In December 2008, Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi made global headlines when he threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush during a press conference in Baghdad. The act, a traditional gesture of insult in Arab culture, was meant as a protest against the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. Al-Zaidi’s defiant shout — “This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people!” — resonated across the Arab world, symbolizing anger toward foreign intervention. Although Bush swiftly ducked and avoided