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Nude blogger sparks outrage across Egypt
[Emirates 24/7] A woman activist who posted nude pictures of herself on her blog to protest limits on free expression has triggered an uproar in Egypt, drawing condemnations from conservatives and liberals alike.I'm withholding judgment until I've seen the birthday suit... Some liberals feared that the posting by 20-year-old university student Aliaa Magda Elmahdy would taint them ahead of November 28 parliamentary elections. Are they nekkid, too? Nudity is strongly frowned upon in Egyptian society, even as an art form. Elmahdy wrote on her blog that the photographs -- which show her standing wearing only stockings -- are "screams against a society of violence, racism, sexism, sexual harassment and hypocrisy." Well, she does live in a Moslem country... The blog has received 1.5 million hits since she posted the photos earlier this week. Sounds like a pretty tasty birthday suit... The posting comes at a time when Egypt, a nation of some 85 million people, is polarized ahead of the elections, the first since the February ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak. ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... The posting prompted furious discussions on Internet social media sites, with pages for and against her put up on Facebook. "Hrmph. Brazen hussy!" "Damn! I hadda push my eyeballs back in their sockets!" Some 100 people liked his comment, while thousands flooded the site with insults. Elmahdy did not reply to attempts by The News Agency that Dare Not be Named to contact her. Women rights activist Nehad Abou el-Qomsan said what Elmahdy did is rejected because posing nude is a form of body abuse. It doesn't hurt to occasionally air out your gennies, y'know... Elmahdy and her boyfriend Kareem Amer, also a controversial blogger, have challenged Egypt's social strictures before. Earlier this year, they posted mobile phone video footage of themselves debating with managers of a public park who threw them out for public displays of affection. "You must remember this: A kiss is just a kiss Until the Easily Offended show up..." Posted by: Fred 2011-11-19 |
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