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The Shoe Thrower

The world around you is falling apart, and no one is listening. How far do you go to be heard?
Duration
1h 23m
Broadcast on
31 Jul 2026
Audio Format
other

When no one seems to be listening, how far do you go to be heard?

In December 2008, George W. Bush made a surprise visit to Baghdad for a press conference. And at the very end of his remarks, a shoe came flying past his head. 

It was “the shoe heard around the world,” and countless jokes and memes ensued. 

But in the pandemonium, many missed the story of the man at the center: Muntadhar Al-Zaidi, a weary journalist trying to get the world to see the Iraq War in a different light. Even fewer people know what happened to him after. 

Nearly two decades later, Radiolab reporter Sarah Qari tracked Al-Zaidi down to learn the story of his life. What she found was a story about grief, anger, and the line where journalism ends and protest begins.

Special thanks to Azmat Khan and Mustafa Salim.


EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by Sarah Qari, with help from Mariam Dwedar
Translation by Mais Al-Bayaa and Mariam Dwedar
Produced by Sarah Qari
Sound design contributed by  Sarah Qari 
Mixed by Jeremy Bloom
Editing help from Annie McEwen
Fact-checking by Emily Krieger and Heba Elorbany

LATERAL CUTS:
If you liked this episode and want to hear more fascinating deep dives we’ve done on The War on Terror, check out our episode:

  • 60 Words (https://radiolab.org/podcast/60-words),
  • or our series The Other Latif (https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/other-latif)

EPISODE CITATIONS:

Collaborator’s Work - 

Journal Articles _

Films - 

Inspired by the shoe throw - 

If you want more fun facts that didn’t make it into the story, follow Sarah at @bysarahqari on Instagram, where she’ll be sharing more in the coming weeks.

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WNYC Studios is supported by WISE. WISE, the smart way to manage the currencies you need around the world. With a WISE account, you can send, spend, and receive in up to 40 currencies, with only a few simple taps. Be smart, get WISE. Download the WISE app today. Terms and conditions apply. Radiolab supporters include the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Picture this, years of guarantee research support, and a vibrant scientific community that has your back. If you're a PhD student, postdoc, or early career faculty in the biological or biomedical sciences, that doesn't have to be a fantasy. HHMI has a program for you. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute supports scientists at every career stage, with a people-not-projects approach, long-term support, and the resources for breakthrough science. Applications open now. Find your program at HHMI.org/radiolab. Just before we start, this episode discusses war, casualties of war, and torture. It may not be suitable for young or sensitive listeners. Wait, you're listening to Radiolab. Radiolab. WNYC. This is Radiolab. I'm Latif Dasar, and today we have a story from our reporter, Sara Karri. Okay, so a couple months ago, I got in the studio to do this interview that I'd been trying to make happen for close to a year. Hello. Hi, Sara. Can you hear me? Yes. Yes. I'd been trying to connect with this Iraqi guy. In Baghdad. Hold on. I can't hear. Things were not really going to plan. So, we are waiting. It turns out my interviewee was taking his time having a little tea after his lunch, and then after about 45 minutes, he shows up. Yeah, I learned. I learned one another. Okay, for how long? Oh, Sara, did you speak Arabic? You don't speak Arabic? Only a little bit. We fumbled through, mostly me, doing the fumbling. A little bit. A little bit. With the help of... Sorrow, Mase. Iraqi journalist, Mase Alba'yat. Ciaraphna. Mase, and then we come here, come along. A little bit. But then... But then, we have one hour, right? Sara? So, I was hoping to talk to you for longer, because I want to get lots of details about your life and tell your story, and I don't want to miss any details. Okay, I hope you have another question or a new question. Yeah, I have a new question. It was pretty clear that he was sick of talking about the one thing that I really wanted to ask him about. And if you're feeling frustrated, just tell me. Don't worry, I will tell you. Which is what? Well, okay, so maybe let's just start with introduce yourself and tell me why you're famous. Anna, it's me, Muntovar Azaidi. My name is Muntovar Azaidi. And I threw my shoes at George W. Bush. Oh, yeah. Do you remember him? Yeah, I remember that guy.

Transcription truncated.

The world around you is falling apart, and no one is listening. How far do you go to be heard?