Topless Tunisian protester at centre of controversy

Femen activist reported safe after facing religious backlash.

Storified by The Stream· Mon, Mar 25 2013 11:41:15

Below, the photo of Tyler:

Via Femen FranceAJstream

Femen France: After we received this information, Femen activists tried to contact the young Tunisian to no avail. Her phone has been off. We fear for her life.

Après avoir reçu ces informations, les activistes de Femen ont essayé de contacter la jeune tunisienne mais sans succès. Son téléphone est resté éteint. Nous nous craignons pour sa vie.facebook.com



In an interview with Tunisia Live , Tyler's lawyer, Bouchra Bel Haj Hmida, denied those claims: Femen representatives added that they were told Tyler had been taken to a psychiatric ward, a detail picked up by several media outlets including France 24 and PolicyMic

She is not missing and “has never been in a psychiatric facility,” Bel Haj Hmida told Tunisia Live, contradicting reports that surfaced last week and have been widely circulated on the internet.tunisia-live.net



Femen France: We still do not know where to find Amina. We hope that she is alive and well. We are committed, we show our support through our topless photos and we deliver a clear message to the Islamists: we will seek her out and we will continue to protest! We will not let them oppress women's bodies by hiding and locking them! The denial has not slowed a coordinated campaign in support of Tyler. More than 85,000 people have signed a petition asking the Tunisian government to prosecute Almi for his statements against the activist. Femen has also organised an online solidarity campaign and declared April 4 an "International Day to Defend Amina".

Nous ne savons toujours pas où se trouve Amina. Nous espérons qu'elle est vivante et qu'elle va bien. Nous nous mobilisons, nous affichons notre soutien au travers de nos photos topless et nous délivrons un message clair aux Islamistes : nous la cherchons et nous continuerons à protester ! Nous ne les laisserons pas opprimer le corps des femmes en le cachant et l'enfermant !facebook.com

facebook.com

Barbara de MexicoFemen France

Tunisian filmmaker Nadia el Fani joined in the campaign, bearing the words "freedom", "dignity", and "for Amina".

NADIA EL FANI, réalisatrice de "Laïcité, Inch’Allah !"Femen France



Still, some take issue with Tyler's form of protest, and Femen's message altogether. @YaminZakaria responded to the spectacle:

That is exactly the response she is seeking. Just ignore her.twitter.com

Via Topsy.comAJstream



On Facebook, Ahmed Medien wondered why so much media attention has been given to Tyler and not the accomplishments of other Tunisian women:

It takes one topless Tunisian young lady to make the buzz now in Huffington Posts, now, worldwide. Another Tunisian lady just won the chemistry worldwide Olympiad and was awarded the title of best innovator of the year 2013.facebook.com

What do you think about Tyler's participation in the Femen campaign? Tell us in the comments below.