Iran’s “nude revolutionary” Farahani says image is symbolic

Bikya Masr -- CAIRO: Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani has left much of the Islamic world in an uproar over her nude image in a French magazine, which she then posted on Facebook. The actress has spoken out, saying she wanted to make a symbolic gesture about nudity and sex.

“This video clip is a symbolic gesture to remove the common taboos that exist in various societies and does not aim to promote nudity or sex,” a Facebook statement from her said. “By taking part in these photo shoots the people taking part wish to demonstrate their redemtion from these taboos by the way they act and talk.

“The objective is to liberate their soul and bodies at the same time. As long as an individual has no power iver her or his body and their soul does not have the command of the way they wish to think, then they do not have a true freedom.

“Although I do not think looking at the nude photo of another human may have an attraction, but it is certainly far more enjoyable than looking at the fully covered and burqa and hejab wearing body of a woman who has been wrapped and imprisoned by her man. So much for not looking at women as sex symbols as the fundamentalists want us to believe!” she added.

Farahani came to stardom at the age of 14 when she appeared in the film Pearl Tree, but jumped to international fame in 2008 when she starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie Body of Lies.

“I think it is disgusting and she should be put to jail or worse for this crazy idea. Women here are treated with utmost respect,” said an Iranian government official in Cairo, the birthplace of the nude photo revolutionary in the region.

Aliaa Mahdy, an Egyptian blogger, posed completely nude and posted the image on her personal blog in November, sparking the ire of both conservatives and liberals alike. Mahdy said she posted the image in order to push women’s issues forward and to show that her body was not owned by anyone but herself.

Back in Iran, the semi-official Fars news agency said “publishing of photographs of the deplorable Golshifteh Farahani on the Internet shows the ugly face of cinemas behind the scenes.”

But women in Iran are not as disturbed by the image and told Bikyamasr.com that the idea that a woman can demand her rights through “the shock of nudity” is not new to the world.

“We have long had nudity in our history, and this concept and act of protest by Farahani is the next evolution in the battle for women to become equal and have full rights in the country,” said one professor, Nadia, who said speaking on the topic could make her face disciplinary action.

“It is really easy to condemn and call her ridiculous, but the reality is men are all logging on to see her naked body, just like they did in Egypt. At least now we can talk about women’s issues in this country and push empowerment forward,” the professor told Bikyamasr.com via telephone.

In Egypt, upon hearing of Farahani’s actions, activist Manal said that “if she is going to be banned from Iran, maybe more women should follow her lead and take off their clothes. At least this way we can leave our countries and live in peace.”

BM