The Australian today prominently features this story:

The news value in today's story relates to the Egyptian Government paying for Anne Aly MP's trip - and the convenient production of papers purporting to confirm the renunciation of Ms Aly's Egyptian citizenship.

You have to read a fair way into the story for the first mention of RAN Captain Mona Shindy's appearance.

The question that logically follows is why?  Why was an Australian Navy captain given time off to strut her stuff in Egypt?

The University of Melbourne's PR people are about one year ahead of The Oz (and me) with this story.

Here's the University's article, published 18 July last year.

Note the prominent uniformed Egyptian servicewomen sitting unveiled and unmolested.  

Egyptian women have a lot to teach Ms Shindy and the ADF about female emancipation.

Egyptian Women Abroad conference

Dr Doa El-Ansary (Department of Physiotherapy, MDHS) was selected as one of the Australian delegation (with Dr Anne Aly MP and Captain Mona Shendy) to attend the Inaugural Egyptian Women Abroad conference “EGYPT CAN 2” in Cairo, Egypt to mark the International Year of Women.

This was an initiative by the Egyptian government, the Minister of immigration and Expatriate Affairs, HE Nabila Makrum; the Council for Women, Ms Maya Morsi (President); the Egyptian Embassy in Australia (HE Mohamed Khairat) and the Australian Embassy in Egypt (HE Neil Hawkins).

There were 32 women speakers from around the world. The conference program included presentations from all speakers. Speakers also sat on panel discussions alongside Government Ministers to discuss key issues and initiatives in Health, Finance, Education and Cultural Affairs. The conference was streamed live on National TV within Egypt and overseas and attracted much social media and radio coverage.

The Australian Delegation (pictured below) also held individual meetings with the Minister of Health and conducted visits to Parliament and the Navy.

        EXTRACT ENDS

Shindy stands out amongst the uncovered Australians, but it's not just the Aussies.  Most of the women at the Egyptian conference last July went without headscarves.

So why did the Australian Navy delegate veil up?

Why the promotion of Islam through an Australian Defence Force "uniform"?

The hijab is an awful expression of Australian values, particularly overseas.

Egypt's feminists are trying to return Islamic veils to museums.

"Women of Egypt" is one of the groups associated with the Shindy-Aly Show.

Count the Hijabs in their front page material.

Here are some Egyptian women and their employers, sufficiently secure in themselves to face the world unveiled.

But not our celebrity naval officer Muslim.

I love Australia and what we used to stand for - and I despise the actions of those who are trying to change us into a branch office of Muhammad's stone-age sect.

If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything - and we should unequivocally stand for Australian, not Islamic values.

Values like the idea that women are not piles of meat for naturally marauding tomcat men unless they're burqua-ed.

The RAN used to be a disciplined service.  I hope it reverts to its traditions and brings Ms Shindy into line.

Get her back into an Australian uniform.