Israeli women bare (not quite) it all to show support for Egyptian nude blogger

Published Monday, November 21, 2011, 4:33 PM

As described in an article by Christopher Santarelli for Glenn Beck's news website, The Blaze, support is coming from non-obvious places for feminist 20-year-old Egyptian blogger and university student Aliaa Magda Elmahdy.

Elmahdy has created an enormous stir in her country and beyond via her publication of a fully-frontal nude photograph of herself on her blog, in order to call attention to the threat to free speech in Egypt.

According to Santarelli's article, "Israeli Women Strip in Support of Nude Egyptian Blogger":

Forty Israeli women posed nude in support of a young female Egyptian blogger who drew criticism and threats for posting a naked photo of herself to protest against the limits of free speech in her country. The organizer of the Israeli event says she wanted to show support for women like Egyptian activist Aliaa Elmahdy, and show 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,” Or Tepler told YNet News. Tepler organized the event on Facebook. The participants were photographed holding a sign saying “Love without Limits,“ and ”Homage to Aliaa Elmahdi. Sisters in Israel.”

Later, according to Santarelli's article:

Tepler told Ynet in regards to her copycat protest, “I got the idea the day that the blogger’s photo was posted.”

“It got on my nerves that she received a quarter of a million abusive comments and death threats,” said Tepler. “I felt that when a liberal, enlightened woman in Cairo cannot express herself and gets threats from her state, I should show solidarity.”

While Tepler's event's end product featured enough "strategic covering" that it is acceptable to publish with this article, the photograph of Elmahdy leaves very little to the imagination.

In that regard, Philadelphia Jewish Culture Examiner, although an enthusiastic supporter of freedom of speech and freedom of expression, is not here providing a copy of the photo Elmahdy posted of herself. However, anyone who wishes to see the unedited photo as Elmahdy (who has placed herself very much at risk in the process) wishes for people to see it can, as of now, do so (circuitously) via this link.

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