Pakistan bans Facebook
By Sandhya

On May 18, 2010, I had reported on how a Facebook group ‘Everybody draw Mohammed Day on May 20’ had extremely graphic images and cartoons which were bound to hurt the sensibilities of the Islamic world.  In the article (republished below), I had speculated how long would it take for mainstream media to pick up the story and force Governments into action.

It took the Pakistani Government and judiciary only 24 hours to make their move.  Propakistani.pk is reporting that the Lahore High Court has ordered the Pakistani Government to block Facebook till May 31, 2010.

The Pakistani Government has asked its nodal Telecom body PTA to block Facebook till the end of the month.  Pakistani ISP have already implemented the Government’s directives.

This will not end here.  I feel that if Facebook does not remove the group, it risks a boycott by many in the Islamic world.

(Techgoss had published the following on May 18, 2010)

Facebook anti Islam group
By Sandhya

Like many Indians, while growing up my role models and heroes followed different religions and faiths but respected each others.  One of India’s unique strengths lies in the fact that it has offered a home, sanctuary and respect to every religion.  And we are stronger because of it.

For many days now, I have been anxiously watching a Facebook group ‘Everybody Draw Mohammed Day on May 20’.  Its administrators claim they started this Facebook group “as a snarky response to Muslim bloggers who "warned" Comedy Central about an episode of South Park showing the Prophet Mohammed wearing a bear suit. One Seattle cartoonist, who calls laughter her form of "prayer," is asking artists all over the world to create depictions of Mohammed on May 20, then submit the images to a Facebook page she set up.”

While this Facebook group says it is “not trying to slander the average Muslim’ some of the cartoons and images are bound to raise heated emotions and anger. Some of the images are extremely graphic. If such a site existed in India and aggressively satirized any religion practiced in our country, it would be banned the same day.

Even as the mainstream media ignored this Facebook Group, it has grown to more than 35,000 members.  Despite lobbying by many people, Facebook continues to host this group.

Yesterday, one of Pakistan’s most read technology blog Propakistani picked up the story and has linked to the Facebook group as well.  Now that the issue has been picked up popular online tech media, it may be picked up by mainstream media as well. A few readers of the Pakistani blog have even urged hackers to bring down this Facebook group.  There is talk of Muslims boycotting Facebook.

Whichever way you look at this, it is not going to end well. More enemies will be made and someone may even get hurt.