Muslim anger prompts Pakistan to block Facebook

The internet's big amongst mid-class in Pakistan, so is blogging. It should just introduce a Facebook service exclusive to the Pakistanis.

Why not just unplug all muslim countries from the internet completely? That should zero out the risk of them finding anything offensive! I think people who create pages like this, knowing it's going to piss people off, need to get a friggin life. Yes, I know we have freedom of speech and expression but with that freedom comes a bit of responsibility. Having a freedom and flaunting it just to make someone angry is immature and stupid. Now, having said that, Islam and Muslims need to realize how their "Jihad against everything" attitude is doing nothing more than inciting hatred and isolating them.

I agree, I think they should just ban the internet. That way theres no chance of anyone getting infected with blasphemy.

Having a freedom and flaunting it just to make someone angry is immature and stupid. Now, having said that, Islam and Muslims need to realize how their "Jihad against everything" attitude is doing nothing more than inciting hatred and isolating them.

Agreed. No shortage of fools on both sides.

If you cannot represent a picture of the dude, then why are so many pople named Mohammad? Are they suppose to represent what he looks like or is it a guessing game? If you want to really have fun, shoot a picture of every person you know named Mohammad and make a home page with it and call it "Mohammad, the man around town"

Its ironic that muslims recognize Mohammed in every cartoon, even if it is a stick figure or a bear cartoon.

The logical conclusion would be, of course, to shut down the internet entirely for all muslim countries. Who needs information anyway, other than what is in the Koran.

Islam forbids ANY depiction of Mohammed in picture, sound, etc.

So by even making an image/drawing of Mohammed you are already being insensitive to their culture and religion, don't even need to be offensive.

Watched an interesting film about the life of Mohammed once(was done to Ismalic standards). You never saw or heard Mohammed speak.

HTH.

Zenn11:

" Islam forbids ANY depiction of Mohammed in picture, sound, etc. "

That would be no skin off my nose, if muslims applied that only to themselves. However, the islamists demand that we, the infidels, also obey shariah.

oh no. I mean, who cares.

Muslims seem to get PO'ed at the slightest thing. I wish they'd all go back to their muslim countries and not talk to the rest of the world and I think we could all get along if that were the situation. I will not be intimidated by 1000 year old beliefs and be told what I can and cannot draw. Pretty soon there will be a Happy Face T-shirt out with the name Mohammed printed under it. Then those freaks can give themselves heart attacks with the adrenalin surge in their veins. If I see a T-shirt like this I'd buy it. Maybe some Israeli can make it.

soon there will be a Happy Face T-shirt out with the name Mohammed printed under it

That's a brilliant idea!

This intolerance is not limited to Muslims. Years back in Japan, the respectable and popular magazine Marco Polo quickly disappeared after it published a documentary that some people apparently found offensive.

Wow, talk about dissembling. As I recall, Bungeishunju-sha, the publisher, suspended publication of the magazine itself after protest from a Jewish group back in the mid-1990s. Marco Polo had run a long article by some amateur Japanese historian that claimed the Nazi Holocaust was a fabrication, and intentionally timed the article's appearance to the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. Pretty offensive, if you ask me. The protest involved a boycott by advertisers, which was joined not only by a German auto manufacturer but by several Japanese companies! An apology would probably have got the magazine off the hook. At any rate, no one rioted, threatened the editor's life or threw firebombs at the corporate headquarters. Perhaps Muslims might learn more effective ways to flex their economic muscles to achieve their ends in a less violent manner.

At any rate, no one rioted, threatened the editor's life or threw firebombs at the corporate headquarters. Perhaps Muslims might learn more effective ways to flex their economic muscles to achieve their ends in a less violent manner.

Perhaps if Muslims held the same power, they would not need to riot or threaten lives; they could just bankrupt companies and get people fired, which you seem to find acceptable.

Pretty soon there will be a Happy Face T-shirt out with the name Mohammed printed under it.

Sounds like a good business idea. I'll buy it.

Perhaps if Muslims held the same power, they would not need to riot or threaten lives; they could just bankrupt companies and get people fired, which you seem to find acceptable.

What I 'seem' to find acceptable? There's your strike two at dissembling. Please inform the other posters which company went bankrupt (Bungeishunju-sha is still in business) and who got fired (Marco Polo's editor moved to the Asahi Shimbun more than a year after his magazine was closed and became editor of 'Uno'). You appear to be justifying Muslims' riots and threats because they 'lack power'. Maybe they actually do have power but are failing to wield it intelligently.

So does that mean Pakistan is not going to answer my friend request? I was really hoping to play Fishville with Pakistan.

Oh well.

Taka

I saw a very entertaining cartoon with Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, and Mohammad. If that thing ever goes public, watch out!

I suspect that the fireworks are just beginning since people have the ability to upload pretty much anything they want to the internet.

Sabiwabi:

" Perhaps if Muslims held the same power, they would not need to riot or threaten lives; they could just bankrupt companies and get people fired, which you seem to find acceptable. "

That´ts a a pretty ironic statement, considering the story is how the islamic government of Pakistan enacted this censorship.

Muslims having the power in Pakistan strangely does not stop them from rioting and exporting jihadists to the world. How come?

Why am I not surprised?

Everyone missing one important point. No other Muslim country banned FB but Pakistan. We should blame the country not the religion.

I see them blocking FB as damage-control and a non-confrontational way out of possible a BAD situation.

By blocking it they make their point and at the same time prevent unrest from within. Also by blocking they are NOT accusing others, etc.

Pakistan already has many internal & external problems they don't need a few extra ones caused by a few western hot-heads.

Blocking seems to me a win-win solution at the moment.

HTH.

I like Zenny's take on this. Sensible and realistic in a bad situation for Pakistan. Hard enough to keep the political balance without this extra stick in the hornets' nest.

WilliB said: That´ts a a pretty ironic statement, considering the story is how the islamic government of Pakistan enacted this censorship.

Like so many of you angry conservatives, I don't think you know what the word "ironic" means. You might want to note that the government of Pakistan did not riot nor threaten lives. They just blocked a web site.

Muslims having the power in Pakistan strangely does not stop them from rioting and exporting jihadists to the world. How come?

First of all, the Muslims of the Pakistan government are not doing that. Second, what riots and what jihadists are you talking about?

The moron who sparked this bout of intentionally setting out to annoy Muslims is an American guy named Zachary Adam Chesser who changed his name to Abu Talhah Al-Amrikee. He is the ONLY one who issued death threats over South Park. Instead of posting this rubbish on facebook, it should be mailed to him in New York. Even better though would be to just ignore that idiot.

"Muslim anger"

It doesn't take much to get Muslims angry.

It doesn't take much to get Muslims angry.

Sort of like it does not take much to get an all encompassing xenophobic comment out of you?

Most Muslims were not angry. But now that a bunch of idiots have decided to set out to make them angry, that might change. Just what we need. This sort of thing continues and the moderates might embrace the extremists. Great thinking. And for what? I don't want any pictures of Mohammad anyway. Just because you can, does not mean you should. If anyone thinks otherwise, then I declare that all people who want to use facebook to annoy Muslims CAN jump off a high cliff.

I am with Mistwizard.

Having worked with many muslims(different sects) I found them rather peaceful.

Still remember when the 1st gulf war was on and we gathered round the TV, among us were muslims they said that they would slug their sons if they wanted to join the jihad. And they called all the young muslims who couldn't tell the front from the end of a rifle but wanted to join the fight fools.

Said that I found them very friendly(and I met many from many countries, etc). and been invited to celebrate feasts. One think I can tell you they put on a FEAST for a guest.

Things change when you get to know people on a personal basis and face to face.

Things change when you get to know people on a personal basis and face to face.

Then I suggest you log off Facebook, turn off your PC and go out and encounter some real human beings.

@Beelzebub

Agree 100%.

IME & IMHO.

Most people care more about where the next paycheck and meal comes from, what matter is if they can live a good/comfy life(regardless of who is in power and controls things).

Give your citzens a life of no need/want and they are happy.

And this goes for all countries and religions, rest is window dressings.

Show me any documentation where muslims have taken any action against their radical or fundamentalist brothers...I know for certain that I am not xenophobic...I have absolutely no fear of xenos whatsoever...therefore, I stand by the statement that muslims are easily angered, and those not angered tacitly support those who are.

djuice said: Show me any documentation where muslims have taken any action against their radical or fundamentalist brothers

Ask and you shall receive. This is in the self same country we are discussing, a country that really does not need this facebook crap in the middle of this conflict.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_North-West_Pakistan

Have we learned anything today?

muslims need to lighten up.

I was always told to laugh off mockery.

Madvert.

Funny thing is that the muslims are very strict about the 10 commandments, stricter than some jewish and christians. Muslims even acknowledge Moses and Jesus as great prophets.

Yep, their religion is based on judaism and christianity and the Tora & Old Testament.

This has nothing to do with any religion but Islam, and its intolerance of other beliefs. Thats it. This kind of silly overreaction is precisely why draw Mohammed day is so needed.

Zenny:

" Things change when you get to know people on a personal basis and face to face. "

No doubt your muslim friends are wonderful, but please remember that the same was said about Mohammed Atta and those of his martyr friends we know about. Generally polite, friendly, and well-liked until they decided to go on martyr mission. And the fact is, by definition the call to jihad is only directed towards muslims.

So, your anecdotal evidence means nothing.

Zenny:

" Funny thing is that the muslims are very strict about the 10 commandments, stricter than some jewish and christians. Muslims even acknowledge Moses and Jesus as great prophets. "

They acknowledge them as MUSLIM prophets. Imagine how Buddhists would feel if Catholics acknowledge Buddha as a minor Catholic saint....

So be careful with those half-truths.

Pakistan can block whatever they want to. But the issue here is a government is blocking a site due to religious beliefs.

If the majority of your citizens are easily focused on what someone is doing in protest in another country, while your country is a battle field and open to attack by followers of the "same faith"... Kind of losing focus on whats really important aren't we?

WilliB,

We Buddhists would not have a problem with it. Funny that you should mention it, actually. That's exactly how we describe the various bodhisattvas to our Catholic friends. Indeed, we often suggest to our Christian friends that we consider Jesus to be a bodhisattva (that is, one who reached the goal and came back to help others - a model for one's behavior), and when the concept is explained to them, they find it more or less agreeable. The key here is, if your religion and your beliefs are strong, you can let others believe whatever they want without issue ans still get along. It's when you have weak levels of belief that you get fanaticism. Of course, to the casual observer, this is counterintuitive.

tsurubushi:

" We Buddhists would not have a problem with it. hat's exactly how we describe the various bodhisattvas to our Catholic friends. "

Well, that is the point, isn´t it. To a Christian believer, the idea that Jesus was a Buddhist saint and not the son of god is of course absurd. Likewise, to a Buddhist, the suggestion that Buddha was Catholic saint would be absurd. But you can say such things without getting death threats and riots.

In the event, muslim fanatics have now started a "draw the holocaust" day on facebook, with the aim to ridicule and deny the holocaust. Think we will see Jewish riots or bans on facebook?

Of course not. q.e.d.

I think putting rest of the Muslim community and only a few misguided people in the same bracket to evaluate their psychology and then finger pointing them is not correct. Islam teaches tolerance to every other religion and thats what most Muslims do. But taking advantage of the 'freedom of expression', a few in the Western world are stirring up controversies. It seems that only one personality is their target. They are not hatching up something from other religions like Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism. Muslims living in the Western societies are in a position to take advantage of this 'freedom of expression'. But are they doing that? I don't think so. With rights, always comes the responsibilities. Some people tend to forget that, I think.