Oh government of Pakistan, pick your battles, please. You want to cut the power for hours at a time, crippling the economy and lowering the standard of living for the general populace? Fine, go ahead. The people may grumble, but life goes on. But for the love of all things proper and sacred, don’t take away the people’s right to Facebook. Heed my warning, you’re playing with dynamite here. I predict a revolt in the vein of the Russian revolution. Heads will roll because of this, mark my words. Never, ever get in between an auntie and her Facebook. You’ve been warned.
Pakistan’s government ordered Internet service providers to block Facebook on Wednesday amid anger over a page that encourages users to post images of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.
The page on the social networking site has generated criticism in Pakistan and elsewhere because Islam prohibits any images of the prophet. The government took action after a group of Islamic lawyers won a court order Wednesday requiring officials to block Facebook until May 31.
By Wednesday evening, access to the site was sporadic, apparently because Internet providers were implementing the order.
The Facebook page at the center of the dispute — “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!” — encourages users to post images of the prophet on May 20 to protest threats made by a radical Muslim group against the creators of South Park for depicting Muhammad in a bear suit during an episode earlier this year. [Link.] Oh great, here we go again. Back to the Prophet Muhammad cartoons. Only this time, it’s a protest involving South Park, the satirical show that spares no one – except for when it does. The Facebook page in question, Everybody Draw Muhammed Day!, with more than 47,000 fans worldwide, has a simple aim. The creators write “We simply want to show the extremists that threaten to harm people because of their Mohammed depictions, that we’re not afraid of them. That they can’t take away our right to freedom of speech by trying to scare us to silence.” The group encourages folks to draw Muhammad tomorrow, May 20th. Not gonna lie, there are some seriously inappropriate photos in the group’s album. For instance, the prophet doing the nasty with um, a not-so-haram animal. (Hey Facebook minders, pay attention!) And some random cartoon porn. (Do yourself and read some of the discussions if you will. With topics such as ‘Administrator of This Page will Get hell InshAllah in this world SOOON,’ you really can’t lose.) But, really Pakistan. Really? This is the tipping point for you? Really? Because banning Facebook is EXACTLY the way to draw away attention from a group protesting censorship issues. Brilliant move. I applaud you.
I don’t know about you guys, but the only reason my parents and their extended family joined Facebook is to keep in touch with relatives in Pakistan and vice versa. Not a day goes by where my mom and her cousins don’t log onto Facebook and compare family photos, chat with each other and re-connect with old classmates and family friends. And really, isn’t Asif Ali Zardari himself on Facebook? Doesn’t he realize he’s (*gasp) alienating his fans? How can I hit the ‘Like’ button if I’m in Pakistan and I can’t access Facebook? I mean, what’s up with that Mr. Prez? Cannot wait to see how this plays out. I’m predicting that once some cabinet minister realizes his wife can’t go on Facebook and screen her friends’ photos for a prospective groom for their daughter, it’ll all blow over. Until then, I poke you, my Pakistani brethern. I poke you. *pokes
Ah yes, and am also pressing an imaginary ‘Dislike’ button. In the meantime, I believe I have some calling cards to buy for my mother. Adieu.
there are hundreds of anti-Islam groups on facebook. why insulting Prophet Muhammad alone provokes so much outrage?
This is one of the culture clash things that happens with the open internet in the subcontinental context. Groups in India have also been engaging in wildly inappropriate banning campaigns, including one recent campaign to ban Google (!) from the country, for linking to problematic websites. Unlike in Pakistan, up until now those bans have largley failed.
They need to learn to distinguish between a few individuals using a platform like Facebook offensively, and the platforms themselves… (Someone should tell them that they could probably just ban this particular Facebook page!)
‘(Someone should tell them that they could probably just ban this particular Facebook page!)’
There have to be folks who know better. I’m thinking perhaps it was just an excuse to get rid of the site entirely? Hopefully it’ll spark a Boston Tea Party type situation. Give me Facebook or give me death!
This is a great point that Pakistan is just showing the world that it will just censor. But I guess it might also be a way to show that facebook “needs” pakistani support because they make up a good population of facebook users… just a thought. But in the end, it probably wasn’t a great idea.
Watch out India, Pakistani productivity is about to spike!
Classic case of cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face….
‘Watch out India, Pakistani productivity is about to spike!’ Hahahaha. But will Friendster make a comeback? The world waits with baited breath.
I’m assuming artist Sooreh Hera’s work is also not welcome…
A missed opportunity, really – they could have been extremely enterprising by opening up a counter-protest page on Facebook itself. Not to mention – how will they now see all the (illicit?) groups formed to protest this banning?!
ha!
The government probably banned it to prevent some prat from taking advantage of the issue. I’m all for freedom of speech (although this is nothing more than cheap muslim baiting), but when there are idiots just looking for reasons to blow up other people in country with serious issues, it can be curtailed. Besides we all know Facebook cares FA all about principle.
Oh and
Facebook is evil.
Is it any surprise?
http://www.allbusiness.com/public-administration/national-security-international/597981-1.html
This is an excellent article by Vali Nasri (the Iranian-American academic) about the creeping fundamentalism in Pakland. So funny considering how obsessed we Pakistanis are with technology and facebook; social networking is in our blood yaar!
Isnt it in the favor of government officials to keep the public as ignornat as possible? Why ruin a good thing for you by trying to give the public more tools to bust your racket?
Pakistan took this preemptive step b/c facebook is close to discovering Mo actually looked like steve guttenberg
The CPI(M) may be wrong in wanting to ban Google, but since India is constitutionally fascist in this regard, the party has the law on its side.
This is the result of the death threats to South Park bc of their 200th episode.
Drawing Mohammed Day that is.
If you look at it historically, anywhere where people have had more information, the country has progressed!!
I live in islamic nation United Arab Emirates and ere hthey have blocked the mohammad cartoon page on facebook..not the entire facebook.Like Amardeep said..Why can’t they do this in Pak?May be they don’t know or may be they want to become famous in muslim world via Cheap publicity.
Reason explains the reason: http://reason.com/blog/2010/05/18/get-ready-for-everyone-draw-mo
I have no problem with depicitng famous historical figures but we should leave their family alone. Stick to Doris.
I consider myself a pretty liberal person, but even I don’t believe that caricaturing someone’s religious figures is ok. There’s a line between freedom of speech and just being gratuitously offensive to an entire religious group. Cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) having sexual relations with animals are completely inappropriate. The same applies to the other prophets such as Jesus and Moses (Peace be upon them).
That said, for the Pakistani government to ban Facebook is a bit over the top. One would think that they have more serious issues to deal with.
its worth noting the most incendiary cartoons, like Mo being mounted by a dog, did not originate from the danish newspaper but rather from danish imams touring the middle east with a dossier of offending images used to demonstrate hostility toward Islam.
ashley todd
nobody should be surprised – this is but one more puerile tactic to divert attention from the real problems consuming my erstwhile nation – growing fundamentalism, which is now claiming victims from the moderate Pakistani middle class [there are many, many more like Faisal Shehzad], rampant unemployment, ever dimisnihsing size of the pie, endemic corruption, and utter lack of human rights.
Musharraf’s twitter account has been closed/deleted. Hmmm. Interesting timing.
Nevermind, his Facebook account gives his new twitter account. PMPakisan. It used to be FromPM.
Interesting nevertheless.
YouTube has also been blocked? http://www.hindustantimes.com/After-Facebook-Pakistan-blocks-YouTube/H1-Article1-546212.aspx
There’s more:
Pakistan has stepped up its campaign against a “blasphemous†online competition to draw the Prophet Mohammad by extending a ban on Facebook to YouTube, Wikipedia, mobile Blackberry services, and a number of other websites. http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100520/wl_csm/302705_1
Looks like even India might ban (at least the page). According to TOI, Maharashtra state govt has written to center seeking ban. After all we were the first to ban Satanic verses
Pakistani government cannot afford to have deal with headache of protests, riots and curfew when they already have an ongoing military campaign against Taliban. IMO the ban is primarily for domestic political consumption and a wise short term tactic. Indian government has imposed similar bans in past and it is likely that they will follow suite in this case. This is the price citizens of sub-continent pay often.
If Pakistani government did not act and rioting starts then folks who will suffer the most would be the ones who have never heard of Facebook, OTOH Aunties will survive fine without Facebook.
I am surprised that people are surprised by this.
Also, to Kabir’s point in comment # 20 – I am not convinced that this competition is entirely about freedom of speech, you don’t have to rub someone’s nose in the ground to prove a point. This whole thing is so mean spirited.
BTW: Last year Facebook removed Holocaust Denier Group(s). I did not hear a whole lot of protestations from Americans over that – I wonder why. Even high minded intellectuals did not have the courage to say anything about it.
Maybe the high minded intellectuals had too much of something else. Like, actual brains.
Agreed. They have brains but no spines.
“Save the tenure save the grant – screw freedom of speech.”
I don’t understand this need to “provoke”. And why depict religious figures or ANY figures in perverted sex positions with animals and kids? Perhaps it reflects some repressed issues on behalf of the artists that they’ve pushed to the back of their psyches but nonetheless cry for recognition?
People who draw stuff like that need therapy, not threats.
See if you can get them to share.
BHT ACHA KAR RAHA HAI PAKISTAN HUM APNA AIK FACEBOOK SE B ACHI WEB BANA RAHAY HAI INSHALLAH BHT JALD AAP K SAAMNE LAYEN GE 4 MORE DETAILS CONTACT NUM: 0331-6632172
“But we live in complicated times. Hindu nationalists have grown more assertive since the 1990s, complaining about the inequity in taking Hindus for granted while appeasing Muslim sensibilities. Some Hindus are seething over this perceived injustice: Because of the amount of attention Muslims have commanded when they have been offended by images they consider blasphemous – a concept alien to Hinduism – Hindus want equal treatment. They want the right to be offended.” http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/29/opinion/29iht-edtripathi.1842228.html?_r=1
MF Husain controversy over paints where he showed deities naked and some having sex with animals. Isn’t his art work popular in the Middle East?
Religions should be treated the same.
If Christians have to deal with being offended with art works of Piss Christ and paintings of Mary made out of dung and Hindus have to deal with a Muslim artist painting their deities in offensive ways while the same Muslim artist draws Islamic and Christians pictures with clothes and in non-porn poses, then why shouldn’t Muslims have to put up with artists drawing any of their religious figures anyway that they want? What causes people to get upset is if only one religious group’s sensibilities is catered to and no one else. No special treatment.
http://www.MUSLIMS-unite.com a new social network with a focus on Muslims has been launched. The goal is to create a centeral hub for Muslims to unite online and represent the true muslims character image worldwide. Check the site out, its updated with new information almost daily.
Was is a comment advertising a new site allowed?
I can’t help but wonder if the site was Hindus-unite site would it be allowed here? Or would people consider such a site Hindu fascism and extremism therefore removed?
@ Sameer, Its not really advertising. He posted a site that adds to the article Pakistan vs. Facebook. Ofcourse http://www.hindu-unite.com would be removed because it doesn’t add to the topic.
Interesting discussion on black magic in the pakistani version of sepiamutiny … check it out here – http://www.chowrangi.com/how-to-break-black-magic.html It is the most poplular discussion there … do you wonder now why the country is steeped in recessive thinking and moral recidivism?? Check out some of the comments there … they are hilarious.
The only thing I gotta say about this bitch Philygrrl is that she is randi and needs a good fucking then she will forget facebook