Topless Iranian women say 'no to political Islam'

To mark International Women's Day on March 8 a new calendar is to be launched entitled the "Nude Photo Revolutionaries Calendar." To promote the calender a group of Iranian women have appeared in a topless video "Say No to Political Islam."

The Iranian women who appear in the video say their nudity is a no to political Islam.(RFERL) The calendar was inspired by Egyptian blogger Aliaa Magda Elmahdy who posted a naked photograph of herself on Twitter. According to Free Thoughts Blogs, Maryam Namazie came up with the idea of the calendar to support Elmahdy. Mamazie said "What with Islamism and the religious right being obsessed with women’s bodies and demanding that we be veiled, bound, and gagged, nudity breaks taboos and is an important form of resistance." The women behind the calendar want to promote the message that nudity is normal, but when "made shameful and barbaric harms everyone." Their message calls for "screams against a society of violence, racism, sexism, sexual harassment and hypocrisy." The women involved hope that sales will provide funds to go towards supporting women's rights and freedom of expression. Those who have participated in the calendar include FEMEN activist Alena Magelat, writer Saskia Vogel, and actress Cleo Powell. Anne Baker, another of the women involved, said "Men in frocks constrain, control and intimidate women the world over in the name of God … it has to stop." Warning: Graphic content in the video and calendar link.