Amina Siboui made news last year when she posted pictures of herself topless on the web with the slogan "My Body is My Own" painted across her chest. She was speaking out against the web of patriarchy she and most other women in the world live under. She felt so threatened afterward she began to carry pepper spray at the behest of a friend.
When the Tunisian government arrested her after a later protest in May, they charged her with carrying a weapon (the pepper spray) in addition to public indecency and some other totally fabricated charges.
But it seems like all Amina was trying to say is "hey, I'm a chick, but I have human rights too." Like, no shirtless male Tunisians are getting arrested for indecency, are they? What's with the double standard?
I was in Tunisia before the Arab spring, in late summer 2008. It had beautiful Mediterranean beaches, striking deserts, wonderful Roman ruins. It was also the biggest sausagefest I've ever seen in my life. All the cafes and stores were full of men, just men, especially at night. Women, we were told, were safely at home. We did see women, covered, on the streets occassionally, but not once during my trip did I have the chance to talk to one. What I suspect Amina was trying to say is, "hey, you treat all your women like prisoners! That's not okay!"
And now, she's been found guilty of public indecency, etc. In response, a number of women throughout Europe and the Middle East have taken to the streets in topless protest, like the one pictured above. many are being tortured on the streets as they protest for the same chauvinist reasons Amina is in jail. If you see them, please help them out. They do us all a service.
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| Image from BBC |
When the Tunisian government arrested her after a later protest in May, they charged her with carrying a weapon (the pepper spray) in addition to public indecency and some other totally fabricated charges.
But it seems like all Amina was trying to say is "hey, I'm a chick, but I have human rights too." Like, no shirtless male Tunisians are getting arrested for indecency, are they? What's with the double standard?
I was in Tunisia before the Arab spring, in late summer 2008. It had beautiful Mediterranean beaches, striking deserts, wonderful Roman ruins. It was also the biggest sausagefest I've ever seen in my life. All the cafes and stores were full of men, just men, especially at night. Women, we were told, were safely at home. We did see women, covered, on the streets occassionally, but not once during my trip did I have the chance to talk to one. What I suspect Amina was trying to say is, "hey, you treat all your women like prisoners! That's not okay!"
And now, she's been found guilty of public indecency, etc. In response, a number of women throughout Europe and the Middle East have taken to the streets in topless protest, like the one pictured above. many are being tortured on the streets as they protest for the same chauvinist reasons Amina is in jail. If you see them, please help them out. They do us all a service.
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