Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From the Radiolab podcast: 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 (radiolab.org/podcast/60-words),
or our series The Other Latif (wnycstudios.org/podcasts/other-latif)
EPISODE CITATIONS:
Collaborator’s Work -
Mariam Dwedar
Made in Palestine (zpr.io/JBAuqi5zyZMT) - a documentary short
@mariamdwedar - Instagram handle
Mais Al-Bayaa (mariamdwedar.com/)
Iraq Uncovered (zpr.io/ebuUcjSFcUJp) - documentary
Iraq’s Secret Sex Trade (zpr.io/u9HnCWmnQggG) - documentary
Go Back to Where You Came From (zpr.io/J8rxafGCCgUA) - documentary
@maisalbayaa - Instagram
Journal Articles _
The Art of Shoe-Throwing: Shoes as a Symbol of Protest and Popular Imagination (zpr.io/6gmuuavLWuHu), by Yasmin Ibrahim
Films:
The President’s Cake (zpr.io/bjFeNa2qFYvD) - The story of life in Iraq under sanctions during the 1990s, check out a film called
Inspired by the shoe throw -
Photos of shoe protests around the world (zpr.io/QsMGyWeK8MRR)
This music video (zpr.io/Xi5XhHYmWFHv)
This Halloween costume (zpr.io/fH97iB4fjL9U)
This play (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.
Episode Segments:
0:00 Chapter 1
34:52 Break
34:56 Chapter 2
1:16:10 Credits
1:17:10 Support
🎧 Subscribe to Radiolab wherever you listen to podcasts: lnk.to/radiolab!youtube
🔎 Subscribe to Radiolab on YouTube: bit.ly/3I9KI53
🖋 Subscribe to Radiolab’s Newsletter: radiolab.org/newsletter
🌱 Check out Radiolab's Starter Kit Playlist: bit.ly/3sX8f4P
👍 Like this video ✏️ and leave us a comment!
Follow Radiolab:
Instagram — instagram.com/radiolab
X — https://x.com/Radiolab
Facebook — facebook.com/Radiolab
Threads — threads.net/@radiolab
TikTok — tiktok.com/@radiolab
Our newsletter includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up here: radiolab.org/newsletter
Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today: radiolab.org/the-lab
Photo illustration by Ali Bey
Video by Joanna Strogatz
From the Radiolab podcast: 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 (radiolab.org/podcast/60-words),
or our series The Other Latif (wnycstudios.org/podcasts/other-latif)
EPISODE CITATIONS:
Collaborator’s Work -
Mariam Dwedar
Made in Palestine (zpr.io/JBAuqi5zyZMT) - a documentary short
@mariamdwedar - Instagram handle
Mais Al-Bayaa (mariamdwedar.com/)
Iraq Uncovered (zpr.io/ebuUcjSFcUJp) - documentary
Iraq’s Secret Sex Trade (zpr.io/u9HnCWmnQggG) - documentary
Go Back to Where You Came From (zpr.io/J8rxafGCCgUA) - documentary
@maisalbayaa - Instagram
Journal Articles _
The Art of Shoe-Throwing: Shoes as a Symbol of Protest and Popular Imagination (zpr.io/6gmuuavLWuHu), by Yasmin Ibrahim
Films:
The President’s Cake (zpr.io/bjFeNa2qFYvD) - The story of life in Iraq under sanctions during the 1990s, check out a film called
Inspired by the shoe throw -
Photos of shoe protests around the world (zpr.io/QsMGyWeK8MRR)
This music video (zpr.io/Xi5XhHYmWFHv)
This Halloween costume (zpr.io/fH97iB4fjL9U)
This play (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.
Episode Segments:
0:00 Chapter 1
34:52 Break
34:56 Chapter 2
1:16:10 Credits
1:17:10 Support
🎧 Subscribe to Radiolab wherever you listen to podcasts: lnk.to/radiolab!youtube
🔎 Subscribe to Radiolab on YouTube: bit.ly/3I9KI53
🖋 Subscribe to Radiolab’s Newsletter: radiolab.org/newsletter
🌱 Check out Radiolab's Starter Kit Playlist: bit.ly/3sX8f4P
👍 Like this video ✏️ and leave us a comment!
Follow Radiolab:
Instagram — instagram.com/radiolab
X — https://x.com/Radiolab
Facebook — facebook.com/Radiolab
Threads — threads.net/@radiolab
TikTok — tiktok.com/@radiolab
Our newsletter includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up here: radiolab.org/newsletter
Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today: radiolab.org/the-lab
Photo illustration by Ali Bey
Video by Joanna Strogatz
