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June 2, 2010

Economist on Moslems vs Facebook





First Facebook, then the world
An annoying web page prompts a worrisome precedent

NOT for the first time, feelings in Pakistan have been hurt and censorship provoked by an overseas campaign to blaspheme the Prophet Muhammad. On May 19th the Lahore High Court suspended access to Facebook, a popular social-networking site. Facebook has been “responsible for immense hurt and discomfort”, the court found. It ordered that the site be blocked, subject to a review on May 31st. For Pakistan’s 22m internet-users, havoc has ensued.

The offence was an American cartoonist’s idea for a “Draw Muhammad Day”. Enthusiasts proceeded to draw thousands of images, many of them offensive. Facebook’s policy of prohibiting hate speech was apparently in abeyance: drawings of pigs urinating on the Koran—and worse—were posted.

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) argued against the ban on the grounds that it would hurt the country’s economy, but was overzealous in enforcing it: first Facebook, then YouTube, also for “sacrilegious” content, then another 450 sites. Parts of Wikipedia, BBC News, Twitter and Webster’s online dictionary have been blocked, though sometimes only briefly. Proxy servers, which might have been used to circumvent the prohibitions, were also blocked. Even Blackberry services were hit (to gasps of horror from the business elite).
A group called the Islamic Lawyers’ Movement argued in favour of the ban, taking the view that any economic sacrifice is justified to defend the Prophet’s honour. Demonstrations on the street, though relatively small, suggest that the ban has some grassroots support. Many online commentators support it too.
Fasi Zaka, a newspaper columnist, worries that the precedent could be used by governments to stifle criticism. “The one thing that Pakistan had going for it was relative freedom of expression. That’s in danger right now.” Further censorship might appeal to some in power. Facebook plays host to a page that mocks President Asif Zardari, whose 133,000 fans have together posted almost 1,700 derogatory images of the man.
The three main secular parties in the ruling coalition have kept quiet. Sherry Rehman of the Pakistan People’s Party has no qualms about censoring “those who cause wilful offence”. But she too worries, lest the incident “become a curtain-raiser for other curtailments.”

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