Minutes after her arrest by German officials for flashing her bare chest feet away from a flustered German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin, activist Aleksandra Shevchenko steadfastly refuted the criticism of the latest antics of Femen, the Ukraine-based "sextremist" organization of which she is a key member.Femen recently stirred international controversy with its International Topless Jihad Day, which saw participants strip in front of Tunisian embassies of their countries and local mosques. These activities raised the ire of female Muslims who claim they do not >>>

"F*ck your morals ... my body belongs to me and is not the source of anyone's honour" is what Amina Tyler, a 19 year old Tunisian woman, wrote in Arabic across her chest before photographing herself and posting it online. After she disappeared, the rumours started that her family had forcibly placed her in a mental institution and that she had been threatened with stoning - something as disturbing as it is un-Islamic. Femen, the Ukraine-based feminist group who operate from a second-wave Western feminist approach and with whom Amina associated, hurled themselves into >>>

NEW YORK {WOMENSENEWS}--"International Topless Jihad Day"--organized in several European capitals on April 4 by the feminist group Femen--was a setback for women in the Muslim world. All it did was give religious extremists a good reason to denounce feminism as an importation of the West that insults cultures and religions. But Femen's leader, Inna Schevchenko, seems intent on ignoring that message. In an April 8 retort to her Muslim female critics in the Huffington Post U.K., Schevchenko only intensifies a culturally tone-deaf narrative that says Islam is oppressive, Muslim men are violent >>>

MUNICH -The opposite of good is well-intentioned. And the present conflict between Femen activists and Muslim feminists demonstrates how a “well-intentioned” action can fail so miserably. Femen activists are supposed to be the good guys – the ones who stand for freedom and emancipation. To spread their message they protest topless – naked but not available was the idea when they first started demonstrating against prostitution, sexism and trafficking women at the European World Soccer Championships in 2012 in Ukraine, their home country. But bare breasts don’t translate well in every >>>

Vladimir Putin faced hundreds of protesters ranging from gay rights activists to a topless feminist group during his visit to Germany and the Netherlands, but the Russian president appeared unruffled by the furore. In Hanover, Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised Russia's human rights record at a press conference on Monday. Then activists from Ukraine's Femen group bared their breasts and ran at him shouting "Putin dictator!" before they were detained. Putin shrugged off the protest later with what appeared to be an off-colour comment and a swipe at Dutch protesters angry over Russian >>>

FEMEN, a "sextremist" feminist group based in Ukraine and known for their topless protests, organized "International Topless Jihad Day" this past Thursday. A 19-year-old Tunisian FEMEN activist, Amina Tyler, had posted topless photos of herself on Facebook with the words "Fuck your morals" and "My body is my own and not the source of anyones honor" written on her naked torso. Reports reveal that Amina was committed to a mental hospital, and many high ranking Islamic figures have called for rather extreme violence in response to her photos. She has been reportedly hiding >>>

A Tunisian activist says she fears for her life after courting controversy by posting topless pictures of herself online in support of Arab women's rights last month. Ukraine-based group Femen, which stages pranks for women's and gay rights, inspired the bold act of the 19-year-old, known as Amina Tyler. Ms Tyler posted the pictures of herself with the words: "My body belongs to me" and "F*** your morals" emblazoned across her naked breasts, provoking the ire of Islamist groups. Shortly after, she disappeared from public view, raising fears that she had suffered reprisals at the hands >>>

The use of nudity has been a key symbol of Ukraine's FEMEN protests for women's liberation. In light of the ongoing controversy surrounding the Ukrainian women’s rights group FEMEN and their nude protests across Europe aiming to counter the anti-women’s rights positions in the Arab world, Muslim women have lashed out, saying that taking off their clothes “does not liberate me.” There seems to be a chasm between those who support FEMEN action and those who disagree with the use of nudity >>>

STORY about Direct ActionGenderIdeasPovertySexuality posted on April 5, 2013 by krystle.alarcon Topless activists show solidarity with threatened Tunisian woman by Krystle Alarcon Femen Quebec on University Ave., near Tunisian Embassy office in Montreal. Photo by Francis William Rhéaume Femen Quebec rallied for a short 15 minutes to avoid being pinned for indecent exposure by police. Photo by Francis William Rhéaume A group of six women and three men protested in the Tunisian >>>

A group angered by the actions of topless feminist protestors is making its presence known on social media. The members of Muslim Women Against Femen are encouraging supporters to participate in Muslimah Pride Day to show that they do not agree with the Ukraine-based group’s actions, including Thursday’s Topless Jihad Day. RELATED: AMINA TYLER SUPPORTERS SET TOPLESS JIHAD DAY FOR APRIL 4 “This is an opportunity for Muslim women to get a say and show people that we have a voice too, that we come in many different shapes and sizes that we object to the way we are depicted in the west, >>>