an event that highlighted the dangers faced by journalists in conflict zones. His most infamous moment came on December 14, 2008, when he threw his shoes at then U.S. President George W. Bush during a press conference, declaring, 'This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog.' This act of defiance resonated widely, inspiring similar protests globally.

Following the shoe-throwing incident, al-Zaidi was arrested and faced a trial that lasted only ninety minutes. On March 12, 2009, he was sentenced to three years in prison for assaulting a foreign head of state, a sentence that was later reduced to one year. He was released on September 15, 2009, after serving nine months, during which he reportedly suffered injuries and alleged torture.

After his release, al-Zaidi expressed a desire to contribute positively to society by planning to build orphanages, a children's hospital, and medical centers that would provide free treatment, staffed by Iraqi medical professionals. His experiences and activism continue to inspire many in the region and beyond.