I love Aliaa Magda Elmahdy. She is to Islam what Pussy Riot is to Putin. An Egyptian atheist activist whose major point of contention rests on Islam and its abysmally gendered track record, Elmahdy has captured my heart by removing her clothes. Her antics have ranged from merely posing nude to — in her latest accusation against Islam — menstruating on the ISIS flag.
This week Elmahdy posted an image of herself clad only in shoes, her legs spread and her menstrual blood dripping on the ISIS flag, flanked by an unidentified woman who is defecating on the same flag. Between them the letters “ISIS” are written on their skin.
(An even more NSFW image is located over at Breitbart, but it’s still censored).
I love it.
This is where I wholeheartedly disagree with the liberal PC approach. I disagree with the idea that we should be respectful to Islam. It deserves our contempt when it’s used to justify terror. While this image is shocking, it’s an understandable response to Islam (the ISIS flag is emblazoned with the Shahada) and ISIS (which might be the most dangerous Islamist group to ever exist). And — in my opinion — if you are so offended by this image that you are willing to issue death threats against Elmahdy, then you deserve to be offended.
While Elmahdy’s action is largely and relatively inconsequential, it’s a perfect protest against a group that wishes to restore the Caliphate and limit her freedom to menstruate on flags. And if she has to step on the toes of Muslims to stage her protest, so be it. The freedoms of speech and expression are too sacrosanct to care about your feelings.
It’s an image. I don’t think people who disagree with it are allowed to be shocked. If they can calmly watch what ISIS is doing, then they are not allowed to be shocked by a women menstruating or defecating on a piece of cloth.
“If they can calmly watch what ISIS is doing…” Actually that’s an incredibly powerful statement. I recommend that you run with that. If that’s your idea, it’s wonderful. You’re absolutely right. I always love when people are able to capture in words things that I know, but am unable to conceptualize myself. 🙂
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