Crisis in Tahrir

Israeli women take off clothes for Egypt “nude revolutionary” blogger

| 20 November 2011 | Comments (13)

Aliya Mahdy

As an act of solidarity with Egypt’s Aliya el-Mahdy, 40 Israeli women posed for a nearly naked photo in protest of limited expression in Egypt, however, not fully displaying their intimate parts for the camera.

“Girls, let’s give the world a good reason to see the unique beauty of Israeli women. Regardless of whether they are Jewish, Arab, straight or Lesbian – because here, as of now, it doesn’t matter. (…) Let us show the doubters that our international discourse doesn’t depend on governments,” the Israelis wrote on their Facebook page in solidarity.

Or Tepler, an Israeli 28-year-old woman, opened a Facebook event inviting women “to show support in a non-violent and legitimate way for a woman who is just like us – young, ambitious, full of dreams and evidently has a developed sense of humor.”

Tepler was inspired by el-Mahdy, a 20-year-old Egyptian university student, who shocked Egyptian society last week when she posted a naked photo of herself in protest against the limits on free expression in the country.

For Tepler it seems to clear: “When a liberal, enlightened woman in Cairo cannot express herself and gets threats from her state, we should show solidarity.”

Mahdy’s nude pictures triggered an uproar in Egypt and was condemned from conservatives and liberals alike. While liberals criticize her of casting a damning light on them ahead of the elections on November 28, fundamentalist Islamists accuse her of “violating morals, inciting indecency and insulting Islam.”

Mahdy received threats and harsh criticism for her actions. On Thursday the first legal move against her revolutionary pictures have occurred. The coalition of Islamic law graduates filed a case against her and her boyfriend and blogger, Kareem Amer.

the Coalition of Islamic law graduates filed a case against activist Aliya Magda al-Mahdy and her boyfriend, and blogger, Kareem Amer, on Thursday accusing them of “violating morals, inciting indecency and insulting Islam.”

The report, which was submitted to the general prosecutor, said the activist published a nude picture of herself “trying to spread her obscene ideology through the nude pictures.”

The report was published in full on the coalition’s Facebook page, called for Mahdy and Amer to be punished according to Islamic law.

“The old constitution and the new declarations of the new one says Islamic law is the source of governing, therefore we asked for Islamic law penalties to be executed on the two bloggers,” Ahmed Yehia, coordinator of the coalition told Bikyamasr.com.

“It is an insult to the revolution as these two persons who pretend to be one of the revolutionists and asking for sexual freedoms, they are giving the uprising a bad name,” he continued.

BM

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Section: Egypt, Latest News, Palestine, Women

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  • Anonymous

    the person who sees something vulgar and inappropriate in nakedness, is thinking in a vulgar and inappropriate manner

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  • http://ianrobertdouglas.com Ian Douglas

    Even if this is not direct hasbara (Zionist public diplomacy), this is typical to Zionist strategy, even on the Zionist left: appropriate something which is not yours in order to destroy it. Tipler also said: “Of course there’s the nationalistic aspect, and I won’t deny being a leftist and a seeker of peace.” She added: “I feel like the governments don’t represent the enlightened, simple people who want peace.” You can read the original YNet article here: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4150344,00.html Pathetic

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SMWCJENG64PCYJZOBGZS3HG4WU abe leehane

      @Ian Douglas  No you are pathetic… yes you are. You are incapable of seeing the good because you hate so much. If one day, an Israeli would discover a cure for all the ills of the world and give it away for free, you would say that is only a Zionist ploy to enslave the globe.  You foul language was invented to use on people like you, but I won’t do that because you are way below even this level.

      • http://ianrobertdouglas.com Ian Douglas

        Your response is a mix of insult and unfounded speculation. Not worth replying to

    • http://twitter.com/letsgoskatepool Seth Levy

      Ian, is there any way that an Israeli could show support for her neighbor without making you cry foul?

      • http://ianrobertdouglas.com Ian Douglas

        @Seth. I’m sure there are a thousand ways. But this is not one of them

        • Khadija

          So you were all for this stunt as long as it was an Egyptian woman calling for Egyptian women to do this, but denounce the involvement of the Zionists? Could it be because their involvement unmasks this “movement” for what it truly is, an attempt to destroy Islamic values in Egypt? 

          • http://ianrobertdouglas.com Ian Douglas

            @aea8fdc2522c71b38f32819454dd9ed3:disqus 1. Nowhere did I see Aliaa call on other Egyptian women to strip nude. 2. Yes, I denounce Zionists, in everything they do. 3. Whose Islamic values are you talking about?

          • Khadija

            The Islamic values of the Prophet Muhammad saw, that’s whose values I’m talking about. There is nothing in our religion that finds it acceptable for anyone, man or woman, to put their naked bodies on public display like animals. People don’t even find this to be “art” in secular America; it’s pornography. Why should Egyptians accept it? 

          • http://ianrobertdouglas.com Ian Douglas

            1. You’re wrong about “secular America”. Unlike for you, not all public displays of the naked body in America are pornography. And clearly Aliaa’s action has nothing at all to do with pornography. Any attempt to deem it pornography is simply an attempt to ignore or blunt or destroy the political message she was making: one against hypocrisy, intolerance, sexism, sexual harassment, and bigotry, among other things. I can understand that this political message makes you uncomfortable, but this was precisely her point. The intolerant reaction of so many – you included – is proof of the problem she felt obliged to confront in the most powerful and forceful way that she could: by showing you her naked body, and unashamedly. 2. You use the word “animal” to made a distinction in behavior; one that appears in your turn of phrase to imply that animals are vile and below humans. I just disagree. We are all animals. Human society established a division for its own reasons. Outside of our understanding, there is no division. I remind that the first sign of psychopathology in children is cruelty to animals. 3. You say you refer to the Islamic values of the Prophet Muhammad. Live by that if you want. For me, within Islam there is no intermediary between me and Allah. I never felt that nakedness was wrong. In fact, oftentimes, I lamented the distance between people that goes with clothes. Similarly, I never felt that piety was a virtue. Rather, love is a virtue to me, and this is not – either – a defense of promiscuity. Second, I think Aliaa was trying to remind Egyptians of something important. Not only women’s rights, but freedom, which in many ways was a foundation of the January uprising. I can’t imagine the danger her naked body represents to you. Is your culture so fragile, your religion so unstable, that one naked body deserves such condemnation? I feel Islam is strong, but not in the hands of the intolerant. I read all of this differently from you, as is my right. As is Aliaa’s right