Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Egyptian blogger Aliaa Magda Elmahdy has become a household name in the Middle East and sparked a global uproar after a friend posted a photo of her naked on Twitter.
The photo, which the 20-year-old former student first posted on her blog, shows her naked apart from a pair of thigh-high stockings and some red patent leather shoes.
CNN: Why did you post a photo of yourself nude photo on Twitter, and why the red high heels and black stockings?
Elmahdy: After my photo was removed from Facebook, a male friend of mine asked me if he may post it on Twitter. I accepted because I am not shy of being a woman in a society where women are nothing but sex objects harassed on a daily basis by men who know nothing about sex or the importance of a woman.
The photo is an expression of my being and I see the human body as the best artistic representation of that. I took the photo myself using a timer on my personal camera. The powerful colors black and red inspire me.
CNN: Who is Aliaa Elmahdy inside the body portrayed in the nude photo?
Elmahdy: I like being different. I love life, art, photography and expressing my thoughts through writing more than anything. That is why I studied media and hope to take it further to the TV world too so I can expose the truth behind the lies we endure everyday in this world. I don't believe that we must have children only through marriage. It's all about love.
She is educated. She thinks for herself. She insists that she be valued in a society that treats women like livestock. She has hopes, dreams and ideas, and is willing to work to make them happen. She made a statement that will echo for many women who come after her. She wants to break free from the oppression women face all over the world, but especially so in her part of the world.
She also addresses something that I found very disturbing a few months ago: the forced virginity tests young women are put through. I had a hard time finding the words to say what I felt, and she comes back with the perfect and complete reply.
CNN: What do you think about the forced virginity tests performed by the Egyptian military on more than a dozen girls arrested in Tahrir Square?
Elmahdy: I consider this rape. Those men in the military who conducted these tests should be punished for allowing this to happen without the consent of the girls in the first place. Instead, the girls walk around feeling the shame and most of them are forced to remain silent.
Well said. This week we linked to an article that said women whose eyes are "too tempting" may have to cover them. Women are treated as property if they are lucky, slaves if they are not. They live and often die at the whim of men. It's not a crime to be a woman, and there is nothing wrong with being true to yourself and demanding fair treatment. It takes brave people, and this woman repeatedly shows more strength and morals than those who would flog her for daring to show her face in public.
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