A large sculpture of one of the shoes thrown at President Bush last December by an Iraqi journalist was unveiled this week just outside an orphanage in Tikrit, Iraq — Saddam Hussein’s hometown. The orphans at the complex helped sculptor Laith al-Amiri build the shoe monument. “Those orphans who helped the sculptor in building this monument were the victims of Bush’s war,” said Faten Abdulqader al-Naseri, the orphanage director, adding that it “is a gift to the next generation to remember the heroic action by the journalist.” Al-Amiri praised the journalist, Muntadhar al-Zeidi, calling him a “source of pride for all Iraqis.” The sculpture also includes an ode to al-Zeidi and mentions the virtues of being “able to tell the truth out loud.”
Update:
CNN reports that local authorities took down the monument “at the request of the central government” “We will not allow anyone to use the government facilities and buildings for political motives,” said Abdullah Jabara, Salaheddin province’s deputy governor.