I think it is a sad how Facebook has become a place where people get together and insult Islam and Muslims. There are so many communities that are just set up to annoy Muslims. If Facebook allows derogatory groups and insulting competitions to be made - would nt it be wiser if Muslims as a whole boycotted it?
For those who like FB there are other alternatives. Should the freedom of speech be equated with the freedom to insult and offend?
Nobody likes being told what to do and in the West they hold nothing as scared but why do they always target Muslims?
A Pakistani court ordered the government on Wednesday to block Facebook after press reports of a competition being held to draw the Prophet Mohammad, a lawyer said.
Pakistani media recently reported that a caricature competition is being held on May 20 about Mohammad on Facebook.
“The court has ordered the government to immediately block Facebook until May 31 because of this blasphemous competition,” Azhar Siddique, a representative of the Islamic Lawyers Forum who filed a petition in the Lahore High Court, told Reuters.
“The court has also ordered the foreign ministry to investigate why such a competition is being held.”
A spokesman for the official telecommunications watchdog, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, said the government on Tuesday ordered Internet service providers to block websites showing these caricatures, but that they had not received the court orders as yet.
Any representation of the Prophet Mohammad is deemed un-Islamic and blasphemous by Muslims.
But some warned the court’s response could backfire.
“Blocking the entire website would anger users, especially young and adults, because the social networking website is so popular among them and they spend most of their time on it,” said the CEO of Nayatel, Wahaj-us-Siraj.
“Basically, our judges aren’t technically sound. They have just ordered it, but it should have been done in a better way by just blocking a particular URL or link.”
“The PTA’s decision (to block the URL) was rational and good, but let’s see how they will implement the court decision.”
On the information page on Facebook for the contest – which was still visible on Wednesday – the organizers described it as a “snarky” response to Muslim bloggers who “warned” the creators of the Comedy Central television show “South Park” over a recent depiction of the Prophet in a bear suit.
“We are not trying to slander the average Muslim,” the Facebook page creators wrote. “We simply want to show the extremists that threaten to harm people because of their Mohammad depictions that we’re not afraid of them. That they can’t take away our right to freedom of speech by trying to scare us into silence.”
Publications of similar cartoons in Danish newspapers in 2005 sparked deadly protests in Muslim countries. Around 50 people were killed during violent protests in Muslim countries in 2006 over the cartoons, five of them in Pakistan.
Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on Denmark’s embassy in Islamabad in 2008, killing six people, saying it was in revenge for publication of caricatures.
Its a good news and nice decision of Pakistan High court if its really
Anyway First time Pakistan showing some courage its a good sign and remaining Muslim world should also banned facebook in their countries
I think muslims should learn to Respond , rather then React.
Reaction , without consideration has done more harm, over 50 persons, all muslims and in muslims countries died during voilent protest by muslims , in their own countries, including 5-6 in Pakistan., on the cartoon affair...... and they were REACTING .
an Example of Response was given by Iran, when they started a counter , by arranging a competition on Holocast denial.
1-Prophet is beyond FB book and stuff. I doubt if he need any blasphemy laws.
2-If you want to show ego and want respect as group for YOUR SELVES(AND NOT FOR teh PROPHET) then...
hmmmm you know what.....we can't do that.. we are not able to.
that was not revenge , it was the same as , touching their sensitivities , like they touched the sensitivities of Muslims , in the guise of freedom of speech.
.... Before this so called WAR on TERROR or WAR for TERROR , there was a certain amount of mutual respect , with very occasional infringements, may be a couple , in a decade or so....
and sometime , you have to respond in the same coin , to get your point across....
This is utter stupidity. I hope they don't burn down a city or two b/c of this like the last time when these mullah morons burned down half of the Lahore.
BTW, this a matter of free speech & if you don't like it don't log on FB.
@shami2k: I think there are some rules regarding freedom of speech regarding parents (If we think about Islam) Should we also start swearing and cursing our parents, if we find it the best way to reply?
If you cant do that because you love your parents or you have your own reason for their respect then this is about a religious matter which is not bounded to one person but to a largest community on the earth.
I think there are several very effective ways to encounter this. Ofcourse we as muslims hate this act, but now to ban it is just like keeping our eyes closed. We need to respond, and respond very strongly. First we have to get our strong agitation recognized to Facebook for this. It should never be allowed. Then there are several other pages that you can open to advocate your campaign. Just be creative.
Now to start insulting someone else to counter this blasphemy is certainly not a good idea. Its not even amid the preachings of our religion for which we all are becoming sensitive to.
So just use your mind and agitate, respond, start other pages to show how strong you are against any such act. By bycotting FB or not logging is just like giving them a clean and open ground to let them do wutever they want.
its a good sign and remaining Muslim world should also banned facebook in their countries