[Reader-list] On the ban on Facebook in Pakistan
Shuddhabrata Sengupta
shuddha at sarai.net
Fri May 21 14:07:32 IST 2010
Dear All,
The news that the Government of Pakistan has banned the use of
Facebook and Youtube on the grounds that these social networking
sites featured pages which invited their members to draw
representations of the Prophet Mohammed is shocking, and deserving
of outright condemnation. (See the report in The Hindu, carried below)
It shows that those who hold power in Pakistan continue to be
imprisoned by a retrograde and fascist disregard for freedom of
speech and a complete lack of understanding of the nature of social
networking technologies made available by the internet. This is a
gross insult to the hundreds of thousands of Pakisanis who are active
facebook and youtube users. I have enjoyed downloading many clips of
music, excerpts from self made videos and other materials uploaded by
Pakistanis on Youtube. I keep in touch with several of my Pakistani
friends on Facebook. This ban comes as an obstacle to these acts of
communication and is a direct attack on all our freedoms. I hope that
this ban will soon be defeated.
I am familiar with the materials that have been generated over the
years with the 'cartoons of the prophet' controversy, and though I
think that they are in bad taste and offensive. However, I feel
strongly that such materials ought to have the right to be published,
because without them being in the public domain they cannot be
effectively criticised. I have always believed that the cartoons (and
any material considered heretical or blasphemous to any tradition or
faith) should be freely available to everyone to see and make up
their own minds about. Any faith that cannot tolerate the presence of
criticism or insults is brittle. I think that those, be they Muslim,
Hindu, Christian, Jewish or whatever who attack other people because
they perceive themselves as insulting to them are actually deeply
insecure about the sources of their own beliefs. Perhaps they need to
do some introspection about the brittleness of their own faith.
I am very well aware of a lot of material that comes from within the
pious Islamic and Islamist milieu that is also equally intolerant and
insulting to people who are either not Muslims or have chosen to
abandon or question Islam, or interpret Islam in their own ways. I
have no objection to their presence, even though I am strongly
opposed to their contents. I cannot understand why those in Pakistan
(claiming to be pious Muslims offended by the prophet cartoons) who
are agitated by what they percieve as insults to their faith cannot
take the same attitude. If they can generate materials that can be
perceived as insulting by others, then they should understand that
others have the same rights as them. For instance, for years, (before
the Danish cartoon controversy broke) very offensive, sexist and
insulting cartoons aimed at Ahmediyas and their inspirations have
been in circulation in websites that originate in Pakistan, or are
generated by Pakistanis. And yet, I have not seen any calls to ban
them in Pakistan. And were there such calls, I would have been
opposed to them. What makes the sentiments of a pious Ahmediya (who
also consider themselves to be Muslims, even if they are not
considered as such by mainstream Sunni Islam) less important or
valuable than the sentiments of a pious orthodox sunni? Why should
insults to one figure considered holy be more important than insults
aimed at another? Those who have successfully called for bans on
Facebook and Youtube in Pakistan have exposed exactly how deep their
double standards are.
I am not a believer in any faith, but have the greatest respect for
the diverse traditions in all religious traditions, including Islam,
I also respect doubt and heresy. This does not stop me from realizing
that many expressions of Islamic piety, (or Hindu, Christian, Jewish
or Buddhist piety, are to me offensive and in bad taste). I believe
that those who use Islam (or any other religion) to mount homophobic,
anti-semitic, xenophobic and misogynist attacks are disgusting.
Facebook and Youtube, and the internet in general have plenty of anti-
semitic, xenophobic,homophobic and misogynist pages that stem from an
Islamist milieu. They are as offensive to me, as the pages that
intend to insult the prophet of Islam. Facebook and Youtube also have
what I think are excellent resources produced and uploaded by
believing Muslims, and also, by un-believers from a Muslim background
(the same is true with regard to other faiths and their followers). I
frequent both kinds of materials, because I have an abiding interest
in Islamicate cultures. The Pakistani governments ill informed
decision to ban Facebook and Youtube cuts off at one stroke a lively
climate of debate and discussion that is the best guarantee of the
health of Islamicate cultures and societies.
It is a sad day for us all. I hope that those who have the best
interests of the people of Pakistan foremost in their mind will
ultimately prevail, and that the Pakistani government will be
compelled to reconsider this very unfortunate action.
best,
Shuddha
-------------
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/21/stories/2010052165002200.htm
After Facebook, Pakistan bans YouTube
Anita Joshua
ISLAMABAD: On a day when Pakistan extended the ban on social
networking website Facebook to the online video-sharing platform
YouTube for carrying caricatures of the Prophet, the Foreign Office
urged the international community to address the issue which is an
extremely sensitive and emotional matter for Muslims across the world.
Asked whether the Foreign Office intended to take up the issue with
diplomatic missions in the country, spokesman Abdul Basit said
Pakistan had always raised its voice against such acts at
international fora, including the United Nations and the Organisation
of the Islamic Conference, and in bilateral interactions with various
countries.
Condemning the publication of the caricatures of the Prophet, he
described them as “malicious.'' They hurt the sentiments of Muslims
the world over and cannot be accepted under the garb of freedom of
expression. “Attacks on sacred religious beliefs, symbols and
personalities are a violation of the fundamental rights to freely
profess and manifest one's religion. Such acts are also not helpful
in the context of promoting inter-faith harmony and cooperation.''Mr.
Basit added that there was a growing trend of tarnishing the image of
Islam and the Prophet.
Shuddhabrata Sengupta
The Sarai Programme at CSDS
Raqs Media Collective
shuddha at sarai.net
www.sarai.net
www.raqsmediacollective.net
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