Cairo  - Despite being detained by Iraqi forces, the reporter who threw his shoes at US president George W. Bush now seems to have more than what he ever wished for before this incident.

With hundreds of groups carrying his name on Facebook, text messages hailing his action being sent from one cell phone to another and protests held all over the Arab world supporting him, Montazer al- Zaidi has turned into an instant sensation in the region.

The 29-year-old reporter threw his shoes at Bush on Sunday during a press conference Bush held with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

As al-Zaidi shouted in Arabic: "This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqis, dog," Bush managed to dodge both shoes.

A page for al-Zaidi on the social networking website Facebook has more than 14,500 fans, while "One Million Shoes for George W. Bush" is just one example of the groups dedicated to al-Zaidi - some calling for his release, others hailing his courage.

Almost all carry disparaging messages about the outgoing US president posted. One fan wrote: "Sorry America, it is not you, it is Bush," while another wrote: "I heard Tony Blair's refusing to meet anyone wearing shoes!"

Al-Zaidi is currently standing trial in Iraq and faces seven to ten years in prison if found guilty of "offending a president".

A group called "I'm a fan of the great hero who hit Bush with his shoes in Baghdad!" with people from Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Iraq and Jordan, has some 65,000 members already.

Some online supporters have even written poems dedicated to him. Others think he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Outside Facebook, Egyptian pop singer Shaaban Abdel Rehim, known for his song "I Hate Israel," said he will be singing a song about al- Zaidi's "attack".

"You're good for nothing, Bush. You deserve a thousand shoes for all what you have done to us. The shoe attack was as surprising as the visit itself. The whole world felt elated and people stayed up all night in celebration," say the lyrics.

Technology played an important part in increasing al-Zaidi's fame. Not only did the internet allow people to watch the video of the accident over and over again, but also had mobile phones used to spread messages celebrating al-Zaidi and mocking Bush.

"Bush decided that from now on all his press conferences are going to be held in Al-Azhar mosque, so everyone will have to take off their footwear before entering," read one message.

Things do not stop here. Al-Zaidi already has two marriage offers. One day after a Egyptian man offered his daughter for al-Zaidi to marry, a Palestinian family did the same. (dpa)