Violating the sacredness of the human body. Criticizing niqab & hailing nudity: Alia Al Mahdy
By Imane Fawzy Nofal
‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5 …’ that was me counting light poles or trees along the street as I rode in the car with my dad while I was young. Actually, it was fun for that little girl trying to figure out how far the numbering would go and what digit I would end with.
With less amusement these days, ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5 …’ that’s me counting the floors of the building across the street while waiting for a meeting; I am feeling bored and trying to occupy my mind, this is not so enjoyable for the 25 year old I now am.
Feeling silly and upset ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5 …’ that’s me trying to calm myself down using this familiar tranquilizing technique. However, it doesn’t seem to be working because I am more pissed off and even more ready to start a fight with whomever is the subject of my frustration.
‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5 …’ is representative of numbers that are unchangeable and can’t be manipulated. For example, a ‘1 + 1 = 2’ equation can never turn into ‘1 + 1 = 3’. This tells me that facts are facts and however we try as human being to change them, we simply can’t.
But here we are trying to turn this authentic equation into ‘1 + 1 = ∞’; simply by shrugging off Alia Al Mahdy’s nude pictures as normal. If you recall, she is a young 20 year old Egyptian blogger who last week posted nude photos of herself on her blog to speak up against the suppression of Muslim women, an act which sparked outrage in Egypt … and not so much in other places.
For & Against
Renowned public speaker and columnist Mona Eltahawy (whose thoughts and writings meet much of my likeness) recently wrote, “When a woman is the sum total of her headscarf and hymen – that is, what’s on her head and what is between her legs – then nakedness and sex become weapons of political resistance. You can witness how nudity sears through layers of hypocrisy and repression by following Aliaa Mahdy, a 20-year-old Egyptian who lit the fuse of that double-H bomb when she posted a nude photograph of herself on her blog last week.”
As I write this article, it is my intention to be objective and to refrain from expressing my personal perspective based on my religious beliefs; for I am a strong believer in the importance of prudence in maintaining a well-balanced ethical society. However, I know quite well that this discourse will not be the favorite for liberals and supposedly free thinkers. However, I will speak of ambivalence and inconsistency with the self and provide both sides.
I am also in no position to issue judgment on any person in this world. It just drives me crazy when the very people who claim to be for liberty and freedom of thought justify certain acts and condemn others based on their own very personal thoughts.
Mona Eltahawy stood up for France’s ban on niqab (the Muslim full cover) and she argued that niqab should be banned everywhere in the world. She holds a strong belief that niqab degrades women and robs them of their freedom. Is she forgetting that most, if not all who don the niqab do so by choice? It is worth noting that Mona Eltahawy is also known to have described the cartoons of prophet Muhammed (PBUH) as “the right to offend”!
Alya Al Mahdy’s blog adds another voice to the calls against niqab mainly because of the fact that crimes have allegedly been committed by some who hid behind it; and interestingly, both ladies cheered for Alya’s nude pictures. Alya described them as her “form of free expression” and Eltahawy summarizes it as a bomb aimed at the patriarchs in our minds!
Sorry ladies, I beg to differ! For me, if you really care as liberals to hear my voice, undressing is a form of rudeness. To coexist today, we should be able to hear each other’s voice and respect others’ beliefs. I have no right to offend you and you have no right to offend me. Simply put, your freedom stops where others’ freedom starts.
1+1=2. Wrong cannot be right!
As a ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5 …’ rule of thumb to all liberals and activists, if your mission is to ban niqab, why not focus on just that and stop cheering for shameful acts and giving the cause fake symbols?
In fact, so many points are entangled in the issue. Since most of the cheerers do not share the Egyptian code of ethics that form our society and mentality, and also for the most part do not understand the nature of Islam, pro Alyaa advocates have said that she is very brave to have exposed her naked body to the world and claim that those who now call her a ‘whore’ are only retarded Muslims who advocate women’s suppression.
As an Egyptian lady, I want to make it clear that most of the Egyptian society, Christian or Muslim, is a conservative society that looks at the human body, male or female, as private. By private, I mean that women’s breasts and men’s penises are not for public display!
Outside of Egypt’s borders, it’s however an undeniable worldwide fact that stripping off your clothes and trading your body are the doings of whores and prostitutes, and there is a general worldwide disdain for ‘prostitutes’ as far as I know. Why did Alyaa chose the red colored high heels with snap clips that match the worldwide colors of seduction? Was she really aiming at free expression to get society to throw out restrictions on women as she claims?! If you are a liberal and free thinker, you would be actually contradicting yourself for defending Alyaa for not being a ‘whore’, because you ought to find nothing for the word ‘whore’. Or hey, do you despise it too? To be honest, I am not calling her a ‘whore’, but I am just saying that what she did is in line with that category of people; for I don’t believe respectable revolutionists would follow in such paths.
As a Muslim, I find it outrageous that people still so blatantly misunderstand and misinterpret Islam. Just to be clear, Islam does not differentiate in penalties between people based on gender; both male and female will receive the same punishment for sins committed. Why are some then claiming that Muslims don’t approve of the nude pictures because she is a female?! This is not true and does not form the nature of Islam. Alyaa has committed a sin in terms of violating the sacredness of the human body. We are covered in our mothers’ wombs until born to find clothes that cover and warm us.
I know that this article might add nothing to pro-nudity activists, so why don’t I conclude by making a universal call through it. If you believe Alyaa is such a heroine and that there is nothing wrong with nudity, I am calling for a nudity day at ∞/∞/∞. Let’s all get nude!
Imane blogs at Express It 2 Live It
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