When President Bush came to say
goodbye to Iraq, a reporter Muntadar el Zaidi hurled shoe at him twice at the
press conference. The whole world watched this episode on TV. This kind of
behaviour with an honourable dignitary is deemed highly derogatory and
insulting in India as well as in central Asian countries. On Dec 14, 2008, Bush
and Noorie-el-malik (loyal Iraqi prime minister) were to sign an U.S.–Iraqi
defence pact. This happy occasion came after 6 years of war and destruction in
Iraq. The devastation still continues. It seems weird that a country that
invaded another signs a mutual safety pact with its victim. Wow and the entire
world either watches this drama mutely or applauds it !
President Bush at this fourth and
last tour of Iraq said, “Defence pact is a great achievement but there is more
work ahead. Elementary work is done and we shall jointly work to restore
peace.” He further stated, “This pact is
a progressive step to help the Iraqi people and they can now be blessed to
experience a free society. It was not an easy task but was necessary for the
safety of America, expectations of Iraqis and for world peace.”
And pat rose the issue of shoe
throwing by a journalist who was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment but was
released after a few months because his imprisonment was the cause of his
increasing popularity in Iraq and Central Asia as well as resentment against
puppet Iraqi government. He was set free after a lot of deliberation. In this
way it would be easier to control or eliminate him. It will be a surprise if he
survives for a long time. A few years back we have witnessed such ‘freedom’ for
many in Punjab.Al Zaidi when set free said, “yes I am free but my nation is
still a prisoner of war.” Then he made a long speech whose salient points are
as under:
“I am grateful to all those
people of Iraq, Central Asia and rest of the world who upheld the symbolic
gesture that I made. I had inner compulsion to do this because of the injustice
inflicted to my people and the way my country has been destroyed under army
boots. Men, women and children of my nation were ruthlessly killed, more than
10 lakh fell martyr to the bullets, hundreds of thousand children rendered
orphans, several lakh women were widowed and lakhs of people were made
homeless.
We, people of different
communities stayed together with peace and good will. All including Christian
community celebrated festivals together. Sometimes, we did feel government
oppression. The false promise of freedom from Saddam has opened our eyes.
Brothers, neighbours, relatives have parted ways. People are being buried
enmasse like in the times of plague, even in gardens and on edges of roads.
Daily, thousands of people are picked up from their homes and thrown into
prisons. This is the freedom we have got. I am no hero. The continued insult of
my nation was a great burden on my heart and I could not sleep. Being a
journalist I have seen the piles of dead bodies with my own eyes. I have
witnessed cities like Falluja, Najaf and Basra ripped apart. I have been to
every nook and corner of the country;
seen the burning fire in the tears of people and heard screams rending the
skies.
As a part of my job I used to
write reports, wash clothes smeared with mud and blood and clench my teeth
vowing to avenge the death of all these innocent people.
When I got an oppourtunity I
couldn’t let it go. It was my gesture for each innocent’s blood, each unhappy
mother, each orphan’s sobs and each rape victim’s tears. It was a gesture of my
loyalty to them.
By throwing my shoe at the guilty
killer Bush’s face I was able to register my protest against the destruction
and control over my nation, killing of my people and plundering the wealth of
my nation. This murderer (Bush) after destroying our nation started gloating
over victory and democracy restored and was looking forward to being garlanded
at the time of departure.
The straight talk is that for
this invader and a few of his pet associates’ propaganda, my shoe was like a
flower. I know what is my end going to be! American sources are after me who
will either try to control me as a journalist or cripple me or kill me. I am
ready for that.”
El Zaidi was captured immediately
after he hurled the shoes and after months of torture he was set free because
his stature in prison was growing and reputation of U.S.A and its puppet Iraqi
government was being sullied.
Punjabis can easily understand
the story of Muntadar el Zaidi. Just think if what happened in Iraq was
repeated in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Chandigrah or densely populated
villages or if we were to witness scenes of destruction from one sided bombing.
If the society was a victim of bombardment and destruction, there were piles of
garbage all over, people devoid of even a drop of clean water, would Punjabi
blood not boil?
From this land of Bhagat Singh
and Udham Singh not once any “warrior saint”/holy man condemned the injustice
done to Iraq. Our society or government did not express grief even once for the
million dead Iraqis.
Even our media presented Iraqi
freedom fighters who were like our Bhagat Singh as villains, terrorists, rebels
or opportunists. The same media associated invading armies with freedom and
progress. For their progressive and honest policies, Iraqi Udham and Bhagat
Singh are big blockades. For our media U.S. and its allies are sacrificing
their lives to remove these blockades !
Muntader el Zaidi roared when he
threw the first shoe “This is a good bye kiss to you dog” and again on throwing
the second one he shouted, “this is from the widows, orphans and killed Iraqi
people.”
Later in response to a query by a
journalist, President Bush commented, “this is an attention seeking device, I don’t
understand the problem of this man. I am not perturbed over this incident.”
What of spoken barbs of Zaidi and
what cool, sweet response of Bush’s Wow the whole Iraq can give their lives for
such great Bush ! If ever you come to our Punjab to kill us, we would
happily offer you our heads for you to chop ! Udham Singh and Bhagat Singh
were misled youths! We have built their statues and observe their martyrdom day
as mere rituals. You are the one blessed by Jesus Christ. Believe us, we echo
what you say. Only grantus our one little wish : save a few green cards for our
children, that would be enough for us!
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