Pakistan blocked access to YouTube today because of “growing sacrilegious content” on the video-sharing website. It is the latest twist in an escalating international row over Islam and freedom of speech online.
The move came a day after the Pakistani Government responded to a court order by temporarily blocking Facebook over a page advertising a contest to draw cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
The Everyone Draw Muhammad Day page and several spin-offs invite users to send in caricatures of the Prophet today ”“ infuriating many Muslims who regard any image of him as blasphemous.
The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority did not say specifically which material on YouTube was deemed sacrilegious, but there are several clips relating to Everyone Draw Muhammad Day.
Read it all.
Pakistan blocks YouTube in ”˜sacrilege’ row
Pakistan blocked access to YouTube today because of “growing sacrilegious content” on the video-sharing website. It is the latest twist in an escalating international row over Islam and freedom of speech online.
The move came a day after the Pakistani Government responded to a court order by temporarily blocking Facebook over a page advertising a contest to draw cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
The Everyone Draw Muhammad Day page and several spin-offs invite users to send in caricatures of the Prophet today ”“ infuriating many Muslims who regard any image of him as blasphemous.
The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority did not say specifically which material on YouTube was deemed sacrilegious, but there are several clips relating to Everyone Draw Muhammad Day.
Read it all.