Commentary: Revolutionary blogger -to strip or not to strip?

A former AUC student recently posted nude pictures of herself, her boyfriend, and four other photos under the notion of freedom of expression and the body.

For years women's voices have been unheard or worse silenced, their bodies have been condemned to patriarchal control and their minds ignorant of their own bodies.

Finally, a girl has committed the most controversial act to attract the attention of the entire Egyptian media, and plenty of foreign media as well. She took off her clothes, took a picture of herself in her parents' house in an unattractive black-and-white shot to make the aforementioned statement.

And, of course, there was the expected social backlash; some men called her "a whore," others made of fun of her "unfeminine body," while ignoring the fact that one of the pictures she posted was that of a naked man.

It was acceptable and even pitiful almost a year ago when a poor man set himself on fire to attract attention to his miserable state, but no one questioned his fate, called him an atheist or reprimanded him.

Then the revolution came and the entire Egyptian society was united for a cause, but when that society was divided along gender barriers, that unity disappeared.

Dealing with the rights of women and hearing their voices was not condemned as it was before but just "ignored," society labeled the political status of the country as more important; they set aside the demands of the gentler sex until the country settles, then we can all come back later to discuss women's issues.

Could this not be perceived as an act of desperation? A response to the media's turning a blind eye to what is happening to women and what might happen to them in the future? Egypt has pushed El Mahdy to the extreme.
Aliaa Al Mahdy did say in an exclusive interview to CNN that she lost her virginity to a man 40 years her senior when she was 18.

Fifty years ago, when Latifa al-Zayyat wrote The Open Door she was attacked for portraying a young girl's coming of age so blatantly.

Feminists have written so many works to depict their status in society, women have received freedom and equality after decades of struggle and at such a slow pace, despite all the efforts undertaken for their liberation, and only to serve another dictated cause.

Women will constantly be attacked for any form of liberal action they take, the question remains; where do we draw the line?

Al Mahdy had to resort to foreign media to tell her story, and would not talk to Egyptian media. This is how judgemental we have become.

How far is too far when you are continuously disregarded?

A girl sacrificing her body to make a statement is definitely worth it, considering the fate of her generation.