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Pakistani Court Orders All Of Facebook To Be Blocked Over Page It Doesn't Like

Overhype

from the sledge-hammer dept

Wed, May 19th 2010 1:40pm — Mike Masnick
Remember back in 2008, when Pakistan ordered YouTube to be blocked and took down a chunk of the wider internet outside of Pakistan in the process? One hopes they've got the technical details worked out this time, because Mr. LemurBoy alerts us to the news that the Pakistani High Court is so disturbed by the fact that there's an "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!" page (hopefully you've already heard why that's controversial...) on Facebook that it has ordered all of Facebook to be blocked through the end of May. Originally, only that specific page had been ordered to be blocked, but apparently that wasn't enough:
Lawyers with the Islamic Lawyers Forum appealed to the higher court on Wednesday, saying the entire site should be blocked because it had allowed the page to be posted in the first place
Of course, that makes me wonder. If someone created a similar webpage just "on the internet," would Pakistan order that all of the internet should be blocked? If it was on a piece of paper, would all paper be blocked from import?

Filed Under: blocks, pakistan
Companies: facebook

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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 May 2010 @ 1:43pm

    'If someone created a similar webpage just "on the internet," would Pakistan order that all of the internet should be blocked? If it was on a piece of paper, would all paper be blocked from import?' - mike masnick, sarcastic, snarky, and just plain wrong.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 19 May 2010 @ 2:46pm

      Re:

      I would ask you to explain why, but I got a better answer from shredding a dictionary, picking out some strips, and adding "the masnick" in between some of the words.

      [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      AMIN PANAAWALA, 19 May 2010 @ 11:35pm

      Re:disputed page on face book

      face book is a social plate form it is not for insulting.we love our prophets religions and religious heads,prophets mimam,padri etc.if this trend continue we will totally give up face book.we,muslims love mohammad s a w more than every thing even our life and childres etc,we do not the world any thing we believe in life after death.MAP

      [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 May 2010 @ 12:41am

      Re: pakistani couet

      if all web sites did this kind of things then all internet should be blocked

      [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      The Groove Tiger (profile), 20 May 2010 @ 1:31am

      Re:

      step 1: state that "the masnick" is wrong. spice it up with some other passive-aggressive qualifications.
      step 2: take random line from the article, say the exact opposite, and pretend that's enough reason for the article to be wrong.

      [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    lavi d (profile), 19 May 2010 @ 1:48pm

    Ding!

    Hey, thanks for reminding me.

    I have to draw Mohammed tonight!

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    A Dan (profile), 19 May 2010 @ 1:56pm

    Typo?

    It is actually called "Everbody Draw Mohammed Day"? Google's suggesting I mean "Everybody".

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    James Carmichael, 19 May 2010 @ 1:57pm

    Why am I not even surprised by that kind of action when it comes from an Islamic country? It's like they gave up on logic and reasoning altogether.

    [sarcasm]We should ban pencils so nobody can draw Mohammed.[/sarcasm]

    What a sad bunch or idiots.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 25 May 2010 @ 2:36am

      Re:

      funny, you call them idiots, but it against their religious beliefs to try to do that, so you care not for their beliefs, and insult them when they respond to the group responsible for allowing that to happen???

      who is the real idiot??

      [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Poster, 18 Jun 2010 @ 4:59pm

        Re: Re:

        You are.

        Having spiritual/religious beliefs is fine. Even if those beliefs say "there is no God", that's fine too.

        But using those beliefs to justify ignorance and bigotry and a complete misunderstanding of other cultures, while at the same time proclaiming that your beliefs are the only "right" beliefs, is just plain stupid.

        For me, toleration of another person's religious/spiritual beliefs ends the second they attempt to use their beliefs to justify stupid, irrational behaviour ("God made me kill this man!" "Allah said to punish the heretics!" "Jesus said we should bash the gays just because they're gay!") that no sane, learned man would ever participate in.

        People who believe in the faith of Islam are fine by me. But when they start saying things like "death to those who defy Islam" just because we don't believe in it...well, then, that's when I stop tolerating those people and start looking at them as someone who's dangerous to themselves, other people, and society as a whole.

        We don't need a society built on fear and intimidation and hatred of those who think differently; we need a society who is willing to tolerate - even love - people for their different ways of thinking, and respect those differences without resorting to rash, illogical behaviour just because we don't see eye-to-eye.

        [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Spanky, 19 May 2010 @ 2:02pm

    re

    Could they please block Facebook here in the US, too?

    This is no big deal. You have to understand that Pakistan just practices a different form of totalitarianism than we do.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    OldGeek, 19 May 2010 @ 2:23pm

    Ever Wonder

    If you've ever wondered about why things like this happen, check out this: http://www.jihadwatch.org/islam-101.html . I've spent several years in the counter-terrorism machine and this fits with what I've seen in the middle-east better than anything else. And it's not as big as "Gone with the Wind".

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 May 2010 @ 2:26pm

    Do they honestly expect people will not have drawings up after May?

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Pickle Monger (profile), 19 May 2010 @ 3:12pm

    Bugs out

    So Pakistan is blocking Facebook... That might explain why YouTube videos aren't working too good. Can someone please help Pakistan establish friendly ties with India so that they can get some decent tech support already?

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    GeneralEmergency (profile), 19 May 2010 @ 3:39pm

    Irrationality, unridiculed becomes normality.

    o<-<

    This is a scale, highly detailed drawing of the prophet Mohammed asleep on the sand.

    Sorry, but I can't seem to get the eyelashes just right.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    NAMELESS ONE, 19 May 2010 @ 3:51pm

    so on every web page across earth

    post something like what got facebook banned form pakistan


    as they said during the french revolution
    LET THEM EAT CAKE

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Jaws4theRevenge, 19 May 2010 @ 4:20pm

      Re: so on every web page across earth

      What? Are you a randomly generated trolling-robot? Seriously... The "Insult Mike" Guy makes way more sense than you. In fact, I get more enjoyment from reading his posts. You... you just leave me feeling dumber than when I started.

      [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Mr Big Content, 19 May 2010 @ 5:03pm

    If The Internet Would Just Obey The Law ...

    ... there would be no reason to punish it.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Rekrul, 19 May 2010 @ 6:32pm

    I hope this becomes an annual event!

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Wolfy, 19 May 2010 @ 9:33pm

    Religion of any kind is a form of mental illness. I have only pity for those brainwashed as children, and we should clinically treat them as best we can. They are victims. Those that choose religion as adults should be disregarded until they pick up weapons, then they should be put down like the rabid animals they've become.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    amin panaawala, 19 May 2010 @ 11:52pm

    on internet same behavier

    world know what muslims can do with the help of Almighty creater,the real superest power,EVERYTHING MOVE /RUN ACCRDING TO HIS WISH/ORDER.WE CAN SACRIFICE EVERY THING FOR THE PRESTIGE OF OUR BELOVED PROPHET MOHAMMAD S A W.,OUR RELIGION ISLAM.WE CAN CREATE HUNDREDS OF INTERNETS IF WE ARE BEING HARRASSED.BETTER FOR US TO MAKE THE WORLD PEACEFULWE WANT PEACE IN THIS WORLD ,THESE DISTURBANCE ,TALIBAN ,TERRIRIST ARE CREATED BY WEST[YOU]U ARE SUPPORTING THEM .9/11 FRAUD CREATED BY U TO GAIN WASTED INTEREST.WHAT U HAVE GAINED ,NOW WORLD KNOW REALITY.MAP

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      zub, 20 May 2010 @ 2:02am

      Re: on internet same behavier

      All-caps FTW!

      [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Any Mouse, 20 May 2010 @ 2:15am

      Re: on internet same behavier

      Dude. Seriously. Pretty much EVERY religion is like this up to a point. Most just aren't willing to blow themselves all to shit and take defenseless people with them. Go on, keep waving the 'we're terrorists because you made us be terrorists' flag at us. If you're a terrorist, YOU made that choice. Nobody's forcing you to pull the trigger. At least not over here.

      And spare the Christian remarks, if you please. So not a Christian or a Jew or anything like that.

      [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      techflaws.org (profile), 20 May 2010 @ 3:02am

      Re: on internet same behavier

      Good luck with that.

      [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 May 2010 @ 3:42am

      Re: on internet same behavier

      Why don't all you religious nutjobs just fuck off to another planet where you can perpetuate your brand of censorship and restrictions of freedom and speech.

      And yes, I include Christian, Jewish, etc, etc fundamentalists. You're all doing nothing but using religion to control populations and provoke fear.

      There is no god and organised religion has caused virtually every single war in the history of humanity. Fucking retards.

      [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Niall (profile), 20 May 2010 @ 4:39am

        Re: Re: on internet same behavier

        Well, we already tried shipping our religious lunatics to a "New World" but look where we are a few centuries down the line...

        ...although it certainly explains a lot of the crap that happened the last decade!

        [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Jim, 20 May 2010 @ 12:15am

    Not Right!!

    We should not do anything that hurts anyone..!! Simply ridiculous.. Why the hell, do we doing anything to offend anyone on the name of so-called freedom of speech.. Why the hell, you care to draw Mohammad?

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    rb, 20 May 2010 @ 12:36am

    it is wrong!!!anything angaist prophet muhamed is angaist us as a muslim whole

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Ali, 20 May 2010 @ 2:30am

    RE:

    The decision is 100%, Facebook should have to be blocked for unlimited time in all Muslim countries, if we are user of facebook, but it does not means that facebook can play with our emotions, can give permission to others to hurt Muslimes,
    I think the people who made that bad page and who supported have no religion, because no religion allow to hurt.
    the people who did this would not be forgiven.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      zub, 20 May 2010 @ 3:39am

      Re: RE:

      The funny part is that instead of letting your favourite deity deal with the issues (they, well, me included, will burn in hell etc.), you are all that eager to take matters into your own hands. As if you were not so sure your deity will handle it.

      That applies pretty much to all religions out there.

      [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        zub, 20 May 2010 @ 3:42am

        Re: Re: RE:

        A correction: not to all, but lets say it applies to the big three.

        Also, why the blocking? To prevent others from seeing what *you* don't like? Let others decide on their own if they want to see it or nope.

        [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      STJ, 18 Jun 2010 @ 6:01pm

      Re: RE:

      Um, it's on the internet, so that must mean you need to block the WHOLE net. But it's also being displayed on a computer, so you need to get rid of all computers as well... and on and on and on..

      [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    asas, 20 May 2010 @ 4:09am

    yuppy!!! we,, awl, the pakistanis have subjected face book organization to a gr8 loss!!! we will see u in hell here after, inshallah!!!

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Mr. LemurBoy (profile), 20 May 2010 @ 6:41am

    hmm, according to CNN today, the ban is indefinite

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    taoareyou (profile), 20 May 2010 @ 7:25am

    The Difference

    On Facebook there are pages such as the Anti-Christian Sentiment, and There Is No God. You have no calls from the Pope to block Facebook. No threats to kill anyone. In fact, they get relatively no attention.

    The difference is tolerance. One of the Islamic pages I found was "There is No God But Allah". Some followers of Islam want to enforce respect for their religion onto the rest of the world while at the same time offering no such respect to any other religion. Demand tolerance, but do not give it.

    The most vocal Muslim responses to pointing this out are almost always near unreadable rants composes of juvenile insults and threats. This is what the rest of the world sees: intolerance, hypocrisy, hatred and violence.

    No matter what an actual religion teaches, it will be judged by the actions of its followers.

    I think the ban of Facebook is just a show. The number of pro-Islamic/anti-everything else pages on Facebook is my evidence. By banning Facebook, they are cutting themselves off from a global recruitment tool. It's nothing more than using the international news agencies as your advertising department.

    They will continue to try and control Facebook. Who knows, Facebook might be as spineless as Viacom and give in. But the ban on Facebook will be short and temporary because every day they block it, is a day they can't use it to connect with new members and spread their messages of intolerance to the rest of the world.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    learn quran, 20 May 2010 @ 5:09pm

    that is the best thing that PTA did to tell the face book owners that they are not obeying there own low

    that is the best thing that PTA did to tell the face book owners that they are not obeying there own low

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    discount coupons, 21 May 2010 @ 4:36am

    Buzz

    its really very sad and i think the internet should be blocked.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Duck, 23 May 2010 @ 4:21am

    Pakistanis a nation of bastards

    Bastards they are

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]


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