Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. PHOTO: EPA
The Facebook CEO revealed the threats he received just two days after the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris, which left 12 people dead – including prominent cartoonists.
In his Facebook post, he said, “A few years ago, an extremist in Pakistan fought to have me sentenced to death because Facebook refused to ban content about Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) that offended him.”
"As I reflect on yesterday's attack and my own experience with extremism, this is what we all need to reject -- a group of extremists trying to silence the voices and opinions of everyone else around the world," Zuckerberg wrote.
"I won't let that happen on Facebook. I'm committed to building a service where you can speak freely without fear of violence," he assured.
"Facebook has always been a place where people across the world share their views and ideas. We follow the laws in each country, but we never let one country or group of people dictate what people can share across the world."
Zuckerberg received over 120,000 ‘likes’ on his post and several comments as well. In fact, he even replied to one comment in which a user has asked whether the content that had offended the man who threatened him was banned.
His response was: "It's not against our policies to talk about Prophet Muhammed (pbuh). We did block the content in Pakistan where it was illegal, but we didn't block it in the rest of the world where it is legal.”
He used the trending hashtag #JeSuisCharlie to express his condolences and his thoughts for the victims on the attack on the satirical newspaper in Paris.
"My thoughts are with the victims, their families, the people of France and the people all over the world who choose to share their views and ideas, even when that takes courage," he said.
COMMENTS (23)
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If Pakistanis are extremist than who are Israeli and American 'so on and so forth. Why muslims are always blamed for whatever bad happened around the world. I believe that extremist and terrorists dnt possess any religion so we should blaming religions. Humans make mistakes not religions. We should seriously think upon it as a community.
@Gp65:
Mr. Spokesperson of Mark Zuckerberg, if he has to give his statement on editorial policy then it must be objective not subjective.
As there is freedom of expression so I would expect that my comments will not be removed. I would like Mr. Mark Zuckerberg to allow me to published his cartoons on his facebook since he has said " I’m committed to building a service where you can speak freely without fear of violence". I want to exercise my right of freedom to publish fb founder's cartoons as I have gorgeous collection of his cartoons (Now please don't call it anti-semintic).
"Maybe it was more appropriate for Mr. Zuckrburg sb to simply omit “from pakistan” part and just say “extremist”, as is obvious in this case that what kind of extremist so no need for further victimization."
It is not only appropriate but necessary for Mr. Zuckerberg to mention "from Pakistan" but also necessary. Why should muslims of India who number in equal, in not more in numbers and also muslims of Bangladesh who are almost equal in number share this blame and ill repute with muslims of Pakistan when they do not go on killing both muslims and non-muslims as muslims of Pakistan do?
Curious that all the commenters equating Mr. Zuckerberg's position on FaceBook with Holocaust issues aren't brave enough to post their thoughts about the Holocaust in their postings! WONDER WHY????
ET moderators - so many factually wrong statements have been made by so many people. Please allow a fact based rebuttal.
@Waseem Malik: yes you can.
@Syed: please google 'facebook anti- Semitism'. You will get your answer. Yes he does allow anti-Semite facebook pages. Don't assume.
@Bobfish: Facebook follows laws in given countries. Holcaust denial is illegal in Germany because Germany where holocaust occurred wants to prevent recurrence and hence has made it illegal to deny holocaust. But does that mean Germans will come and kill someone who denies holocaust in another country? No. By the way holocaust denial is not illegal in US. On facebook and youtube you will find plenty of anti-Semitic pages and videos.
@I believe in free speech without offending anyone!:
You can report copyright violation which is illegal. You can also report hate speech. But just because something offends someone, it does not make it hate speech. Hate speech is when you support or incite violence.
@Jigz Khan: He is part of media a social media and so he made his stand clear on editorial policy of facebook in light of this murder. He is not a politician and is not required to give speeches on every upleasant event occuring on the world.
@Muneeb_Hanif Supporting murder will not be allowed. If you put up a page saying I support Peshawar massacre, that page too will not be allowed to stay. That is quite different from removving a page simpy because it is anti-semiic. Mark Zuckenberg has flatly refused to do that. Please google 'facebook anti-semitism' and you will find out how you have been lied to.
so if i go to india and am harassed by a bjp/rss type extremist. it is ok then for me, as a big ceo, in a public announcement, to say that i was harassed by "Hindu" extremists? Cannot i simply say "extremists"? Will it not be inappropriate to say "Hindu", as if all hindus are related to it, out in the world stage like this? Yes of course it is wrong. Or if in america person is attacked by black man on street, then as ceo public statement says "i was attacked by black man"... should not he say "i was attacked by particular individual". or if i am attached by taliban then i say "i am attacked by a 'pathan' taliban". what kind of nonsense is this. Maybe it was more appropriate for Mr. Zuckrburg sb to simply omit "from pakistan" part and just say "extremist", as is obvious in this case that what kind of extremist so no need for further victimization.
Good for Zuckerberg. Nobody should be intimidated by these thugs. And those who think that Holocaust denial has anything to do with standing up to Islamic terrorist are letting their bias get in the way of common sense.
@Wasim / Munib - FB will not permit having a page called - "“I support the holocaust” just like it will not allow having a page called "“I support the Islamabad school massacre” .
Please read up the difference between "hate speech" and "free speech"...
This question is for most of the commentators here - "If you think its OK to kill me if I abuse your 'religion', is it OK for me to kill you for abusing my 'reason' ?
@SKN: Why can't we go to synagogues, churches or mosques from a different sect? In my opinion, it would be wonderful to listen, share the pain and pray along with them to the creator who happened to create them as well.
Cartoons are abusive, no doubt but violence is no answer to it. How about followers of 2nd Most practised religion in France campaign to ban the contents just like Jews did for holocost ban..Learn from them. Hate is killing us.
"As I reflect on yesterday's attack and my own experience with extremism, that is what we all need to reject- A group extremist trying to silence the voices and opinions of every one around the world"
Reply Mr mark zuckerberg have u ever reacted on the innocent mass killings of Palestine's??????? Have ever raised your voices against Isrealis ??? Yes being the CEO of huge Social network you must condemn the attacks like Paris but do not limit your voices raising against one group of people or religion because this statement smells your impure intentions as people can link up this with France supported Palestine in international court of law. So Israeli loby after this attack is badly exploiting the situation. Secondly this statement could have that much balanced and unbiased that it should not have have taken the name of any country.. By taking the name of Pakistan again any one can question his intentions.. 3rd the timing is very important of Zuckerberg's statement.??????????? Just after the Paris Attack.???????????? Why???????????
@SKN Will you stop driving a car which does something you dont like? What if all cars in the market do that? What if people demand the cars do exactly which you do not like? Will you stop driving or burn all cars? Should they cater to your needs as a customer or the needs of the majority of their customers? What does basic economics indicate what facebook is doing?
@Zafar: We also drive cars made by them, it doesnt mean instead of going to a mosque/ church I start going to synagogues. Make some logical comments.
After reading the comments of the people here and on facebook I have just one thing to say if you are that smart then make a facebook of your own why are you using something which was created by the jew? We can't even make a single needle on our own we have no culture of our own and we love to be Arabs what are you first?
If hes such a champion of free speech, why does facebook have the option of "reporting pages" or reporting abusive comments.
Hate speech is not free speech - hes indirectly trying to play up the racial religious divide..as if all extremists are in Pakistan only.
The harms of Facebook are still largely ignored. Young people are so addicted to Facebook that it is affecting their real life relationships with family, friends, etc. Most people end up sharing their personal/private life with people they barely know or complete strangers. Facebook is a complete invasion of privacy.
Also it's pretty obvious that under the pretext of freedom of expression the group is allowing hate groups against Muslims to freely operate. The owner is Jewish and has expressed his support for Israel.
Seeing as holocaust denial is illegal in many countries, I'm assuming that the page will be taken down if it breaches any of those countries laws.
I think he's playing up a meaningless threat.
Facebook isn't exactly a baron of free speech, especially when it shares user data with the Government knowing that it may be used against dissenters.
A question for Mr Zuckerberg
Would he be allow to have anti Semitic content published on Facebook... just a thought?
Since, Facebook allows every one to freely post i will create a page "I support the holocaust" and see for how long does that page stay up.
Can we make the page with the name of Holocaust ?