Lebanese fans show solidarity with 'topless' Olympic skier by 'stripping off'

A number of Lebanese people are reportedly stripping off to support an Olympic skier who has come under fire from her country's sports minister for a series of suggestive pictures of her that were leaked to the media.

A campaign called '#stripforjackie' has flooded social media sites with naked torsos in response to the outcry over the images of Jackie Chamoun, who is currently competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

According to The Independent, the pictures of Chamoun, in which her breasts are concealed by a strategically placed pair of skis, were taken on the slopes of a Lebanese ski resort three years ago for an Austrian ski calendar, although less subtle images taken during the photoshoot have surfaced on the internet and Lebanese TV recently.

Although the Lebanese minister for sports and youth called on the Lebanese Olympic Committee to launch an investigation following the leaking of the pictures, however, the report mentioned that a campaign titled 'I am not naked' saw a Lebanese photography studio invite Chamoun's supporters to have their naked picture taken for free.

The report further said that Lebanon's countryside remains largely conservative even though the country is well known for its scantily clad women and nightclubs, adding that the image has even been used to promote the country by the Ministry of Tourism as far back as 1971.

Many people are also angry that instead of focusing on important issues like regular bombings in the country and the abuse of women, the politicians are giving credence to minor issues like censorship and 'boobs', the report added.