Feeling rather perplexed as to Femen’s nudist activism. Notwithstanding my respect to Femen and their activism and struggle, notwithstanding my very liberal stands on sexuality and female sexuality or choice of, I keep trying to convince myself that using female nudity to attract attention over women’s rights and equality issues is necessary then I argue the opposite and refuse to see the necessity female nudity to claim equal rights or shed lights on women’s issue.
I even argued that if a man can walk around topless, why can’t a woman, then another voice in my head waves me off; yes but he doesn’t have hanging glands that arouse and are the subject of so many mythical and religious tales and dramas.
Would it be acceptable if men used nudity to claim freedom and democracy?
The latest movement from Ourgla (Algeria) here saw a massive gathering of young unemployed men demanding jobs and more attention, none of whom was showing an ounce of flesh of course it wouldn’t have served any purpose because nobody is chastising the male body AND I think it was quite chilly that day.
Arguably the female body is generally considered more attractive, aesthetic and more interesting than men’s and I would certainly not tune in to see any nude-men-walk (or women’s), and so it (female nudity) would understandably gather more attention upon revealing it, but to me resorting to provocative nudity in activism brings the intended attention but not without arousing the fury of the extremists, religious or not, the anti-feminists or whatever group was targeted directly or indirectly.
I for one, for all my sins and big mouth, cannot put my breasts on show for any reason or cause, perhaps I lack the bravery that Amina and Meriem have or perhaps I think it easier and more adequate to face inequality and prejudices with more cerebral or verbal ways and discourses that do not resort to nudity.
However, not agreeing with female nudist activism does not in any way mean not supporting Femen’s struggle or for that matter showing my outrage at the Islamists who produced a Fatwa on Amina’s head to be stoned to death.
Amina’s posed topless on the Femen Tunisia Facebook group bearing in black marker across her chest and belly the following words in Arabic “My body is mine, not for your honour”, today Amina is reported missing and it makes me feel indignant and want to scream.
CASE IN POINT: did she not just stipulate that her body was hers and nothing to do with the honour of the country or indeed any other Tunisian person. Yet her action was seen as soiling the Tunisian honour and that of Muslims. Do these people not read? I am sure the message was written quite clearly over her chest …look for yourselves!
Patriarchal society is confusing and hypocritical, holding the “uncovered women ask for it” discourse, treating women like a thing of temptation to be exploited and enjoyed on one hand and strive to hide, cover, destroy and oppress it on the other, driving Muslim women to use Burkas and Hidjab as tools of self-defence and blaming their God-given bodies and hair for the harassment endured.
Why should we have to endure men’s overzealous testosterone and misogyny, why should we wear a burka or a headscarf or even feel the need to go bare breasted when they (men) can just tuck their tongues back in their mouths and busy themselves with more important business like the economy or dominos.
Dz-chick…show it if you can bare it!
Ps: yes I do know how to spell Twatt
