The writers are musicians
ZOE VICCAJI/ ZOHAIB KAZI: Dear Mr Rehman Malik and other authorities concerned:
While we appreciate the fact that the ban on the video-sharing website YouTube may have valid reasons behind it, we request you to kindly review our petition and reconsider this decision. By no means are we questioning your judgement; we are only putting forth how adversely it has affected the artist community of Pakistan, as well as the educational sector.
In light of the state of affairs all over the world, art, knowledge and entertainment are an escape not only for people like us but for the general audience as well. They are an escape from the mundane world into unknown pastures of adventure. We, who represent the Indus Valley Civilisation — one of the oldest and most advanced urban civilisations of its time — have appreciation of beauty encrypted into our DNA. We are who we are. History is a witness to the fact that we belong to a region that has provided the world with abundant treasures. We are the true torchbearers of this long-standing tradition of art.
As a nation with such a rich cultural background, how can we possibly think of putting up such obstructions in the fields of knowledge and art? YouTube is a medium that provides a platform for both. It is a library of today and an archive for tomorrow — an archive from which we will be missing.
For years, we have seen the suppression of artistic freedom, and finally, we had a platform that makes it possible for anyone and everyone to share their work and have it seen or heard — an opportunity that no other civilisation has ever had. It brings to people a set of various perspectives and possibilities, encouraging them to learn independently and think as individuals. How can we possibly keep ourselves isolated?
This letter found its beginnings in our frustration with our inability to connect to the world. We are trying to release our work, which carries months and months of effort of many others as well, but without the support of a platform like YouTube, we feel severely handicapped.
Although many people have complained bitterly about the shutting down of cell phone services, we can appreciate that it has been effective in saving lives. We appreciate the practical steps that you are taking to make this country a safe place for us. However, another factor in making our country a better place to live in is the image that is projected of Pakistan to the rest of the world. The fact is that we are a country full of talent, tolerance, art and culture. One of the main channels through which this image of Pakistan is showcased to the world is through YouTube. The banning of it goes against our image as a moderate, forward-looking and progressive country, run by an enlightened and democratic government.
We have faith in every Pakistani and, therefore, we have faith in our government. Above all, we have faith in the understanding of a person of your stature. We hereby request you to please reconsider your stance regarding the ban on YouTube, and reopen this important channel that connects us to the global community.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2013.
COMMENTS (14)
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try this url (youtube india) without any proxy software
https://www.youtube.com/?gl=IN
hi/salam all, With out using any proxy, try following:
1) open https://www.google.co.in 2) on google india home page click "youtube"
(BTW I didn't read the article...:P)
Note: 1)use https not http 2)you can try other google sites as well, like
https://www.google.de https://www.google.se etc.
regards
Say no more...!!!!!!!!
@aj:
It is lamentable that generally Muslims do not know Quran. The objections on Islam on anti muslim sites are not properly dealt with by the so called scholars. This resulted in unpopularity of muslims in UK and US.
I was doing this Jihad for about four years on one anti muslim site. I could create a pro Islam environment there. Unfortunately the sites are banned in Pakistan and I am rendered helpless.
Youtube website is banned by Pakistan Telegraph Authority as protest against uploading a video containing objectionable material about the Holy Messenger of God.
We know that the owners of site do not upload the videos there. We find hundreds of thousand videos on youtube for propagating Islam and the lectures from renowned Islamic scholars. There are hundreds of videos on lectures of Dr. Allama Tahirul Qadri on various aspects of Islam, uploaded by Dr. Qadri himself. There are several lectures of Dr. Javed Ghamdi, Dr. Zakir Naik, Dr. Israr Ahmad etc on Quran and Islam. Those scholars continue to contribute videos there even today . Banning or blocking a website in Pakistan does not make much difference because it is banned for only 0.3% of world population of above 6 billion. Rest of 5.8 billion world population is watching all that material which remains unchallenged, unquestioned and un-objected.
It is noteworthy that all kinds of educational material, except obscene, is found on Youtube. There are videos against Christianity available on the site, much before the video causing the unrest.. Similarly, all for and against, almost, relating all messengers of God and God himself.
What needed was to refute the contents of the objectionable video. There is always opportunity of giving comments about each video. No such comment refuting the contents was contributed there on our knowledgeable. Similarly there was no uproar when the material against God and other messengers was portrayed. There are many similar videos available there. None refuted or questioned them.
The authority has also banned/blocked several anti Islamic sites. These sites are maligning Muslims in Europe and US. These sites cannot misguide Pakistanis who are Muslims. These Pakistanis can rather counter such propaganda.
The Authority should take a wiser and bold posture and should not prefer to shut the eyes.
Just use proxies and YouTube is available in Pakistan then....:)
PTA should also lift the ban from anti-islamic websites because we should not prevent our masses from rational and radical thinking . .if islam is the ultimate truth then why bigots fear our exposure to such websites?
"....goes against our image as a moderate, forward-looking and progressive country, run by an enlightened and democratic government." I didn't know we had that kind of image in the world. How delusional of me!
Where's the Petition? Can't I sign?
well written.GL!
In addition of being champion of art please develop the skill of being very very little champion of IT and YOU TUBE will be well within your reach.
Either blasphemy is a serious offense or it is not. You cannot keep Asiabibi in jail on trumped up blasphemy charges but unblock YouTube which has the supposedly blaphemouz film. Likewise you cannot concede that the original ban may hav been valid and with any credibility demand a rollback when the original reason still holds. You either have to admit thati the original reason itself was not valid or live with the ban unless YouTube reverses its original decision.
Is the ban even constitutional. The preamble of the constitution says
"Therein shall be guaranteed fundamental rights, including equality of status, of opportunity and before law, social, economic and political justice, and freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship and association, subject to law and public morality;"
Who then determines public morality except the public, i.e. individuals