A 20-year-old Egyptian feminist and political activist has startled the nation by posting a nude self-portrait on her blog, calling her action a scream “against a society of violence, racism, sexism, sexual harassment and hypocrisy.”
The protest by Aliaa Mahdy was viewed as a provocative move against the ruling military council and the rising influence of Islamist parties that are expected to win a major share of seats in upcoming Egyptian parliamentary elections. The image tests the bounds of expression in Muslim-dominated nation that considers itself moderate but prides itself on piety.
While winning praise in some quarters, it has been condemned elsewhere and has raised concerns that it needlessly incites Islamists against secularism at a time of intense political turmoil.
