PTI puts Google on notice for not removing anti-Islam film
PTI says it reserves right to initiate legal action against Google in accordance with law.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has put Google Inc. and its subsidiary YouTube on notice for not removing the blasphemous film, a statement issued by the party said on Sunday.
The announcement was made by PTI’s Secretary General Dr Arif Alvi after Google’s statement was published in New York Times saying that the film would stay on YouTube as it did not violate its policies describing hate speech.
The PTI demanded immediate removal of the video from YouTube and also asked the video sharing website to avoid such a repetition in future.
The statement said:
The PTI demanded Google to review its policy otherwise “more criminals and crackpots would create such videos and find YouTube a safe platform to promote hate.”
Alvi said that even after millions have protested in the Muslim world including Pakistan and with so many deaths and billions in losses to property and production, it was shameful that Google still considered that the video does not violate its policy of hate speech.
He further said that, in contrast, the company removed 10 films and 1700 video clips on Holocaust denial earlier this year.
The PTI secretary general said that with the threats of positioning US marines in many countries to protect US citizens, such incidents have the potential of rousing international conflicts. He added that Article 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is explicit in defining freedom of speech with respect to the rights of others and also limited by issues that create public disorder.
He said that although the ‘hate bullet’ was prepared by a criminal residing in the US, the gun to fire the ‘hate bullet’ has been provided by YouTube as a Google-owned website and controlled affiliate.
The announcement was made by PTI’s Secretary General Dr Arif Alvi after Google’s statement was published in New York Times saying that the film would stay on YouTube as it did not violate its policies describing hate speech.
The PTI demanded immediate removal of the video from YouTube and also asked the video sharing website to avoid such a repetition in future.
The statement said:
The party has put Google Inc. on notice and reserves the right to initiate legal action against the company in accordance with law in each and every jurisdiction where Google has a physical and/or virtual presence and where it can be deemed to have indulged in, abetted, provoked or incited any wrongdoing, including but not limited to causation of loss to life and property.
The PTI demanded Google to review its policy otherwise “more criminals and crackpots would create such videos and find YouTube a safe platform to promote hate.”
Alvi said that even after millions have protested in the Muslim world including Pakistan and with so many deaths and billions in losses to property and production, it was shameful that Google still considered that the video does not violate its policy of hate speech.
He further said that, in contrast, the company removed 10 films and 1700 video clips on Holocaust denial earlier this year.
The PTI secretary general said that with the threats of positioning US marines in many countries to protect US citizens, such incidents have the potential of rousing international conflicts. He added that Article 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is explicit in defining freedom of speech with respect to the rights of others and also limited by issues that create public disorder.
He said that although the ‘hate bullet’ was prepared by a criminal residing in the US, the gun to fire the ‘hate bullet’ has been provided by YouTube as a Google-owned website and controlled affiliate.