Crisis in Tahrir

Iran’s “nude revolutionary” Farahani says image is symbolic

| 20 January 2012 | Comments (11)

Golshifteh Farahani

CAIRO: Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani has left much of the Islamic world in an uproar over her nude image in a French magazine, which she then posted on Facebook. The actress has spoken out, saying she wanted to make a symbolic gesture about nudity and sex.

“This video clip is a symbolic gesture to remove the common taboos that exist in various societies and does not aim to promote nudity or sex,” a Facebook statement from her said. “By taking part in these photo shoots the people taking part wish to demonstrate their redemtion from these taboos by the way they act and talk.

“The objective is to liberate their soul and bodies at the same time. As long as an individual has no power iver her or his body and their soul does not have the command of the way they wish to think, then they do not have a true freedom.

“Although I do not think looking at the nude photo of another human may have an attraction, but it is certainly far more enjoyable than looking at the fully covered and burqa and hejab wearing body of a woman who has been wrapped and imprisoned by her man. So much for not looking at women as sex symbols as the fundamentalists want us to believe!” she added.

Farahani came to stardom at the age of 14 when she appeared in the film Pearl Tree, but jumped to international fame in 2008 when she starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie Body of Lies.

“I think it is disgusting and she should be put to jail or worse for this crazy idea. Women here are treated with utmost respect,” said an Iranian government official in Cairo, the birthplace of the nude photo revolutionary in the region.

Aliaa Mahdy, an Egyptian blogger, posed completely nude and posted the image on her personal blog in November, sparking the ire of both conservatives and liberals alike. Mahdy said she posted the image in order to push women’s issues forward and to show that her body was not owned by anyone but herself.

Back in Iran, the semi-official Fars news agency said “publishing of photographs of the deplorable Golshifteh Farahani on the Internet shows the ugly face of cinemas behind the scenes.”

But women in Iran are not as disturbed by the image and told Bikyamasr.com that the idea that a woman can demand her rights through “the shock of nudity” is not new to the world.

“We have long had nudity in our history, and this concept and act of protest by Farahani is the next evolution in the battle for women to become equal and have full rights in the country,” said one professor, Nadia, who said speaking on the topic could make her face disciplinary action.

“It is really easy to condemn and call her ridiculous, but the reality is men are all logging on to see her naked body, just like they did in Egypt. At least now we can talk about women’s issues in this country and push empowerment forward,” the professor told Bikyamasr.com via telephone.

In Egypt, upon hearing of Farahani’s actions, activist Manal said that “if she is going to be banned from Iran, maybe more women should follow her lead and take off their clothes. At least this way we can leave our countries and live in peace.”

BM

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Section: Iran, Latest News, Women

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  • Maryamdesigner

    i m iranian girl
    i thinkk gholshite ‘work was very cheap and without mind
    she was the best super star in iran and now play in some low roll
    and this leatest work is so  disaster
    i can just sey shame on her

  • Sahar

    i am iranian and live in iran and i dont agree with Golshifte Farahani. she did a worse reaction .that is not good out of iran ,too

  • Saman

    i am an iranian and im agree with mahtab & tarane.

  • http://samizdata.net/blog Perry de Havilland

    The comments show that many Iranians are willing victims of their absurd theocratic rulers.  Religion really does rot the mind it seems when taking off your clothes is somehow seen as worse than the actions of a violence backed tyrannous government.  Pathetic.

  • Peter

    This chic is out of her mind. I am not Muslim, but my brother a non-Muslim who fell in love with a Muslim girl and she wears Hijab by choice and happens to be a doctor. This kind of farcical journalism is dangerous. 

    I wouldn’t be surprised if its a move on her part to get a citizenship of a European country by claiming “threat to life” and asylum. Taking your clothes off is not liberation, its a step backwards. Two wrongs don’t make a right. I am not sure how these women get the idea that taking your clothes off is liberation. 

    If anything, the general consensus from both, Muslims and Non-Muslims, is one of nonacceptance. It is a heap shot to promote her own agenda for a publicity stunt. Why not go start a blog or a charity? I also wonder how much money did she made for this so-called liberation nude picture? Perhaps she should send that money back to poor kids in Iran. 

  • Anonymous

    I can’t understand that an Iranian girl, that is surrounded by the monuments of 3000 years of Iranian history, follows the decadent West. I am sure that one day the Iranian people will enjoy freedom and peace, but not by imitating the rotten principles of Europe.

  • tarane

    im an iranian girl and i agree with mahtab

  • loreta

    she is a hero . we love you

  • Mahtab

    im an iranian girl! and im not agree with her idea! it is true that we are forced to have hejab but in our culture from thoushands year(befor islam) till now no woman accepts to appears in public with no clothes like what she didwith no clothes and i think what she did is worse than what this damn government in doing with us! none of the people of iran like her picture and idea but few

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