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"Banning Facebook, violation of rights"
A press conference has been called at the Karachi Press Club on May 20, 2010 to discuss Internet censorship in...
A press conference is being held at the Karachi Press Club to protest the ban on Facebook.
KARACHI: A press conference has been called at the Karachi Press Club on May 20, 2010 to discuss Internet censorship in Pakistan.
This protest against the Facebook ban is taking place as protests against Facebook continue across the country. Civil society members have invited the public to participate in the discussion and protest against the nationwide ban against Facebook. In a statement issued to the media the group arranging the press conference states:
“While we recognize that sites on the Internet are used to spew hatred and incite violence, we steadfastly believe that governments have no right to control access to information. We believe that every citizen has an inalienable right to freely access information and by censoring Facebook, the Government of Pakistan has taken away that right. This action will have a very negative impact on Pakistan, especially considering that countless small businesses, nonprofit organizations, restaurants, art galleries, magazines, and media outlets use Facebook to conduct day-to-day business and share information with their stakeholders.
In 2006, the Supreme Court of Pakistan banned the entire blogspot.com domain for over 18 months over a similar incident where only one blog carried blasphemous cartoons. Thousands of Pakistani bloggers were deprived of the freedom to express themselves and interact with others. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority now has the ability to block specific pages on the Internet and could have banned just the single blasphemous page. As members of civil society and professionals who depend on social media networks for our daily communications, we demand the immediate restoration of Facebook and an end to Internet censorship by the Government of Pakistan.”
Bloggers and civil society members like Dr Awab Alvi, Sabeen Mahmud and Zaheer Kidvai will be speaking at the event. “We want the more saner voices to be heard,” said Sabeen Mahmud, Director of Peace Niche while speaking to The Express Tribune. “I have been against censorship practically all my life. Self-regulation is important. If there are certain things one feels should not be watched, they can avoid it. But banning an entire site – an entire platform of communication – is a violation of our rights.”
Reader Comments (60)
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“Cartoons against Islam, violation of Muslims rights”Recommend
Voices of sanity, reason! Thank you!Recommend
After reading this article, I just wanna ask, is internet world just based on facebook, don’t you have other platforms to communicate, social networking sites, why are you bound to the networks that are just targetting Muslims?Recommend
Shame on such civil society members.Recommend
I would request these civil society members to arrange a seminar on Holocaust and topic should be “was the happened or not”. we will see your mettle and freedom on this topic.Recommend
Shame on them. They Certainly do not represent us, The Pakistanis.Recommend
Although the intension of this “press conference” could be legitimate but unfortunately, professionals are concerned about their “bread and butter” more than the respect of our Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallalaho-Allehi-Wasalam.
Couldn’t these people wait for at least a week to see if this yields results? The sugar coated word of “enlightened moderation” is so deeply sowed inside some of us that, they could be tolerant towards the INSULT but completely intolerant towards the BAN. Its a shame!
Salute to so called “professionals and civil society”.
Regards,Recommend
For this incident Face Book should be banned for ever. Thumbs up for Pakistani Government on taking such a bold decision. This time the Government has really made us proudRecommend
Shame on you for not recognizing the vital role facebook plays in expanding their bases and spreading their messages. Facebook did not target muslaims, PEOPLE on it did – why don’t you avoid them?
Well done, civil society!Recommend
This is clear voilation of basic Rights of Expression. pakistan is not progressive state . rigligious partices have not any Ecnomic program for people. they are taking just senstive issues. shame on pakistani government ban face book and youtube is this democratic attitude…..not this modren Talbanism. of PPP Government.Recommend
I would request these civil society members to arrange a seminar on Holocaust and topic should be “was that happened or not” or that happened in Palestine or not?.Recommend
I fully support the the members who are calling this conference. Slapping bans is the easiest thing to do, but is it the correct way. there are thousands of web sites that have anti-Islam material; will we now ban the internet.
PTA can easily block the particular offending web page on Face Book and no one will be the wiserRecommend
@Messam : I agree! Facebook should be blocked forever. Instead of Facebook we should have our own Social Networking website. “OUR WEBSITE, OUR PLATFORM, OUR BENEFIT!”Recommend
It is good move by civil society as blocking facebook amounts to violation of rights. People use some mosques in Pkaistan to carry out terrorist activities so why not seal all mosques. Does it make sense????Recommend
There will always be thousands of site with objectionable content. The point is that Facebook is a social platform with a defined acceptable use policy. That policy should be applied properly or it is not a social platform that should be allowed access to millions of users. Facebook has banned thousands of pages in the past for infractions that do not come even close to this.Recommend
There is no need to over react on this issue, the imposition of ban on facebook was quite right decision by LHC. But the point to be noted is that, once again they won and we lose, they achieved their goal.
The sole purpose of creating such pages is to make Muslims angry so that we come on roads, burn tires, block roads, and protest. Unfortunately which we did.
Ohh, come on people, this wont work anymore. If you cannot resist it then think to launch a “MUSLIMS FACEBOOK” this would definitely work.
But first try to reach the level of the enemy, in means of technology then strike.
Good LuckRecommend
Face Book should be banned for ever not for a certain periodRecommend
Facebook should have banned the content as it was clearly against their policy, specially after so many people reported it as such.
Having said that, the way the government has reacted is totally against sanity. It’s like shooting oneself in the foot and killing the messenger, exactly the kind of behavior the creators of the group were hoping for. We gave those petty little useless souls this much importance that everybody is talking about them now. This indeed was a conspiracy against us and we played right in their hands, just like they wanted and just like we always have.
Shame on us.Recommend
bring it back, you morons.Recommend
@saqib
Fortunately there is a hell lot of a difference between a masjid and a crap internet website. Choose your words carefully before posting.
Regards,Recommend
Yeah, I agree, why on Earth block the entire facebook.com domain. Islam prohibits the depiction of its Holiest of all prophets, as interpreted and believed by most Muslims around the world, so stop access to that particular page, not the entire website.Recommend
Shame Shame Shame on these civil societies and on its supporter..I dont why people always accuesing Taliban. So shame on them..You’ve no time to call the meeting on drone attacks and not time protest against USA to survive the daughter of nation Aafia siddiqui.No more than two days passed to ban and you people calling press only for your own matters.About which freedom you people are asking for? Do you think you’re free?? You’re slaves, not physically but mentally..
Again shame and shame…Recommend
dude it makes sense, you cant just block all of facebook cause of one page
secondly it wasnt facebook that made that page it was USER LIKE YOU AND MERecommend
Its almost humiliating to see people not recognize the actual issue. The civil society has voiced an important concern, also having provided a better and viable solution to the problem. And that is what we need to do. Facebook didn’t do any bad to us, its users did. If people feel something wrong is being done or their rights being violated and religion disrespected, banning a site which bears no responsibility for it whatsoever, is just fooling one’s own self. It is taking away the attention from the real cause. The issue should have been addressed and the best way would have been you to use facebook to tackle it: protest, instead of the government interfering and completing shutting down an entire website, possibly the most popular networking site in the country.Recommend
Iam really stunt at the amount of replies over this article. Well everyone is concerned for facebook ban or not but i havent come across same quantity of replies over Recent Target Killing in Karachi.
And Govt of Paistan really making us proud by Blocking FB but failing to control detoriating condition of Karachi, our very own city.
Hats off to you all.Recommend
No wonder after reading your comments in most of the people support the ban.i am convinced that faisal shehzad would have only been a Pakistan.Pakistan has transformed into a intolerant and barbaric society thanx to islamic extremism.Recommend
no doubt banning Facebook is not solution :) similarly protest in presence of High Court order is not solution: go to the court for relief :)
Court pass verdict on the facts which put before it and as per the prayer made by petitioner.so please find the right direction :)Recommend
Salam guys. Whether the ban is temporary or permanent, it doesnt matter. Jst stop using FB. There a hell lot of other social networking sites like MySpace, hi5, friendster etc etcRecommend
If these cartoons upset you so much…..just don’t look at them! I believe the Holy Prophet would not have wasted his energy on imbecilic cartoons or writings but would have concentrated on working for a better future.Recommend
Its was against ISLAM so LHC did the rite thing!!!!!!! THANKS LHC for taking this bold step!Recommend
And it should be banned forever!!!!!!!!!!Recommend
The ban is just plain stupid. It doesn’t make any sense. If there are groups targeting Islam and Muslims, Pakistanis and Pakistan, then we also have a group that calls for declaring India a terrorist state and unfortunately, there are a lot of Pakistanis in that particular Fb group. So where does that take us? It just proves that we are essentially the same people like those who actualy started the entire ‘Everybody Draw Muhammad Day’ issue on Fb. Thus, there isn’t much difference between them and us. They are taking their freedom of speech to higher and more serious levels and we are just reacting by banning Fb. Instead, Muslims and Pakistanis should have come together to stand up against it and not ban Fb. Those people would be having a great day drawing Muhammad’s (PBUH) cartoons today and we’re stuck here, in this country of reactionary idiots, cut off from our friends, family, business associates in other parts of the world.
Does this country of morons not understand that it is affecting her own economy adversely by banning Fb? Do the LHC have no effin idea that a lot of business is now being conducted through Facebook? And the stupid Govt. of Pakistan claims to be endeavouring to improve our country’s state. Yeah right. Like hell, you guys do.
Sabeen Mahmud is absolutely correct in saying that we should self-regulate our activities on the Internet. If something bothers you online, avoid it. If it is on Facebook, then report it to Fb authorities, though it will just make YOU feel better that you did something to stop the bad stuff that is happening on Fb.
Hurting another religious or ethnic group’s sentiments is indeed wrong, but banning something because of something that is in essence, just a small part of all the bad stuff that can happen on Fb or on any other Internet site is just plain stupid. The ban should be removed ASAP. Period.Recommend
Such censorship policies have been adopted by even the self-proclaimed champions of “free speech” in the West in recent past.
But in the West, theoretically though, such freedom of thought and opinion is allowed because ideas are not generally regarded as important for human welfare, human beings are regarded as material objects affected by material forces. Thus their actions are retrained or punished but not the ideological or psychological causes.
Religions, in so far as they think of man as spiritual or psychological entities, regard man as a bundle of information. What they are or become, therefore, depends on the ideas introduced into them. Ideas may, therefore, be nutritious, catalytic or poisonous. They can build or destroy.Recommend
great job PTA!!!!
it means PTA can keep check and balance….
please please block those website too which are against our moral values, the prone movies and all the rubbish…Recommend
Finally some sense from a segment of Pakistani society( which harldy represents the masses). But, seriously there were myriads of other ways to record the protest, rather there were effective and silent ways by which one cudve removed the contents of that page. I don’t get the point of govts getting involved.. and high courts passing orders. Possibly people are trying to make some point by banning fb. But fb or not, dese activities will continue cuz da muslims never look for a long run solution and act da typical “emotional fools”. Fb was a website amassing multiple viewpoints, it was a platform to propogate our personal ideals as well(Only if it wud’ve been thought through). As far as your own social networking site is considered, how da heck are you supposed to interact with the rest of the world??? Is a social networking site all about keeping a record of your friends(uor cell phones can handle dat, u don’t need networking sites for it). Or ws it all about playing stupid games( x box can do that)
Muslims do love Prophet Muhammad(p.b.u.h), but I wonder y this love springs up under such occasions, and all we do is create fuss and chaos over it. Whatever happens to this love in personal character?, Y don’t we adopt that selfless tradition of love and honesty. And why don’t we try to work out a serious solution… today it was fb, it could be da streets of Coppenhagen, Berlin , Paris… wat would ppl do den??? remove these names from the map( you call it a solution??)
But still, if u guys are positive that banning utube nd fb wud solve all the issues related to blasphemy. Well, Best of Luck.Recommend
Banning Facebook, violation of rights”
what about our,the muslims rights???? hurting the feelings of billions of muslims??? or we, the muslims have dont have any rights in today world???Recommend
Muslims WAKE UP. Marrying 9 year olds? Oppressing women? Indoctrinating your children? 40 virgins? 2010 people come onRecommend
we must do more. the government must take some serious steps to protest against i, long term planning. to ban the fb and utube, its a short term plan. we all have to think seriously about the matter. west can lunch some other website to use for the same purpose. it’s media war.
think about some other ways to show our love to HOLY PROPHET PBUH.Recommend
banning facebook is a right step.people used to advertise before faceebook so they will find a new wayRecommend
Come on guys where is the freedom on speech in Europe; when if you dont deny HOLOCAUST u can be prosecuted!!!!!Recommend
Dear Zunaira Malik
Facebook itself has violated its terms and conditions hence Facebook has played the part of devil’s advocate.Recommend
The link of FB’s terms is given below:
http://www.facebook.com/terms.phpRecommend
Mr. tony, i appreciate that you have so much knowledge about us, but whats the point here u wanna make? we have our belief you have yours, i respect yours, so you should return the same respect, shouldnt you? so just let it be, and lets talk about the similarities and the things we inherit and share, lets talk about humanity? not religion, and let me say, banning facebook is not the right way. tiger please dont hurt us anymore. i think that u know we are very short tempered though im sorry for that but i can only be responsible of what i do, you too should only be concerned with your faith, not ours. TC God bless you.Recommend
@tony the tiger:
Dude in fact you need to get a life more than anyone else right now. How many people have married 9 year olds? Just because you read one or two such incidents on your “biased” media, you can now go on beating the drum about it. How many Muslims are there around the world? Do you know anything at all??!!!
A woman wearing hijab is not oppressed! How ***** do you need to be to see a hijab and say “there goes an oppressed woman”. But you qualify anyway.
Yes, we tell our children our values (indoctrination is what every child on the face of earth goes through, you have gone through it too).
40 virgins: You can not relate to that. I can imagine your misery.Recommend
Facebook instantly takes down anti-Semitic as well as any controversial pages such as an Osama bin Laden fan page almost instantly even before those pages swell to over the 10,000 user figure.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/Blotter/osama-bin-laden-facebook-page-shut/story?id=10402921
Here in this case the terms were definitely violated yet Facebook itself didn’t demonstrate the same hastiness to enforce them.
Facebook is equally guilty in this regard but I’d request you all to take a look at Dr. Adil Najam’s article here at the Tribune only:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/14812/facebook-fiasco/
Makes one heck of a point – all of us are actually playing right into their hands – one post at a time!Recommend
@Ateek The reason why this page was made is because muslims in Europe don’t respect us.
If you don’t like our way of living, don’t live here. But now we have muslims in Europe demanding that we live by islamic laws. And that we don’t accept.Recommend
i agree, finally some sane ppl r talking. n to those who r sayin why r v so obsessed abt facebook. than u clearly dunt work on daily bases through facebook. i mean i hav a submission in a week n i cant order a bag cuz my material provider was on facebook. i dunt hav n e other way to communicate wid her i was suppose place order on her page. are you freaking kidding me cant u guys c u r jst making it worse for us.the amount of money facebook is losing cuz of us is nothing compared to wat they r gaining cuz of this free publicity v r providing them. do u know tat after this whole fiasco tat ridiculous page saw around 10000 fan increase. rn’t u guys responsible in a way to give publicity to this sin. why cant u use your heads Allah gave you one to make sane decisions.Recommend
now twitter is banned. it looks like as if govt is using this whole fiasco to fulfill their own agenda. cut of the fast growing communication n criticism means so tat nobody points fingers at them welcome to Zia eraRecommend
naureen it isnt abt gaining or loosing somthin its jst sbt faith if u do hav itRecommend
do muslims have secured copyrights over muhammad………..does he belongs to muslims only or he is also a historic personality…….
n what if everybody from every school of thought starts to try to restrict free thinking regarding his/her philosophy or believes………
imagine socialists banning free thinking about marx n marxism n americans or westerners ban on E=MC2……. this way we can all cancel each other then where wud we end up, a frozen world may be!Recommend
@m.rafiq: u talk abt faith but do u really think this is the way to show it,our faith n r religion is so beautiful but ppl like u who jst wants to jump on the mention of n e controversy to prove tat u hav faith r ruining it. islam doesn’t force n e thing on n e one. Allah gave you mind to chose ur path,He gave us free will than who r u guys take it away frm us. seriously keeping urself behind the world will not do n e good for Islam. u want to make world to understand ur point of view than make urself worth it. study hard , be somebody. isn’t tats what our Prophet (p.b.u.h) did , through out His life He proved to kafar tat He is the most righteous man n ppl listened to him , u guys jst shout faith but dont really hav n e . i believe tat Islam teaches us to grow, in tolerance and in humanity. hiding under the blanket wont make the monster disappear. u hav to face it n fight it in a way tat it wont return. so seriously this was not the solution they still had the competition n nothing changed except us, who lost healthy sum of money which was suppose to feed some of muslims.Recommend
please growup u insane ppl. if someone else is ridiculing u, islam doesnt allow u to kill em. its their right to do as they please if u cant take it then don’t go there.Recommend
Facebook is an amazing communication platform that connects millions of users to their loved ones. It is also a marketing and revenue generating tool. Same is true for YouTube which is much more than a video sharing website. Banning Facebook or YouTube is an obscure and emotional decision by the government of Pakistan. It makes no sense to entirely ban these websites when blocking offensive webpages was enough. Why we always have to be destructive in our reaction when countless constructive and meaningful alternatives are available ? Why the handful misguided and illiterate are always allowed to impose their ill-informed opinions on the majority ? Those who are leading violent protests are just having another “good day” at office. Such issues provide energy for their shops to thrive. Theocracy has failed itself once again in this country. I am sick of bigotry and conspiracy theories and their impact on Pakistani mindset.Recommend
Facebook should be restored immediately. I completely agree with this article. Banning the entire site just for a single page is ridiculous.Now, as the offending pages have been removed, the site should finally be restored. The government should restore the website now. It is time to return our rights back to us.Recommend
Its the revenge of rage boy again…the anti-progressive forces in the country spewing their hate for anything and everything they have been too lazy to innovate themselves…I wonder when they will ban porn online, ESPECIALLY links that direct you to paedophilia but wait, thats not OFFENSIVE, we marry girls off at 5 to catheder carrying old men in some parts, THATS civilised…bloody hell, get off your high horse, you have denied noone but pakistanis themselves to ACCESS…welcome to the left behind club, population YOURecommend
boycott is not d solution we shud fight for this rather than sitting idle !Recommend
It is NOT justified to cut away the ENTIRE arm, in case a tiny little mole develops on the arm.
Pakistan Government has blocked the ENTIRE site of “facebook”, instead of blocking an Objectionable Page.Recommend
Custodians of Islam should completely ban internet to avoid blasphemous material that may exist on millions of unknown websites.Recommend
just missing my profile badly, dunno when will we grow up n behave like matures, such a immature society we are living in!
i want my facebook back!!!!!!!!
go to hell millatfacebook!Recommend
to all the guys who are in favour of restoring the facebook and saying that this is violation by our Govt,, guys plzzzz wake up just look at the facebook administration,, did thay obey their rules regarding this issue? thousands of people reported against it, Had any non muslom Govt respected the sentiments of muslims. we, at this time only in position of criticising not in fightng agaist and the best option is to block the facebook in all muslim countries because more than 50 percent revenue generated by FB is through muslims. just think about that y they do not allow to mention something about holocoust whichis despite of having doubful incident. please think these this isue without considering profit and loss,, it the matter of our faith(Iman) which is the most valueable thing.Recommend