The first edition of a risqué Arabic cultural quarterly that threatens to inflame sensibilities across the Arab world has hit news stands in Lebanon.

Jasad, or “body” in Arabic, is a glossy that tackles the issue of the human body – from every possible angle. It aims to be artistic, intellectual, scientific, literary, sociological… and sexual.

Published in Beirut, the color glossy includes features, columns and essays on a range of subjects including cinema, literature and the arts.

But its frank portrayal of the human body, with scant regard for longstanding taboos, has raised eyebrows across the Arab world. The magazine presents, for instance, artwork by artist Ninar Esber, daughter of the famous Arab poet Adonis. Esber’s cutting edge work deals with nude figures, some in provocative underwear, as well as risqué pieces featuring dildos and sex toys.

JASAD magazine Picture of Ninar Esber, daughter of the famous Arab poet Adonis

(See more pictures below)

Jasad founder-editor Joumana Haddad, 38, believes it’s time to challenge the Arab world’s sensitivity about sexuality.

“We must break these taboos, stop the hypocrisy and schizophrenia that reign in Arab countries when it comes to issues concerning the body,” she says.

On sale in Lebanon, but seeking a wider audience

Jasad is expensive by Lebanese standards, costing 15,000 Lebanese pounds ($10). But the magazine’s launch has been a success, according to Haddad.

“My distributor in Lebanon was astonished. He told me the magazine is selling well - even in little villages,” she said, before adding, “Out of a run of 7,000 copies, 4,000 were sold in just 11 days.”

The magazine is currently on sale only in Lebanon.

But Haddad has her eyes set on a wider readership, even though much of the Arab world is deeply conservative and is likely to take offence with the magazine’s risqué contents.

Illustrations in "JASAD" magazine "JASAD" magazine cover"JASAD" Magazine Photo illustration for an article on the sexual pleasures of past eras"JASAD" Magazine Photo illustration for an article on the works of Ninar Esber"JASAD" Magazine Photo illustration for an article on the works of artist Ninar Esber"JASAD" Magazine Photo illustration for an article on lingerie"JASAD" Magazine Photo illustration for an article on cannibalism"JASAD" Magazine Photo illustration for an article on fetishism"JASAD" Magazine Photo illustration for an article on breasts"JASAD" Magazine Photo illustration for an article on the first sexual experience"JASAD" Magazine

She has already received letters warning her that “God will punish” her and that she is “corrupting younger generations.”

Even her family and friends were against her launching Jasad.

“They told me it was not the right time,” Haddad says. “It wasn’t an easy thing to do, and I expected criticism. But I’m not afraid of the threats. I’ve stuck to my guns and I believe my passion has won over any doubts I might have had.”

A rich tradition of Arabic erotic literature

And it is precisely this passion that led her to launch Jasad. “I want to write for people like me,” she says. “Everybody is fascinated by the human form. I want to offer readers the opportunity to go to a newsstand and buy a magazine like this – if that’s want they want.”

Haddad notes that sex wasn’t always a taboo subject for Arabs. “This is a subject that has only become taboo over the last 300 years. This was not the case when you look back beyond that time span. During the Middle Ages there was plenty of good Arabic literature concerning the body - with none of the modern taboos attached, works such as The Perfumed Garden and The Thousand and One Nights.

“And Jasad intends to revive this literary tradition, to highlight the body, to meditate on the Arabic language and its relationship with the body.”

The first issue does not hold back any punches and will certainly make the prudish blush.

Topics include homosexuality, fetishism, masturbation, cannibalism and the very notion of pleasure itself.

There are features with pornographic and erotic film actors and even a cookery page containing aphrodisiac recipes.

But Haddad insists she is not out to peddle porn.

The young Lebanese editor admits she has faced pressure to tone down the magazine’s contents. But, she insists, she has not buckled under the pressure.

“I have even turned down funding from one Arab investor because of demands to tone down the content,” she says.

Jasad has cleared the official censors – it has been given the green light by the Lebanese Ministry of Communication as well as the country’s union of journalists.

However, it’s worth noting that Jasad, when sold in shops, comes in a plastic wrapper clearly marked “adults only.”