Student, atheist and blogger, Aliaa Magda Elmahdy, 20, posted naked pictures of herself on her blog to show her “screams against a society of violence, racism, sexism, sexual harassment and hypocrisy”.
Showing her body particularly at a time when Islamists in Egypt are trying to secure power is the ultimate act of rebellion.
The Islamists in Egypt have replaced the photos of their female candidates with flowers and covered up a statue of mermaids in Alexandria. They refuse to appear face-to-face with female TV hosts, unless the presenter put on a headscarf or a barrier is placed between the two.
Elmahdy’s blogger boyfriend Kareem Amer (who has spent four years in jail for calling Mubarak a symbol of tyranny) posted on Facebook: “I think we should not be afraid of those in power or Islamists, as much as we should be worried of politicians claiming to be liberal. They are ready to sacrifice us to avoid tarnishing their image.”
November 19, 2011