Pakistan blocks YouTube website

[Uthman]

Pakistan has blocked access to the popular YouTube website because of content deemed offensive to Islam.

Its telecommunications authority ordered internet service providers to block the site until further notice.

Reports said the content included Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad that have outraged many.

But one report said a trailer for a forthcoming film by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, which portrays Islam in a negative light, was behind the ban.

"They asked us to ban it immediately... and the order says the ban will continue until further notice," said Wahaj-us-Siraj, convener of the Association of Pakistan Internet Service Providers.

"Users are quite upset. They're screaming at ISPs which can't do anything.

"The government has valid reason for that, but they have to find a better way of doing it. If we continue blocking popular websites, people will stop using the internet."

Other countries that have temporarily blocked access to YouTube include Turkey and Thailand.

Source

[Uthman]

[Isambard]

Gotta love the thought police and their lack of consistancy

[Uthman]

Gotta love the thought police and their lack of consistancy

You mean they allow abuse of Non-Muslims but not vice-versa?

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[Isambard]

You mean they allow abuse of Non-Muslims but not vice-versa?

Er? Where'd you get that from?

I mean they are banning youtube for anti-Islamic material (despite there being plenty of pro-Islamic material as well). This is an act of controlling negative opinion.

But what are the next steps? There are plenty of "anti-Islamic" material in blogs, forums, google etc etc.

Trying to control to justify censoring of opnion gets you on a slippery slope

[Uthman]

I see. Good point.

I have the impression that this is just a temporary measure though. At least, I hope it is.

Of course, anti-islamic material in the case of youtube will only be found by those who actively go looking for it. Therefore, I don't think banning the website is a good decision at all.

[Cognescenti]

Seems to me they are more likely trying to control content critical of the existing government,

[------]

:salamext:

I think it's a kool decision.

[wilberhum]

:salamext:

I think it's a kool decision.

I do too. :hmm:

It just sends a chill up my spine. :thumbs_do

[snakelegs]

one cheerful thing is that nowdays governments really can't keep information out. during the "emergency" in pakistan when the pakistani media was silenced, pakistanis overseas just sent links and info to their friends and relatives back home.
the world isn't that easily controllable any more.

[waji]

:sl:

First Thanks for the news
I think there are Good and Bad aswell
But i think Government should do more
blocking sites with pornographic
That will be Great

:w:

[guyabano]

I see. Good point.

I have the impression that this is just a temporary measure though. At least, I hope it is.

Of course, anti-islamic material in the case of youtube will only be found by those who actively go looking for it. Therefore, I don't think banning the website is a good decision at all.

I think, it should be always a personal decision to ban Information. You can use parental control software or configure your webbrowser, SPAMfilters for emails, to ban all harmful infos.

Peace

[Muezzin]

People will just go to other video sites like Metacafe etc, unless they too have been banned.

Seems like a pretty silly decision to me. As was said earlier, you'll only find anti-Islamic videos if you actively look for them. By that logic, the entire Internet, and libraries, should be banned.

[------]

:sl:

First Thanks for the news
I think there are Good and Bad aswell
But i think Government should do more
blocking sites with pornographic
That will be Great

:w:

:salamext:

Nice one.

[Malaikah]

People will just go to other video sites like Metacafe etc, unless they too have been banned.

Seems like a pretty silly decision to me. As was said earlier, you'll only find anti-Islamic videos if you actively look for them. By that logic, the entire Internet, and libraries, should be banned.

Not really, just google Islam and so many anti-islamic websites come up.

I always come across anti-Islamic stuff on youtube even though I'm not looking for it.

[KAding]

They might as well block the whole internet with that reasoning.

They should go do some shopping in China for internet filters, I hear they are good at that :).

[crayon]

Blocking youtube is futile. If the video is embedded in another site, you can still watch it. You can use a proxy, download it from one of those sites that lets you download youtube videos, anything.

Youtube was blocked here (Saudi Arabia) when I first came here, about 2 and a half years ago. I remember it was unblocked right away, though.

Nowadays, especially when it comes to the internet, it's pretty much impossible to censor anything. When there were those riots in burma a while back, and the media was censored, but anyone with a cellphone camera and internet could show the world what was really happening.

As for censoring porn sites and similar material, I'm totally for it. Sure, there are still ways of getting around it, but if you're not really trying, you won't manage.

[Muezzin]

Not really, just google Islam and so many anti-islamic websites come up.

So, if we are to use the reasoning of this decision, we must also ban Google.

I always come across anti-Islamic stuff on youtube even though I'm not looking for it.

True. To be fair, it would be difficult to trawl through the Internet and not come across anti-Islamic/anti-Judaic/anti-Christianic/anti-any religion stuff. Censoring YouTube will be ineffective in the longterm since the material is accessible elsewhere on the Net.

As always, there should be personal responsibility on each user's part when using the Internet for any purposes. The thing is so huge, it's impossible for one body to regulate it completely.

Besides, a lot of the anti-Islamic YouTube videos are often replied to by Muslims or others to set the record straight. So there is a dialogue.