Aliaa Magda Elmahdy is an extremely brave woman.
Some would say suicidal.
Today she posted an "outrageously graphic" photo on facebook with her and another woman menstruating and defecating on the ISIS flag to protest against the Islamist terror group’s recent advances in northern Iraq and Syria.
But are we shocked more by the image of menstruation ...than by what she is trying to protest against?
It's an interesting fact in itself how uncommon it is for us to see images of a normally bleeding woman.
It's also interesting that images of her displaying her naked body have shaken the Islamic world like a bomb going off... in a society that would find it much more acceptable for her to mutilate her body and slaughter herself and others with actual explosives. Admittedly, she is defecating on a holy flag... not the best way to win friends. But from any sane perspective, the shocking nature of this image is nothing compared to the graphic violence perpetrated by the Islamic State terror group with their recent advances on Iraq and Syria.
Check out her webpage here and read about what she experiences on a day to basis - the rampant misogyny and oppression of women in Islamic culture.
Some would say suicidal.
Today she posted an "outrageously graphic" photo on facebook with her and another woman menstruating and defecating on the ISIS flag to protest against the Islamist terror group’s recent advances in northern Iraq and Syria.
But are we shocked more by the image of menstruation ...than by what she is trying to protest against?
It's an interesting fact in itself how uncommon it is for us to see images of a normally bleeding woman.
It's also interesting that images of her displaying her naked body have shaken the Islamic world like a bomb going off... in a society that would find it much more acceptable for her to mutilate her body and slaughter herself and others with actual explosives. Admittedly, she is defecating on a holy flag... not the best way to win friends. But from any sane perspective, the shocking nature of this image is nothing compared to the graphic violence perpetrated by the Islamic State terror group with their recent advances on Iraq and Syria.
Check out her webpage here and read about what she experiences on a day to basis - the rampant misogyny and oppression of women in Islamic culture.
She is obviously not a woman afraid of controversy. She has previously protested the brutally restrictive and misogynistic ideology of fanatic Islamic culture with this photo in 2011 which caused a stir simply because of the nudity. She says that the photos are "screams against a society of violence, racism, sexism, sexual harassment and hypocrisy."
And here is an interview with her and a friend:
And here are some fascinating books on the subject (click on book covers for more info):
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