The Shoe Thrower

from Radiolab · host WNYC Studios

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 ElorbanyLATERAL 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 - Mariam Dwedar (https://www.mariamdwedar.com/) Made in Palestine (https://zpr.io/JBAuqi5zyZMT) - a documentary short @mariamdwedar - Instagram handle Mais Al-Bayaa Iraq Uncovered (https://zpr.io/ebuUcjSFcUJp) - documentary Iraq’s Secret Sex Trade (https://zpr.io/u9HnCWmnQggG) - documentary Go Back to Where You Came From (https://zpr.io/J8rxafGCCgUA) - documentary @maisalbayaa - Instagram Journal Articles _ The Art of Shoe-Throwing: Shoes as a Symbol of Protest and Popular Imagination (https://zpr.io/6gmuuavLWuHu), by Yasmin Ibrahim Films - The President’s Cake (https://zpr.io/bjFeNa2qFYvD) - A story of life in Iraq under sanctions during the 1990s. Inspired by the shoe throw - Photos of shoe protests around the world (https://zpr.io/QsMGyWeK8MRR) This music video (https://zpr.io/Xi5XhHYmWFHv) This Halloween costume (https://zpr.io/fH97iB4fjL9U) This play (https://zpr.io/Naj7vWaYfzpv) 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. Sign up for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Signup (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)! Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today. Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected] support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 31, 2026

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

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The Shoe Thrower

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