Insult
See also: List of shoe throwing incidentsIn many Arab cultures, it is considered an extreme insult to throw a shoe at someone. It is also considered rude to display the sole of one's foot to someone (or even strike them with it) as well. This is because shoes are considered ritually unclean in the Muslim faith. In 2008, Iraqi cameraman Muntadar al-Zaidi threw a shoe at United States President George W. Bush while the president was visiting Baghdad, and was arrested and incarcerated. President Bush ducked and was not struck by the shoe. Shoe throwing as an insult is not just limited to the Muslim world, as there are also other notable incidents that have occurred involving other celebrities and world leaders. Some of these have involved Steve McCarthy, David Beckham, Lily Allen, and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
Read more about this topic: Shoe Tossing
Famous quotes containing the word insult:
“To insult a friend implies that you respect his masculinity enough to know he can take it without acting like a crybaby. The swapping of insults, like the fighting between brothers, becomes the seal of the male bonding.”
—Frank Pittman (20th century)
“The only gracious way to accept an insult is to ignore it; if you can’t ignore it, top it; if you can’t top it, laugh at it; if you can’t laugh at it, it’s probably deserved.”
—Russell Lynes (b. 1910)
“What is Americanism? Every one has a different answer. Some people say it is never to submit to the dictation of a King. Others say Americanism is the pride of liberty and the defence of an insult to the flag with their gore. When some half-developed person tramples on that flag, we should be ready to pour out the blood of the nation, they say. But do we not sit in silence when that flag waves over living conditions which should be an insult to all patriotism?”
—Anna Howard Shaw (1847–1919)