If the Shoe Fits, Wear It...On Your Face?

Almost a year after implementing his reach out to the Muslim World policies, President Obama will soon be visiting Indonesia. If this visit can be viewed as a test of that policy's effectiveness, the early signs indicate that the policy is not working. Many in Indonesia, especially students, are obviously still unhappy with the President and the U.S.

As you can see in the photo, Obama is the target and shoes are the recommended missile.

An Islamic journalist in Iraq was jailed for throwing his shoes at President George Bush during his last months in office. About that incident Robert Dougherty says, "In Muslim culture, throwing a shoe at someone is one of the greatest insults imaginable. Islamic culture teaches Muslims to remove their shoes before taking sanctuary in a mosque, and to avoid pointing their feet or showing soles.Whereas shoe-throwing would be shrugged off as a comical act in America, in the Muslin world, it has already emerged as an important symbolic protest. Shoe throwing was also used when Saddam Hussain's statue was toppled after he was overthrown."

As the last picture shows, some students are putting more into it than their shoes...