[Reader-list] Congress Led Secular Govt seeks Facebook Ban

[Shuddhabrata Sengupta]

Dear All,

I hope that the Maharashtra government does not stoop to the level of  
imbecility displayed recently by the Government of Pakistan on the  
'Ban Facebook' issue. If it does, it will be a really sad day for the  
freedom of expression in India. The groups claiming to speak on  
behalf of Christians and Muslims in Maharashtra are the worst enemies  
of the advancement of a climate of freedom and openness for Muslims  
and Christians. If they prevail, it will ultimately be Muslims and  
Christians in Maharashtra who will be the greatest losers. They, like  
their Hindu counterparts (those who oppose art exhibitions in the  
name of Hindu tradition) need to be combatted militantly by all those  
who seek to keep our societies open.

best

Shuddha

On 26-May-10, at 9:47 AM, Pawan Durani wrote:

> http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100526/jsp/nation/story_12488838.jsp
>
> Maharashtra seeks Facebook ban
> CITHARA PAUL
>
> New Delhi, May 25: The Maharashtra government has asked the Centre  
> about the
> possibility of blocking social networking site Facebook following  
> such a
> demand from Muslim and Christian organisations.
>
> Muslim and Christian leaders have themselves jointly written to the  
> Prime
> Minister, Sonia Gandhi and the Union home ministry demanding immediate
> action against Facebook for displaying “blasphemous” pages.
>
> The Pakistan government, following a Lahore High Court order, has  
> blocked
> Facebook for inviting its members to post caricatures deemed  
> blasphemous.
>
> Christian groups such as the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) are upset  
> over
> various Facebook pages on Jesus Christ and Christianity.
>
> The Maharashtra additional chief secretary (home), Chandra Iyengar,  
> has
> written to Union home secretary G.K. Pillai requesting a ban on  
> Facebook, if
> possible. A copy of the letter has been sent to the Indian Computer
> Emergency Response Team, a division of the information and technology
> ministry.
>
> “We want the government to block Facebook for its irresponsible  
> action. If
> the government does not act promptly, we will be left with no  
> option but to
> take to the streets,’’ said Sohail Rokadia of the Raza Academy.
>
> The academy, a prominent Mumbai-based Sunni organisation, has taken  
> the
> matter up jointly with the CSF.
>
> “The CSF believes that blasphemous pages on any religion should be  
> taken off
> the website. Several pages on Facebook are worse than the pages  
> that are
> being objected to by Muslims across the world,” said John Dias of  
> the CSF.
>
> “We call upon Facebook to tender an unconditional apology for  
> hurting the
> religious sentiments of millions of followers of different faiths.  
> Such
> blasphemous material on the Internet has dangerous law-and-order
> consequences, particularly in the East. It disturbs peace and  
> harmony in an
> already communally sensitive situation.”
> [image: Top]<http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100526/jsp/nation/ 
> story_12488838.jsp#top>
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Shuddhabrata Sengupta
The Sarai Programme at CSDS
Raqs Media Collective
shuddha at sarai.net
www.sarai.net
www.raqsmediacollective.net