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Beating with the sole of their shoes...

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  • Beating with the sole of their shoes...

    I've been watching [flameguard] FoxNews [/flameguard] and I've been seeing lots of video of Iraqi citizens beating puctures of Saddam with the soles of their shoes. One of the correspondents said it was a very high insult in that area of the world.

    so i have some questions:

    1. Does anyone have a history of this practice? Can anyone explain exactly what it means (symbolically?)

    2. Is this an Iraqi thing, or a Pan-Arabic symbol?

    3. What do your regions have in terms of such symboism?
    "I've lived too long with pain. I won't know who I am without it. We have to leave this place, I am almost happy here."
    - Ender, from Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

  • #2
    I think it's an Islamic thing, but I could be wrong.

    You know how Muslims remove their footwear before entering a Mosque? It's because the soles of shoes are considered especially dirty (if you think about it, they have a point) and thus it's respectful not to wear them inside.

    Hence, striking someone with the sole of a shoe is kinda like rubbing their face in ****.

    As I am by no means an expert on ME customs or Islam, I really hope I'm not completely, hopelessly, wrong.[/disclaimer]

    -Arrian
    grog want tank...Grog Want Tank... GROG WANT TANK!

    The trick isn't to break some eggs to make an omelette, it's convincing the eggs to break themselves in order to aspire to omelettehood.

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    • #3
      Yeah I think that's it.

      You're not supposed to show the soles of your shoes either it's considered highly offensive.
      We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution. - Abraham Lincoln

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      • #4
        if the coalition really wanted to piss off the arab world they could just drop giant 2000lb shoes
        "I hope I get to punch you in the face one day" - MRT144, Imran Siddiqui
        'I'm fairly certain that a ban on me punching you in the face is not a "right" worth respecting." - loinburger

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        • #5
          Just checking out the feed from Iraq, it is almost funny how many American flags they have.. were they hiding them under sofas .. or did someone bring extra flags with them? nice one
          In da butt.
          "Do not worry if others do not understand you. Instead worry if you do not understand others." - Confucius
          THE UNDEFEATED SUPERCITIZEN w:4 t:2 l:1 (DON'T ASK!)
          "God is dead" - Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" - God.

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          • #6
            Guess that would explain Richard Reid the shoe bomber.He was trying to kill and insult at the same time.
            Die-Bin Laden-die

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            • #7
              In NY, we usually flash the birdie. It means to go **** off.
              :-p

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