As an act of solidarity with Egypt's Aliya el-Mahdy, 40 Israeli women posed for a nearly naked photo in protest of limited expression in Egypt, however, not fully displaying their intimate parts for the camera. “Girls, let's give 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,” the Israelis wrote on their Facebook page in solidarity. Or Tepler, an Israeli 28-year-old woman, opened a Facebook event inviting women “to show support in a non-violent and legitimate way for a woman who is just like us – young, ambitious, full of dreams and evidently has a developed sense of humor.” Tepler was inspired by el-Mahdy, a 20-year-old Egyptian university student, who shocked Egyptian society last week when she posted a naked photo of herself in protest against the limits on free expression in the country. For Tepler it seems to clear: “When a liberal, enlightened woman in Cairo cannot express herself and gets threats from her state, we should show solidarity.” Mahdy's nude pictures triggered an uproar in Egypt and was condemned from conservatives and liberals alike. While liberals criticize her of casting a damning light on them ahead of the elections on November 28, fundamentalist Islamists accuse her of “violating morals, inciting indecency and insulting Islam.” Mahdy received threats and harsh criticism for her actions. On Thursday the first legal move against her revolutionary pictures have occurred. The coalition of Islamic law graduates filed a case against her and her boyfriend and blogger, Kareem Amer. the Coalition of Islamic law graduates filed a case against activist Aliya Magda al-Mahdy and her boyfriend, and blogger, Kareem Amer, on Thursday accusing them of “violating morals, inciting indecency and insulting Islam.” The report, which was submitted to the general prosecutor, said the activist published a nude picture of herself “trying to spread her obscene ideology through the nude pictures.” The report was published in full on the coalition's Facebook page, called for Mahdy and Amer to be punished according to Islamic law. “The old constitution and the new declarations of the new one says Islamic law is the source of governing, therefore we asked for Islamic law penalties to be executed on the two bloggers,” Ahmed Yehia, coordinator of the coalition told Bikyamasr.com. “It is an insult to the revolution as these two persons who pretend to be one of the revolutionists and asking for sexual freedoms, they are giving the uprising a bad name,” he continued. BM
