"In the Arab world, shoe flinging is a gesture of extreme disrespect. A notable occurrence of this gesture happened in Baghdad, Iraq in 2003. When U.S. forces pulled down a giant statue of Saddam Hussein during the 2003 invasion of Iraq , many Iraqi detractors of Hussein threw their shoes at the fallen statue.This may be an ancient gesture from the Middle East; Psalms 60:10, speaking of some of the traditional enemies of Judah, says that "Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe....""" I can vouch for this one. I have lived for 24 years, and am still astonished that shoe flinging is seen as an affectionate gesture in U.S. culture. I in fact engage in shoe flinging with my neighbors all the time, and we have a good laugh. (thanks anonymous)