As part of its educational and artistic activities, the American University of Beirut (AUB) organized a display of several photos, portrays, and sculptures of nude Arab men and women, under the title of: The Arab Nude: The Artist as Awakener. The gallery offered a pre-historical view that emphasized the role of art in social change in the Arab world, and related these nude historical displays to the modern Arab changes.

The gallery didn’t receive any objection, mainly because the nude pictures and sculptures are indoors (inside the Art Gallery in Ada Dodge Hall). However, the artist suggested a poster, fixed in front of Ada Dodge Hall (in public), portraying a black-and-white photo of a nude woman, to advertise the gallery. AUB administrators found that this suggestion might be offensive to students, and decided to take the opinion of the students, who will choose the fate of this suggestion.

This is when I started wondering: why would a nude portray of woman be offensive to anyone?

It is worth noting that the reactions given by AUB students might be a good representation of the Lebanese Society. And if you are not looking for statistical information, it is also worth looking at some of the arguments used by students with and against the poster of nude woman.

AUB students were divided between two general parties. The first party refused the poster for several reasons. First, posting a photo of a nude woman in public makes it impossible for students and other people passing by to avoid looking at it. Thus, posting it publically means that everyone is obliged to see it. Second, some students wouldn’t like to look at nude photos, for religious reasons (In Islam, women are forbidden from showing there ‘private’ parts). Thus, this will not be appropriate for them.

Other arguments highlighted the importance of our traditions that preserve the women’s body and denounce nudity. “It is not normal in the Lebanese society to see a naked body in an advertisement. This is a serious act that disrespects us as Lebanese”, says a Nursing student.

 Also, other arguments emphasized the idea that showing nude women pictures in public deepens the societal sexual objectification of women, where women are viewed as objects to stimulate the sexual pleasure of men. “What’s the difference between showing a nude woman in an art gallery, and showing a nude woman in a porn magazine?” says one of the sociology students.

But what’s really offensive about a nude women?

That’s the question posed by the other party of AUB students, those who accepted the poster. They thought that a work of art should be appreciated. The picture of a nude women, according to them, should not be offensive at all. Just like the sculptures of nude men and women present in Rome and other European cities are seen as educational and beautiful portrays of man, the picture of a nude women shouldn’t be always linked to cheap sex. Instead, it should be seen as an artistic initiative that will free us from objectifying women, and improve our sense of appreciation to the human.

Wherever we are in the spectrum of acceptance or refusal of public nudity, we have to notice that the society is in constant change, introducing new bold ideas with each new generations. Refusing new ideas with the motive of rejecting change is not the answer, and unjustified excessive connection to traditions will only deepen the societal inter-generational and intra-generational gaps.

In any case, we should stay tolerant and open-minded, thinking carefully about our opinion, always questioning our motives, and accepting other novel ideas that might give us a better point of view to live with.