Rebecca McKinson writes a blog post More problems in Facebookistan, here last paragraph quite aptly sums up the frustrations of the Muslim community as a whole – she says
This larger context also helps explain the extent to which moderate and cosmopolitan Muslim Facebook users who believe in free speech against censorship were so alienated and upset by the fact that Facebook allowed the “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day” page – which on the several occasions when I looked at it was full of obscene and gratuitous anti-Muslim hate speech – to stay up for more than a week. It’s well known that Facebook quickly takes down other racist and anti-semitic pages. Yet they allowed a page full of nastiness and hate against the Muslim faith to stay up.
Personally, I too cant stomach the fact that the Facebook administrators continue to deliberately allow such uncontrolled hatred to continue on their websites which is a direct violation of their terms of service, it seems they are keen to prove a point, push the limits of decency and be responsible to engage the world in a deliberate religious war. I continue to condemn the blasphemous cartoons and the hypocrisy of the Mark Zuckerberg but at the same time am fully against a blind outright censorship enforced by the government of Pakistan on the entire domain, if such images are not acceptable under the Constitution of Pakistan then a mere block on the particular pages and other subsequent pages should have been enough.
A more direct approach would have been to lodge a serious diplomatic complaint against the US Government, maybe escalating the protest by expelling one diplomat after another for not respecting the religious feelings of the Muslim residing in Pakistan, create a diplomatic nightmare for the Americans who have a lot at stake in Pakistan, I am very well sure it would have turned quite many heads in Washington, and enough screws to force Mark Zuckerberg reconsider his allegiance to supporting hatred on one aspect of his website while surprising the hatred against the Jews. Such a line of approach would have been from any other self-respecting nation but maybe not Pakistan. While at the same time a muslim in California, wherein lies the legal jurisdiction of Facabook Inc, could have sued Facebook for a some unholy sum of money on hypocrisy and more importantly disrespecting our Prophet (PBUH), literally hurt them where it shall hurt the most, the pocket.
Boycotting facebook or banning it out-rightly only causes a very minor insignificant dent on the financial books of Facebook, a community of 2 million people which accounts for 0.5% of all registered users from Pakistan is chump change for any industry, the only dominant advertisers on the site were local telco’s targeting the Pakistani population which is a small market and had a low cost per click impact on the advertisement revenue. At best a simple guesstimate across all advertisers would run up a tally of not more then $5000 a day revenue for Facebook from Pakistan, which may very well be peanuts as compared to the traffic generated by the much-talked about Draw Mohammed Day fan page, which could easily pull a high CPC or high CPM rate easily offsetting the loss incurred in Pakistan. Any online website loves to delve in a controversy, and facebook stands to profit more so then a mere loss, Facebook owners would smile back at Pakistan to say, thank you for creating the hype and the much needed revenue.
The court hearing in Lahore High Court slated for today 31st May stands at a very precarious situation, I am told by some sources that the Government might plea to remove the ban from facebook, but it could prove to be a risky move as the national sentiment prevalent in Pakistan is to block facebook and any hint of un-banning will prove to be unpopular, may tempt the religious parties to come on the streets in protest against the government. Such violence does not help Pakistan, but it only help create more pressure on the PPP-lead government, which is already straining at the seams under constant pressure from the judiciary. On the flip side the courts could take solace on the fact that Bangladesh enforce a temporary ban could be used as an example to letting the case continue for another month or so since the courts shall go in recess very soon.
As an opponent to the blanket ban [though fully condemning the cartoons and supporting selective banning] , it seems that the courts might leverage this issue to exerting more pressure on PPP &/or Zardari. I could be entirely wrong on this assumption but its worth thinking about. I vehemently oppose anyone who may use this to further their own agendas, be it a religious party [who started the issue in the first place, the government or even the courts. Lets just be very careful in handling this issue and not lead us into more problems compounding to the issues we already have.
I write this at around 4:00 am on the 31st May, with the courts to reopen the facebook petition today again, lets see what comes out of it
Comments
42 responses to “Faceblockistan”
In 100 percent agreement.
Internet should be completely shut down in this country. This will bring America to its knees!
I agree with most of your points. I only make one strong exception: This issue was not started by the religious parties. I think a huge population of our young educated facebook users were the first to take it up. So, let's not slant their efforts and feelings and let's not condemn the (poor, always condemned) religious parties.
Secondly, I strongly agree with what you say would be a self-respecting nation's behaviour. How can we (I) put a pressure on the government to let us be self-respecting please? I am always at a loss about that.
lets see what comes out of it [Teeth Maestro]
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Dr Sahab,
I hope it is not Contempt of Court Notice for you from "Sensitive Judges" who tolerated Blood Bath in Lahore and forgot any Suo Moto Notice.
Pathetic taunt in time of extreme mourning and shameful period for all of us.
That is the reason I say that your input is not more than adding fuel into fire.
That is job of judges to provide them security ?
Read the constitution of Pakistan in which it was bhutto and PPP who actually planted this seed in reality and zia regime further provided feed to raise this seed of hatred in our culture.
Today it is PPP govt who share the responsibility of this massacre due to poor failure of intelligence in all level.
At least our unequipped and untrained Punjab police should be give credit that it has cleared the area in few hours as compare to 24 hrs siege in our modern GHQ.
Mughal
try to read the book of S m Musshrif ( who killed karkare".
he was former IG police of mahrashtra.
In this book you can replace the word Brihamain with Wahabi and Indian IB with ISI and you will get the real root cause of all tragedies in our land.
Although I couldnt end it but see how simply he briefed the complicated network of terrorism.
This is good lesson learning book for you too.
It might teach you to come out the world of theoretical Islam and guide you how to fill this gap of impracticality around you by taking some help from your job experience too.
Dear Ms. Nazia,
When Judiciary would comment and speak on very moving thing then they are themselves opening gates on them for criticism. You must have been aware of "Old Judicial Phrase" "Judges don't speak but their Decision speak" but Pakistani Judges know more they have become Politicians issuing statements so why don't they resign and join politics.
try to read the book of S m Musshrif (who killed karkare”) NAZIA
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MAM: I know who killed Hemant Karkare [I have written a lot on Hindu Extremism on my blog]. Click the tag Hemant Karkare
It might teach you to come out the world of theoretical Islam and guide you how to fill this gap of impracticality around you by taking some help from your job experience too. [Nazia]
MAM: Read the Scripture [directly read Quran and Hadith] and tell me where is Theocracy in Islam and then raise False Alarm.
I am least interested what was happened to karkare but how he entered into strong circle of Indian army for probing the ethnic riots is my reason of curiosity for reading all stuff.
Surprisingly I found lot of similarities in that network of extremism ,what is happening in our side
He has set a fine example of getting to root cause through fair procedures of investigation.
He could have turned the direction of his investigation because as an Intelligence officer he would have known the consequences of all such fair trials and inquiries.
But he risked all that for showing his spirit nationalism in line of duty.
That is an example which was clear missing in our side.
People open their mouth at the ending era of their life or after retirement which is always worth less.i,e read this
The guns of August
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-…
I am trying to tell you that you cant convince the people through long time historical facts but reaching to real reasons of disorderly behaviors of human living around us in different circumstances.
Nazia says: – May 31, 2010 at 1:38 pm I am least interested what was happened to karkare
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MAM: It was you who started this Hemant Karkare debate not me.
Naiz: He could have turned the direction of his investigation because as an Intelligence officer.
MAM: Dear Ms. Nazia, When you don't even know the basic fact then why do you lecture. Hemant was a Police Officer [Indian Police Services equivalent to Police Services of Pakistan, he wasn't Intelligence Officer rather he was investigating Military Intelligence Officer of Indian Army for the Role against Muslims/Blast in Samjhota Express and Malegaon Bomb Blast. It wasn't Ethnic Clash rather it was a Communal Affair. Read before shooting.
Mughal
This is your real problem.Instead of judging the intention what people are trying to say , you focus on finding irrelevant and unnecessary mistakes.
My intention of highlighting this case was just that IPS or ATS were highly committed to their jobs,They had risked their lives and career for finding the real reasons and culprits.
It was Lt col parhut who belong to MI and worked in J&K where he had stolen RDX from army depot which he used in blast.
You can check his detail here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prasad_Shrikant_Puro….
The introduction of karkare is found like that
He joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) as a member of the 1982 batch. Before becoming ATS Chief of Maharashtra State in January 2008, he was Joint Commissioner of Police (Administration) of Mumbai Police. He served seven years in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India's external intelligence agency.
So belonging to pure brahman family and from interanl pressures he could have diverted his direction of investigations to other sides.if I am no wrong even US declared Pakistan and few Pakistani behind this attack So every thing was his favor but he all time proved that it was pure Hindu groups who master minded and financed such deadly attack on innocent civilians to create tension between two community or two countries too.
It doesn't matter that the purpose was communal or ethnic riots as ethnicity has a strong influence on community status relations. The real motive was massacre of weak community and triggering chain of controversies in one of dangerous region of the world.
Thar is what happening in Pakistan these days but no one is bothering to get the real root cause and people are believing what US, our ISPR and intelligence teams under rehman malik are actually doing to this country.
I hope you have read the statement of rehman malik after 24 hrs rapid investigation of attack on ahmediyya groups and you can easily link it with
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-…
Nazia says: – May 31, 2010 at 11:52 pm Mughal This is your real problem.Instead of judging the intention what people are trying to say , you focus on finding irrelevant and unnecessary mistakes.
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Nazia says: – May 31, 2010 at 1:38 pm I am least interested what was happened to karkare
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Dear Ms. Nazia,
Intentions are in the heart and nobody can judge. No, there is no problem with me but problem is with you that you don't even know the basic facts and insist on thrusting your view in riddles [most of those riddles are riddled with MISTAKES or even common facts].
Mughal
my comments always present simple facts and giving riddles is your style not mine.I am simply telling you that karkare like officers are an example and hope of fair investigations .This can truly help the state to come to right conclusion which can further lead them to take appropriate acts to curb the fatal problems like terrorism.
He proved his credibility through acts and not theoretical words and facts of past history.
Our system lacks such quality as officers like you stick to impractical theory of moral and religious norms throughout your practical life and only power you possess is taunting others on the experience you get while you are on mainstream of any system.
The people can judge efficiency of any person or department through input/output parameters and repute which they earn through their dedication.
Now I think you might swallow what I am trying to tell you through example of Karkare.
Nazia says: – June 3, 2010 at 2:53 pm Mughal my comments always present simple facts and giving riddles is your style not mine.
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When cannot differentiate between Intelligence Officer and Indian Police Service Officer or Difference/Comparison b/w Whabi/Brahmin/Upper Caste/Ashraf/Ajlaf then it doesn't suit you to claim about highlighting the facts read your own posts above.
This way you can calm down your agitated conscious by cursing others that what ever you people did on duty is right and others are ignorant about your targets and job goals.
This trend is very popular in our all govt and miltiary departments.
Nazia says: – June 3, 2010 at 10:48 pm This way you can calm down your agitated conscious by cursing others that what ever you people did on duty is right and others are ignorant about your targets and job goals. This trend is very popular in our all govt and miltiary departments.
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I don't know about others but "You are ignorant to the core in some matters"
Mughal
You and many officers on the line of duty know things better than me and ordinary citizens.What you have done to prove your personal credibility and efficiency of your department?
Preferred to quit from mainstream and giving lessons of morality and national duty to others who are facing tough time during their service or behave like goof during job pressures and suddenly after getting retirement letter, start revealing facts as I have already mentioned .This revelation period usually come in their lives after many years when people are least bothered to hear it.
So for people like you who are well informed about the real crime scene we can make new quote like that"awareness is key of knowledge and wisdom but this key is only utilized after leaving national duty.
Nazia says: – June 4, 2010 at 9:28 am Mughal You and many officers on the line of duty know things better than me and ordinary citizens.What you have done to prove your personal credibility and efficiency of your department? Preferred to quit from mainstream and giving lessons of morality and national duty to others
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Dear Ms. Nazia,
I have debated that already with you.
Facebook quickly takes down other racist and anti-semitic pages Anti Semitic Page. [Teeth Maestro]
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Arab race is also Semitic Race [and we often see how Arabs are insulted] {Semitic means from Sam s/o Noah [PBUH] Ref: Tabari and Ibn Khaldun}
I agree with the thoughts of Dr. Sahib.
As for Zuckerberg's hypocrisy: you do realize that Facebook allows one of the many poster boys for your Islamist death cult, your most holy Imam Anwar al-Awlaki, to keep a presence on Facebook, right?
And as for a strong diplomatic response: in the US we have freedom of speech protected by a stable 200+ year democracy. The US government won't apply pressure to Facebook to have it shut down, period.
As for the images themselves, I do think they're stupid. The people who are drawing them are trying to argue a principle (of tolerance). The reality though is that they're trying to have this argument with people who are soblinded by their own sense of victimization that they've lost any sense of principle. With a country like Pakistan, that by all accounts universally despises the US yet still takes a billion dollars in aid from it, can one really expect to ever win an argument on principle? You might as well argue with a child.
Totally agree. Very well put. I wish those on high chairs would've seen the whole scenario from this angle.
The idea of suing FB HQ for an ungodly amount of money could've made more headlines than a peanut sized population left in darkness. Classic case of 'ostrich syndrome'.
Lol
I love you .. how you continue to behave as a 5 yo crying mommy mommy for his candy (facebook)
While Israel just attacked and killed people on-board the aid ships destined for Gaza you continue to have fits that why facebook is blocked
why do you still insist to go to facebook when they are not ready to respect your beliefs ?
why have this shameless apologetic attitude that facebook continues to spit on your face and your continue your yearning for facebook?
LHC orders Facebook access restored Updated at: 1025 PST, Monday, May 31, 2010 http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=105777
How dare! They should be whipped.
Teeth
when there were no face book culture even then people communicated with each other and made excellent deals.
Your highly trained TTP was just organized in backward areas of our northern side and illiterate class was selected to fight with super powers.
They were used to train with modern equipments in caves and rough mountains.
They still behave like modern fighters even old fashioned get up.
They are now expert in combat operations and guerrilla attacks and proved many times their superiority on 5th largest army of the world.
You see they still have an edge on your modern army and high profile intelligence agencies.
So no need to follow/curse the timely decision of LHC in this regard.
It can just be placed as symbol of protest from hurt people of Pakistan.
mughal
You are again stick to your theoretical life.
When Judiciary would comment and speak on very moving thing then they are themselves opening gates on them for criticism. You must have been aware of “Old Judicial Phrase” “Judges don’t speak but their Decision speak” but Pakistani Judges know more they have become Politicians issuing statements so why don’t they resign and join politics.
That is your real problem.
our such people favored judiciary was come out in abnormal way and no way match with normal level of functioning of judiciary.
This judiciary came into being when all other state functions including parliament, bureaucracy and military had been failed to fill the gap between people's demand and state.
Oh I know you would also link it with another thrilling conspiracy from Washington.
But I am little hoping for something different as I feel that at this moment it is only volatile state organ with all its weaknesses that is providing people some services.
otherwise what zardari and sharif is doing wiht state and its people is clear all .
This is an ideal conditions when
Judges don’t speak but their Decision speak.
For reaching to such condition of idealism your parliament should be active or not behave like rubber stamp.
Your president house shouldn't be guardian of looters, convicted and criminals
your PM should have some plan for its country and should follow dictation of military men and bureaucracy.
Your all other state organ should be vigilant and responsive to victims of terrorism in such state of urgency in our problematic areas
We haven't achieved any of above mentioned states.
But your hopes are only restricted to judiciary.
This is your biased opinion nothing more I can say.
In this book you can replace the word Brihamain with Wahabi [Nazia]
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Wrong Comparison. You should have compared Syeds, Makhdooms, Pirs and Pirzadas or Gaddi Nasheen [Shrine Keepers] with Brahmin. You are absolutely wrong above. You need a lot to read about Dalits, Ashrafiya and Ajlaf in South Asia before comparing Wahabis with Brahmins.
mughal – You are again stick to your theoretical life. [Nazia]
=
MAM: Yes I like it that way.
But your hopes are only restricted to judiciary. This is your biased opinion nothing more I can say. [Nazia]
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Read my lips "I hate Pakistani Judiciary! Satisfied.
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congrats; facebook ban has been lifted!!
However, irony is that, over the last few days, Pakistani educated elite have vigorously drained their energies over something as minor as a networking website block, proving that the ban was un-called for. I believe, instead they should have channelized their energies in a constructive and organized manner to promote the issue at local & international newspapers and blogs, perhaps asked over for a permanent solution to the issue i.e. legislation. They might have yileded more productive & phenomenol results & would have created a "we respect ourselves" notion abroad.
The crucial point to note here is, what mullahs have been protesting violently in recent years because of the disorganized Islamic world, has already been turned into legislation in a civilized manner, either by lobbying or by parliaments in the developed world in the form of "Holocaust denial bills" or "US Global anti-semiticism Act 2004"
In our case, no offense, but just like mullahs,the intelligentia has failed to deal with the issue rationally.Hence, banning is over, but issue stands there.
"I continue to condemn the blasphemous cartoons and the hypocrisy of the Mark Zuckerberg but at the same time am fully against a blind outright censorship enforced by the government of Pakistan on the entire domain"
So you agree with the extremists in principle, but not on their tactics. By granting them moral authority, you've reduced yourself to a mere nuisance, haven't you, since the majority of Pakistanis have never had anything to do with Facebook?
Awab,
you said "A more direct approach would have been to lodge a serious diplomatic complaint against the US Government, maybe escalating the protest by expelling one diplomat after another for not respecting the religious feelings of the Muslim residing in Pakistan, create a diplomatic nightmare for the Americans who have a lot at stake in Pakistan, I am very well sure it would have turned quite many heads in Washington…"
You mean 'many heads in Pakistan' instead didn't you?
Tell me honestly, is American Judiciary more honorable than Pakistani judiciary? and why you think so? because its difference between brown and white?
You submitted to the judgement by american judiciary against Afia Siddiqi claiming that it was a sentence from judiciary, but when a Pakistan judge passes the judgement you seem to be complaining and complaining and protesting? why this discrimination?
You have provided alternate ways, yet you do not want to accept the judgment by a Pakistani judge
You think banning facebook in Pakistan didn't hurt fb? Its the user-base that makes fb a billion dollar property the ads are secondary, besides the sponsor would now see fb as controversial too. If fb looses users permanantly, it would really hurt fb.
Had other Muslim countries followed PK, the impact would have been much deeper. But the problem is , every time there is a step taken, that may unit the nation, some of us rebell in order to catch the lime-light.
You can come up with 1000s of reasons to justify your stand but the truth is the judgement by the judiciary was a popular one and a vast majority of Pakistanis (SHIAS, SUNNIS, BARELVIS, DEOBANDIS) endorsed it
To add more…
submitting to the judiciary would have been step one. God, damn, it was only a 10 day networking site blockade, but so much hue & cry was raised over it.
other steps that dr awab is proposing would have followed the ban, like expelling diplomat etc.by raising issue on web on part of blogers.
But damn, forget mullahs, such intolerance & childish attitude to the court,s decision has been depicted by the intelligentia, turning into mockery what could have an excellent opportunity to raise the issue rationally.
I admire Turkey,s fierce & STAUNCH stance on flotilla. I like their organization, unity over the issue, addressing it on every medium they have, in every possible way they can. This for me is the SELF-RESPECTED WAY.
I believe “hate-speech” is something which needs to be condemned and no one can get away with blanketing it with “freedom of expression and speech” theory. If we can resist people like Zaid Hamid for being hate-mongers, we should do it for others as well irrespective of their religion and ethnicity.
So, what about the promise made by some so-called liberals to launch protest against FB in an effective way. What will you do honey? http://tinyurl.com/26kkyng
Religion is a personal matter and not the responsibility of the state; State has other important stuff to do, so blocking a website couldn’t actually help this problem, but in a way increased the reaction.
Facebook was first blocked and then opened after some ten days, what message has gone to the world? That users were not interested in boycotting facebook and the powers that be in Pakistan were forced to ban it for a short period (to register the protest???). I think this is not a good message from us. We should have boycotted the facebook on our own. The sad part of the whole episode is that it has been done on court orders. It would have been fitness of the things if millions of messages had been exchanged right through facebook interactivity condemning the biased role of Mark Zuckerberg and a constant message be submitted again and again "Hitler had quite a logic for his holocuast". At the most they would block and delete these messages but deep down in their heart they would have received our message and known our feeling how much it hurts.
The other Islamic countries have done a sane thing; ignore the whole issue and leave it to users. If you don't like my apples don't shake my tree.
Every action has a purpose behind it. The blasphamous act exercised on Facebook has a purpose that we should identify. Detraction, provokation, degradation, humiliation to check our reaction, anything is possible. Are not we playing their game? We should think about this aspect as well.
Facebook is itself facing the charges that it has supplied email addresses (millions if not billions) to advertisers in exchange of dollars. Not to forget, in this web era, emails are the best source of business.
Australia warns Facebook users – Australian police are urging teenagers to take their personal details off social networking websites, after an 18-year-old woman was murdered. UPDATED ON:
SUNDAY, JUNE 06, 2010 00:28 MECCA TIME, 21:28 GMT http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/20…
So you can judge that what is happening in our country on the name of this net meeting.
Those who favor or give projection of such abnormal meeting forget that expansion of business ventures and knowledge and experience sharing attitude ares strong human innate qualites and always exist in nay kind of civilization.
As we cant plant the US shoots and roots in Asian fertile lands, same way attitudes and experiences also vary depending upon geographical , cultural and religious boundaries.We cant fully utilize concepts of western living on eastern values or relying on imaginary people whom we find very trust worthy and reliable behind net world.
So being a part of global village, it looks that weaker personalities and shaky nations are trying to copy paste the way of living of crook personalities and shrewd nations through such net world.
I wonder! Why don't the put a ban on computer altogether. Next step should be to put the eyes out of every Pakistani for seeing "Forbidden" things like "Unknown Women", then should be the turn of "ears" to refrain them from listening anything evil and forbidden, Ultimate Solution "See no Evil, Hear no evil. Why don't put all Pakistanis to death and send them all to Allah to save Pakistanis from further sinning.
“There is no way to check which links and sites are accessed by users. Nonetheless, we are doing our best,” the official told Dawn. “Blocking search engines may be disastrous and will draw a lot of criticism,” he added. He said that this was what “we will tell the court when representatives from MoIT and PTA appear on June 28 — we have done our best to implement orders without disrupting major online websites”, he said. An IT entrepreneur pointed out that continuous ‘interference from the authorities’ was disrupting commercial activities. “Blocking new links and opening up others is also slowing down the Internet access,” he said.—Staff Reporter PTA asked to monitor Google, other top sites
Saturday, 26 Jun, 2010 http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-…
Being an avid student of politics I have read and heard about Oligarchy, Dictatorship, Aristocracy, Autocracy, Democracy etc. etc. but have never read about "Judicio- cracy".
Looks like, for all intents and purposes, Pakistan is governed by Judiciary with the help of media and non-PPP men (include almost all political parties of three smaller provinces). With the help of suo moto, and host of adventurists who never shy to file petitions against government act (forget about millions of cases awaiting proceedings and judgments) the acts of government are quashed with the orders to do the things the other advised way. Viva the administrative role of the judiciary.
Before you boycott Israel!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saeky9I5T9c