The New Nation - Internet Edition

The Iraqi journalist Al Zaidi (28) made a history on the 14th December in Baghdad by throwing at Bush's face during press conference his two shoes there during Bush's otherwise undisclosed visit to Iraq and then to Afghanistan. The shoes missed Bush's face and head but hit at the wall behind. Zaidi was held by police and sent to prison. It is reported in some Western media that thousands have now been protesting in the streets of Baghdad demanding Zaidi's release. They are doing nothing reasonably different for what Bush also commented immediately after the incident that the matter was Zaidi's 'Freedom of Expression', and that is why the protesters have been demanding release of Zaidi as the matter was nothing of any cognizable offence. It may be a matter of speculation that if Zaidi would be prosecuted for any cognizable offence or if he would be soon freed for doing nothing of cognizable offence but using his freedom of expression in his own way. Some commentators further maintained that now the US president elect Barak Obama would think twice about his policies in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other Muslim countries.

BBC senior journalist Carolene Wyte reported in the radio tuned in Dhaka at 8:30 a.m. on the 16th December that Al Zaidi has emerged for the otherwise indecent act as the national hero of Iraq. I am not of any of those who unrealistically dream for containment of all terrorists in the region unless and until the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be given recognition of their due rights of self determination that remained unfulfilled for six decades now for intransigence of the Indian ruling elite and for appeasement of them by both the imperialist US and the British and India playing the second fiddle. I would as such feel very sincerely that Gordon Brown would do a service at this time if he would go for impressing the UN for serious involvement in sorting out the issue as the people of Jammu and Kashmir have long been genuinely and rightfully aspiring for.

M.T. Hussain

Dhaka.