Full Frontal
Hassnae Bouazza
Aliaa Elmahdy, photograph taken from her Facebook page
Last week Algerian singer Fulla was refused entry into Egypt. The hugely popular artist was personally invited by the director of a major music event in post Moubarak and reborn Egypt.
In 1996, Fulla was deported from Egypt. The official reason was that she was involved in a prostitution scandal, but insiders knew and know better: a woman in Egypt can easily be eliminated by accusing her of immoral behaviour and getting her into trouble by sending the vice squad over to her. No need to worry about any evidence: a biased judge often won’t fuss about the lack of it.
After fifteen years of exile, Egyptian authorities decided that homeland security is at stake if Fulla enters the country. There’s violence in Egypt, anarchy in some parts, illegal arms sales have increased, the economy is in a dire state and there are upcoming elections – but what really threatens the internal stability, is the arrival of a singer whose morality is questioned.
And there we have it. The problem of the Arab, and indeed of most Islamic countries, in a nutshell: it all revolves around the woman. That in itself is a nice idea, except that women are always seen as the problem and as the source of all evil.
Shortly after the resignation of Moubarak it became known that women protesters were taken away by the military to have their virginity tested. These tests were, without a doubt, performed by unwashed, rough, male fingers, so as to make sure that no woman would pass the ’test’. One young lady, Samira Ibrahim, is now suing the army.
At the time of the gruesome massacres in Algeria in the 90s, the islamists put the following demands on the table: no mixed schools, no musical education and mandatory headscarfs for girls. The country was in chaos, it suffered from extreme terror and had a disastrous economy, but what really had to be changed, were those darned modern girls who didn’t cover their hair.
After the murder of Colonel Gaddafi, the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) presented its plans for the future. One of their first announcements was that the ban on polygamy in Libya would be lifted.
Polygamy, that God-given right to men: the Libyans had suffered so much without it under Gaddafi. The gruesome thought of being married to one wife for years on end. Surely Gaddafi, who was secretly in love with Condoleeza Rice, should have allowed his fellow country men to spicen up their marital lives. 10 Downing Street could dress the chairman of the NTC, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, in a tailored suit and teach him how to use a microphone, but his primal instincts were less easy to straigten out.
I remember a Dutch program from the early nineties for Moroccan migrants. The presentor, the now late Najib Taouijni, interviewed Imam Zaki Badawi (who passed away in 2006) who suggested that the headscarf is not the essence of islam, but rather your faith and being a good person. Indignation was his share: how dare he claim that the headscarf was not important? Being a good person? What a travesty.
In that same period, one of Badawi’s colleagues reacted with astonishment at the suggestion that islam allowed men to beat their wives. He wondered what sort of a relationship such men had in mind and what the use was of a marriage that wasn’t built on equality and mutual respect.
With the upcoming elections in mind, the usually loudmouthed Egyptian presenter Hala Sarhan, who returned to her country after the departure of Mubarak, decided to invite one of the leaders of the Islamist group Jamaa Al Islamiya, Sheikh Assem Abdel Maged, to her show. He had one condition, namely that Hala Sarhan would sit elsewhere so that he would not have to share the same space with her. Sarhan, who is known for her uncompromising stance on equal rights, complied to his wishes.
This in contrast to Pakistani actress Veena Malik, who vehemently attacked a conservative imam a while ago who had criticised her. Malik asked him if he hadn’t better attack the terrorists who give Islam a bad name instead of worrying about her faith.
Last weekend a spokesman for the Salafists, Abdul Moneim al Shahat, was invited to a program called ‘The Youth Cafe’. The Egyptian Salafis shared some interesting proposals recently, such as covering the Pharaoh statues, because the statues stand for idolatry.
The spokesman demanded from the presenter, Eman al Ashraf, that she cover her head. During the live broadcast the presenter agreed to this and told the audience that she wore the headscarf unwillingly. A female viewer who called in asked if this was what was in store if the Salafists took power. A riot was born and the station is now investigating the matter. The Salafist claimed the presentor was being a good host by complying with his wishes.
The young presenter told pan-Arabic newspaper Asharq Al Awsat that the Salafi spokesman told her: “wear the hijab willingly now, before you wear it unwillingly later on”. Eman al Ashraf tried to enter into a conversation with him. She wanted to understand why he did not object to her uncovered head before they went on air.
Following the consternation, the Islamists announced they would no longer boycot unveiled presentors. Breaking news. As if they had discovered a cure for cancer.
Discussions with Muslim men like Abdul Moneim al Shahat always follow a fixed pattern. Woman: “Why do you want to marry four wives, that’s crazy.” Man: “It is my right as a man. You doubt it? Are you a Muslim? Are you faithful?” Or: “It is reprehensible to marry a nine year old girl’. Answer: “The example of the prophet is sacred! Do you dare to question him? Are you a real Muslim? Are you a real Muslim?!” And: “It’s a disgrace that men beat their wives.” Response: “Islam has its own rules that men and women must adhere to. Men simply have rights. What did you say? You question the Quran?! Are you a Muslim?”
Men like Al Shahat use the Quran, whether they’ve read it or not, to stifle all criticism, each appeal to use one’s mind, and to thwart any development. Only the most cold-blooded, unflappable women can break through this and, as has become clear, there are many such women. Too often, conservatives rely on ‘faith’ or ‘culture’ so they won’t have to bear any responsibility for their ideas and deeds. “It’s just the way it” is a frequently heard excuse.
But a laissez tomber attitude gets you nowhere, Egyptian blogger and feminist Aliaa Elmahdy must have thought. She decided to shake things up last weekend by posting a full frontal photo of herself on her site. To express her freedom, she writes. Clad in stay up tights, red ballet flats and a red flower in her hair, she looks defiantly into the lens.
There was an immediate storm on the Internet: some people thought her courageous, others dismissed her and claimed she was either crazy or confused. Admittedly, taking your clothes off in an islamic country not only requires enormous bravery but also at least a touch of insanity. Previously Moroccan presentor Nadia Larguet posed naked and pregnant for the cover of Femmes du Maroc, her hands strategically placed. Aliaa Elmahdy takes it one step further and bares it all without embarrassment or hesitation. She looks into the camera as if to say: “Now what?”
For Islamists and conservatives, the modesty of a women not only stands for her own honour, but for the honour of her family and even the whole country. The violence and backwardness these countries suffer from almost seem to have less priority than the honour of women. Muslim conservatives are as obsessed with the headscarf and nudity as the Western Islam haters who, let us not forget, react just as narrowmindedly and aggressively to female nudity.
’This has nothing to do with freedom’, some people objected to Aliaa Elmahdy’s bold statement. ‘The photograph is not artistic’, was another point of criticism. In case of discomfort, people suddenly know all about art and the true definition of freedom. What makes Aliaa’s protest so special, is that it is an aggressive confrontation, unprecedented in the Arab world. She addresses an essential problem with her nudity. Or, as actress and dancer Amanda Azim said on Twitter, ‘if you have a problem with nudity, you have a problem with humanity’.
Hassnae Bouazza is a Dutch-Moroccan journalist, publicist and translator. Dutch islamophobes consider her a front soldier of the islamisation of The Netherlands.
English, Hassnae Bouazza, 16.11.2011 @ 14:41
45 Reacties
op 16 11 2011 at 14:55 schreef Yvonne:
Zoals een naakte vrouw een hele wereld kan omvatten.
Goede informatie weer.
op 16 11 2011 at 15:41 schreef yurp:
Puik stuk, complimenten!
op 16 11 2011 at 19:33 schreef Rene K:
Nou nou, de Jamaa Al Islamiya en de FIS mannetjes worden nogal opgewonden door Aliaa Elmahdy. Jammer dat ze gelijk zo agressief opgewonden worden, maar dat was misschien te voorzien.
op 16 11 2011 at 20:02 schreef דפני ליף המצרית: הגירסה הפמיניסטית העירומה (ל"להבוס) | חורים ברשת:
[…] נאבקים על החופש שלהם. בשבוע שעבר השלטונות המצריים סירבו לספק אשרת כניסה למדינה לזמרת האלג’יראית הפופולרית פולה. בשנת 1996 […]
op 16 11 2011 at 22:33 schreef Sasha Berkman:
Helaas is dit verder niet echt opgepikt in de reguliere media.
op 17 11 2011 at 02:32 schreef Huib:
You’re right, Hassnae.
op 17 11 2011 at 02:35 schreef Huib:
Finally, I see that Lebanese papers write about it. Not too early. (L’Orient-Le-Jour, 16-11-2011)
op 17 11 2011 at 11:51 schreef Yvonne:
Terug de boom in met die kranten, we hebben internet.
op 17 11 2011 at 12:20 schreef MNb:
“Imam Zaki Badawi who suggested that the headscarf is not the essence of islam, but rather your faith and being a good person.”
Zo kijken Surinaamse moslims er ook tegenaan.
Overigens is een moeizame omgang met het verschijnsel sex typerend voor alle drie de Abrahamistische religies. Omdat deze mannelijk zijn komt dat in de praktijk neer op het kort houden van vrouwen.
Speciaal voor Sandro, Grote Piet (lang niet gezien, trouwens) en co: dit heb ik dus ook tegen de islam.
op 17 11 2011 at 14:35 schreef Jemy Keijzer:
Van mij mogen alle moslima’s uit de kleren gaan om deze dappere jonge Arabische vrouw te steunen.Als Allah had gewild dat de (Arabische) vrouw haar schoonheid zou bedekken dan had hij de vrouw geboren laten worden met een boerka.Ik roep dan ook hierbij alle Arabische/moslimvrouwen op om hetzelfde te doen als deze dappere vrouw,als een daad van protest tegen de onderdrukking door de man en de mannenmaatschappij.
op 17 11 2011 at 15:17 schreef Irrie:
Goed stuk Hassnae,ook hulde voor jou.
op 17 11 2011 at 17:31 schreef Sasha Berkman:
het begint goed door te komen:
op 18 11 2011 at 04:14 schreef T-Dubai:
Sluuut! was this a revolutionary for whores to show their true colors? #revolutionaryforsluts
op 18 11 2011 at 08:29 schreef ajay pandey:
you are right alia. all is well
op 18 11 2011 at 09:11 schreef PODOLOF:
La femme sera l’avenir de l’homme …… Courage la Belle Rebelle
op 18 11 2011 at 11:54 schreef Fatima:
Ow gaan we hier lekker verder. Mooi had nog wat meer kracht om meer trappen uit te delen. Dit keer is Jemy het slachtoffer.
Uiteraard ben ik eerst even naar haar kant van t verhaal gaan kijken, wil niet al te snel conclusies trekken. Deze dame is dus geen Moslima maar Atheist, dus hoezo alle Moslimvrouwen uit de kleren Jemy? Tuurlijk we staan te popelen aan jouw oproep gehoor te geven ~~~~~~~~~~> not. Gaat ff lekker zelf uit de kleren. Genoeg Arabische vrouwen die dat deden, doen, zullen gaan doen overigens hoor. Je hebt hier speciale pornosites voor als je ook hier geen gehoor op krijgt. Wie weet tref je hier ook een Moslima, zijn ook maar gewoon mensen, of misbruiksvoorwerpen.
Gewoon een andere versie van Hirshi Ali, more to come in the future.
For the non Dutch speakers. This girl is an Atheist as she proudly admits. Atheist women, no not all, are proud to show their boobies. So not that much of a big deal folks, move on to the next in line.
op 18 11 2011 at 11:59 schreef MNb:
Inderdaad, geen big deal Fatima. Alleen in Egypte wel. Dat ligt dus niet aan Elmahdy, maar aan de sociale toestanden in Egypte. Is dat nou zo moeilijk?
op 18 11 2011 at 12:32 schreef Fatima:
Nou MNb kijk als je net als Hirshi Ali gaat lopen zeiken over de Islam moet je niet van Moslims gaan verwachten dat ze je gaan omarmen. & al helemaal niet in een Islamitisch land. Is dat nou zo moeilijk?
Maar goed misschien komt ze ook wel hierheen als vluchteling en lekker geknuffeld door liberalen om haar voor de kutIslamkar te spannen tot ze kreupel is en vervolgens in de VS te dumpen.
Ze kan nog wat van echte feministen, de Moslima’s, leren als ze goed naar de kritieken luistert. ;~p
op 18 11 2011 at 12:33 schreef Peter:
Man, man, wat een nare, agressieve domheid weer.
op 18 11 2011 at 13:02 schreef Fatima:
Als je mij bedoelt Peter dan LOL
Wij zijn tamelijk gepassioneerd ;~p
op 18 11 2011 at 13:16 schreef Yvonne:
@Fatima
Ga eens even verder fietsen, Fatima. If it’s not a big deal, what’s your problem then? Everyone is free to express themselves. Nobody gets wounded or killed from seeing a nude woman. You better get upset about the violence. So, go ride your bike and ring the bell campaign.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWma4LykFxY
op 18 11 2011 at 13:26 schreef Yvonne:
“Ze kan nog wat van echte feministen, de Moslima’s, leren als ze goed naar de kritieken luistert. ;~p”
Ik weet niet uit welk ei jij komt, maar hier hadden wij Phil Bloom, Baas in eigen Buik etc, als je het dan toch over echte feministen hebt. Luister daar maar eens na, kan jij nog eens wat leren. Staphorst hebben we allang gepasseerd, muffe doos.
http://www.123video.nl/playvideos.asp?MovieID...
HOEPLA: NAAKTE PHIL BLOOM SHOCKEERT NEDERLAND IN ..
op 18 11 2011 at 13:48 schreef Fatima:
Ah ja fietsen? Sorry heb een lekke band. I don’t have a problem im just free to express myself & nobody got wounded or killed by it . .. .yet. .. .I hope lol ghehe ;~p Im getting upset right now cos my daughter wants to take over my laptop & im not finished with you yet. Like I said: I got a flat tire but sure lets ring the bell for round 2 Like Muhammad Ali Inspired the Catchphrase ‘Let’s Get Ready to Rumbleeeeeeee ;~p
op 18 11 2011 at 14:01 schreef Fatima:
Ben Moslim geen Darwinist, ik kwam uit een kut. Solly had graag je Dr Phil programma willen bekijken maar filmpje werkte niet.
Mensen die in Staphorst wonen zijn daar vast uitgestapt anders moet je even muffe doos tegen hun schreeuwen en dan je mond spoelen stupid kid.
op 18 11 2011 at 14:29 schreef Yvonne:
@Fatima
Kijk maar op you tube: Mothers of Invention/Hoepla
Wel voor boven de 18.
Verder kan je erover lezen bij onderstaande website:
Phil Bloom – A Woman Who Changed Dutch Society
jackvanderwyk.wordpress.com/…/phil-bloom-a-woman-who-change
Wat lezen over de geschiedenis van het feminisme in Nederland kan ook geen kwaad. Voordat je wat schrijft, is het ook wel handig als je wat weet over het een en ander. Succes.
op 18 11 2011 at 15:32 schreef Fatima:
Hm toon gematigd ey, knap lol. Nou ik zal ondanks je vooringenomenheid dat ik nix weet over het 1 & ander even het filmpje gaan bekijken. Ik kan je nu al vertellen dat ik er een andere mening op nahoud. Nogmaals ben pro-vrouw maar op een andere manier. Mensen moeten maar eens ophouden om gelovigen als achterlijk of ouderwets te bestempelen. Wij zien in de nieuwe kleren van de keizerin gewoon een blote kont. Damn put some clothes on girl or quit crying people are laughing at ya.
op 18 11 2011 at 16:18 schreef Fatima:
Mothers of Invention/Hoepla gekeken nou dat filmpje kwam zeker uit een muffe doos en ja hoor een blote vrouw tussen 2 heren met kleding aan. Om maar niet te spreken over laatste deel van het filmpje, hoe ging die campagne ook al weer? Oja: Just Say No.
Die wause hippie station hebben we ook allang gepasseerd. Op weg naar de eindhalte dan maar.
op 18 11 2011 at 16:31 schreef Yvonne:
@Fatima
Put some brains on girl before you see yourself.
op 18 11 2011 at 16:50 schreef Fatima:
Gelukkig heeft God ervoor gezorgd dat dat een goed beschermd inwendig orgaan is. Het enige orgaan dat met bot is omwikkeld. Now you use it wise my dear, anders is het verspilde moeite ;~p
op 18 11 2011 at 19:13 schreef Roots:
Interessant stuk. Goed dat er in engels geschreven wordt.
Eén taal, één front.
Samen één stem vormen tegen onrecht.
op 18 11 2011 at 19:21 schreef jetze:
Ik heb nog nooit een atheist aan de deur gehad, Fatima.
Al geloof je in stenen, ga er niet mee gooien.
Zo moeilijk kan dat toch niet zijn! :-)
op 18 11 2011 at 19:44 schreef William:
Viva La Revolution!
op 19 11 2011 at 09:44 schreef Fatima:
Ik genoeg Jetze en met niet 1 voet maar 2 voeten tussen de deur. Time to kick back & i’m alive and kicking it ;~p
Hasta la Victoria Siempre!
op 19 11 2011 at 22:12 schreef jetze:
Onzin, Fatima,
Geloof is iets voor godelozen. Je mist mijn punt.
Haste la vista, make my day.
op 19 11 2011 at 22:48 schreef abc:
This girl is young, crazy and overly rebellious. She’s making an international fool of herself. There are better and more effective ways of putting your point forward.
op 20 11 2011 at 01:52 schreef M foy:
This act is not about sex. It is a statement of individual freedom and individual self-determination; in a part of the world that does little to encourage individualism and equality. It is the extreme civil acts that get the world talkin. What we all should be afraid of is the religious police carrying out “virginity tests” be it on protesters, criminals or school girls, that is the crime agaist morals of mand and God.
op 20 11 2011 at 15:11 schreef Rick:
About time ignorance in the Muslim community came to a head, maybe if the Muslim hardliners woke up and joined humanity the world would be a better place. There is no place for violence against women no matter how disguised at a “Muslim right” or “if you are a true Muslim”. Backward ignorant pigs, screw them and their beliefs.
Anybody who hides behind a religious belief to hurt humanity is a coward and lowlife.
op 20 11 2011 at 23:29 schreef Sean:
I agree that this is an important statement of freedom. But I would point out that Christianity is as hostile to nudity and freedom as Islam. It wasn’t more than a couple of centuries ago that a man would be tortured and burned alive for translating the Bible from Latin to German or English. And in the lingo of Americans, it wasn’t a “few bad apples” who made such decisions but ecumenical councils, bishops, the Pope – people who are now saints.
To Schreef about being “overly rebellious” I caution you that if people don’t become a lot more rebellious very soon, the world will become a giant prison where you can work, shop or engage in transportation between working and shopping. It will be a giant prison where your every word whether spoken or written will be immediately sifted by networks of computers for inappropriate words of sedition (which by then could be wanting a refund for a defective product). You have no idea how much is hanging in the balance right now.
op 21 11 2011 at 01:47 schreef Michael Fenelon:
The sad thing about this is that millions of hypocritical arab will be masturbating over her picture.
op 22 11 2011 at 11:22 schreef Fatima:
Onzin right back at ya jetze, en jij mist mijn punt.
Vertel heb je wel eens een Moslim aan de deur gehad dan? Atheisten die gelovigen voor achterlijk uitmaken komen regelmatig via andere kanalen binnen. De Jehova’s getuigen doen het weer op hun manier.
Hasta la basta, ik werk niet op commando
op 25 11 2011 at 10:42 schreef johan eldert:
Top stuk !
op 25 11 2011 at 11:51 schreef Michael de Bruin:
Wat gezeur altijd, gelovige of geen gelovige of whatever, wanneer komt er een keer vrijheid voor iedereen op deze aardbodem, zonder dat een of ander achterlijk geloof zich ermee gaat bemoeien!!!
op 09 12 2011 at 02:32 schreef Jeffrey Risner:
The freedom to express one self is the very core of art and the freedom to do art. A human being is art, the body is art, and the artistic spirit that the body hold is art. This freedom is threaten by religious ignorance in the East and political repression in the West. I applaud the courageous youth in this world that are now seeing the danger and fighting it.
op 14 12 2011 at 21:46 schreef Les Pinter:
Aliaa looks like a girl – like your sister or your mother. Her picture is not pornographic in the least. Her statement to Moslem men is “this is what we look like. You don’t have the right to beat us for the way the look, or because we expose our hair, our ankles or our breasts. Deal with it.” Too bad they’re too stupid to get it.
Aliaa is a hero, not just to Egyptians and to women, but to every intelligent human being.
She’s pretty cute, too. You go, girl!
op 16 12 2011 at 01:42 schreef Ahmed:
To Michael Fenelon;
No sir arab wont be masturbating on this pic, but u may will. Islam for ur knowledge forbid masturbation and all unorganized sexual behaviors like what u experience. Islam separate human from animals by putting these rules and regulations. The problem of much of u here is that u speak with very little or no knowledge about Islam, u think Islam is just covered women and bearded men loaded with guns and bombs, no sir we deny these ppl also, but we dont approve such nudity which is denied by every religion and every logic. Let religion a side and only use ur mind, what can u get from posting urself naked? what did that approve? how come u fight for freedom by undressing?
I respect and support a woman for her work, mind, passion, but not for her naked picture like u, to masturbate on it
No sir in Islam we taught to respect our women, our prophet (PBUH) told us to take care of women, respect them, and defend them by our souls. So many women were mentioned during his period and their names and roles r well known in Islam so dont try to say that Islam suppress women, try and read first before u say things u dont know
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