Nude blogger sparks outrage across Egypt

A woman activist who posted nude pictures of herself on her blog to protest limits on free expression has triggered an uproar in Egypt, drawing condemnations from conservatives and liberals alike.

Some liberals feared that the posting by 20-year-old university student Aliaa Magda Elmahdy would taint them ahead of November 28 parliamentary elections.

Nudity is strongly frowned upon in Egyptian society, even as an art form.

Elmahdy wrote on her blog that the photographs — which show her standing wearing only stockings — are "screams against a society of violence, racism, sexism, sexual harassment and hypocrisy." The blog has received 1.5 million hits since she posted the photos earlier this week.

The posting comes at a time when Egypt, a nation of some 85 million people, is polarized ahead of the elections, the first since the February ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak.

The posting prompted furious discussions on Internet social media sites, with pages for and against her put up on Facebook.

Some 100 people liked his comment, while thousands flooded the site with insults.

Elmahdy did not reply to attempts by The Associated Press to contact her.

Women rights activist Nehad Abou el-Qomsan said what Elmahdy did is rejected because posing nude is a form of body abuse.

Elmahdy and her boyfriend Kareem Amer, also a controversial blogger, have challenged Egypt's social strictures before. Earlier this year, they posted mobile phone video footage of themselves debating with managers of a public park who threw them out for public displays of affection.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.