Pakistan blocks YouTube over "Innocence of Muslims"

The government of Pakistan blocked access to YouTube today, after Google refused to remove the craptacular trailer for "Innocence of Muslims" linked to violent protests around the the Muslim world. Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf ordered the ban to prevent further violence, according to the Pakistani paper Dawn, and YouTube responded with a statement acknowledging restricted access to the content in various countries, "given the very sensitive situations."

• [Charlie B]

  Initially I was unhappy with people assuming that Muslim unrest was primarily a reaction to this film.  Since it isn’t.  Especially since the film was obviously intended to have exactly this effect….  but now that the majority of the protestors actually DO seem to be up in arms about the film, well, I’m willing to consider them to be the ignorant primitives they seem to want me to think they are.

• [Atnor]

  and that’s what not having freedom (of speech) looks like….

  How insulting, when one’s government feels that entitled and so empowered that they’re actually willing and capable of such a thing. Nanny states kinda suck.

  • [Dr P Fenderson]

    Just wait until they pull the video after more pressure from the US government. The suck is just beginning.

  • [Asad Malik]

    Well we as Pakistanis support the ban ..We got no problems..Where is the american sense of decency here?..The amateur movie producer(a fraud and criminal) and you as well as i know that muslims have highest regards for the Religion and Prophet(P.B.U.H)..So why cant you stop budging something that you do not own and just for the sake of getting a little renowned you are mocking 1.70+billion humans.. YouTube must have banned or removed the video to avoid further confrontations,it forced the governments to take the matter in their own hands and ban the shitty site.When you can use the term freedom of expression to do anything you please people have the freedom to react..99.99% Pakistanis support this Ban and you can nanny all you want..As you sow so shall you reap.

    • [Atnor]

      Well, you certainly made the point… not sure if it’s the one you intended. 

      If you dont understand why your freedom of speech is important and worth defending, or how the Pakistani government’s action here poops on that freedom…. well people who think like that ultimately end up losing such freedoms. As you say, “as you sow so shall you reap”. 

      Yes, people are free to mock things you hold dear. You dont have to agree with stupid, mean ideas to support someone’s ability to publicly express stupid, mean ideas. 

      I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. (often attributed to Voltaire but you get the idea :) 

      The best response to speech you dont like? More speech, not banning your opponent from speaking their mind, and certainly not going out in the street and killing people or causing damage and terror. The people who did such things cant blame “the video”… they alone are responsible for their actions, and some of those actions have been quite vile and abhorrent. 

      I dont share your trust in the goodness and best intentions of overlords. :)

      • [Asad Malik]

        Killing people,damage to property are all the things i do not agree with..It is impossible to hold peaceful protests when they are on such a large scale..Who says i have regards for my government(i dont)..But i second the ban..The video was publish for the very reason you spoke of ”
        going out in the street and killing people or causing damage and terror”.In another words an american criminal/fraudster with the intent to terrorize muslim minds did his level best to post a video which would incur wrath of millions of muslims around the world..Your meagre youtube blocks DMCA complaints within minutes then why these double standards?They knew what this video would have caused,,they could have nipped evil in the bud but they didnt..I dont share your trust in your country,its policies,and its social media and of course the intention of policing the world..America does not have the right to budge about the protest when it itself has killed millions of muslims..This did not happen in a day of two..These anti american sentiments kept building up in muslim nations since 2001..

        • [Atnor]

          But i second the ban..

          Then everything I said about freedom of speech and your (and others) disregard for it applies. 

          There is no problem with people in Pakistan or any “Muslim” country being able to view content they dont like or agree with. It’s the insane  reaction of some that is a problem. 

          The fact that “millions of Muslims” react barbarically doesnt mean this guy doesnt have the right to express his viewpoint and mock Islam.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but you seem to think it does?

          “,,they could have nipped evil in the bud ” 
          The murder and violent reaction was evil. The video is just stupid and moronic and insulting (and lots of other derogatory words).  

          Your meagre youtube blocks DMCA complaints within minutes then why these double standards?

          Not “my” youtube. I dont work for them. I’m just a guy with an opinion and no association with that private company. They make their own judgments, and create their own terms of service. To them, this doesnt seem to qualify as a violation, and I agree. Copyright infringement is a completely separate and irrelevant issue. It doesnt seem a “double standard” as much as a “apples and oranges” comparison of two different rules. 

          America does not have the right to budge about the protest when it itself has killed millions of muslims.

          First… “America” is not a monolithic entity. Iindividuals expressing opinions, and being free to expose themselves to opinions from others that they may or may not agree with…  yeah, that’s exactly what we all have a right to do. the government of Pakistan is infringing on it’s people’s rights by their actions. 

          Second… ahh,  there’s a glimpse at an actual agenda and true motivation.  If your opinions about America there are really what it’s all about… why the absurd argument about a video? Why support the limiting of free speech in Pakistan or elsewhere? And even if you really feel truly justified about those opinion’s … the violence and murder from these mobs is still an unacceptable, barbaric reaction. 
          It’s confusing, because you start off condemning such acts, but then seem agree and support their “real” justification. 

          Also, notice that I’m not killing anyone or rioting because you expressed an opinion I disagree with about something I cherish. :) 

        • [Asad Malik]

          “Then everything I said about freedom of speech and your (and others) disregard for it applies”
          Humans are an intelligent specie(i used to think but they are straw brained monkeys), surpassing all others with their strength,intellect and morality.You are ignoring the fact that “Freedom of Speech” can and has been wrongfully used to justify illiegal immoral and pathetic actions exposing the negativity and injustice done to the masses.

          “”"”The fact that “millions of Muslims” react barbarically((To what this video??) doesnt mean this guy doesnt have the right to express his viewpoint and mock Islam ”"”

          its goes the other way around and mocked Islam..Muslims did not ask him to mock their dear prophet..What did our Prophet do to that fraudster/criminal retard that he made fun out of Islam??Express his viewpoint??Dont make me laugh..His viewpoints about saving the world??This was an act of terrorizing minds,,Immorality and cannot be justified by freedom of expression.Why always This Freedom is wrongfully used as a tool to instigate Muslims?People then have the freedom to kill, freedom to abuse,freedom to do anything..

          *”"”"”,,they could have nipped evil in the bud ” The murder and violent reaction was evil. The video is just stupid and moronic and insulting (and lots of other derogatory words).   ”"”"”"”

          The murder and violent reaction was evil(yes it was COurtesy Innocence of muslims (derogatory film produced by a criminal..Directly responsible for this outcry)

          ”””””””””’ doesnt seem a “double standard” as much as a “apples and oranges” comparison of two different rules. ”””””””””””
          When human lives are at stake you dont differentiate apples with oranges or monkeys with gorillas..Your primary objective should be to ease up conflicts and preserve human lives(which you dont like to for the sake of Freedom of Speech.) 

          “”"”"”"”"”"”First… “America” is not a monolithic entity. Iindividuals expressing opinions, and being free to expose themselves to opinions from others that they may or may not agree with…  yeah, that’s exactly what we all have a right to do. the government of Pakistan is infringing on it’s people’s rights by their actions.  
          “”"”"”"”"

          USA/America is directly responsible for worldwide conflicts in the past decades..USA has murdered millions of muslims in iraq,afghanistan,pakistan,middle east..It is not that i hate usa,,the killings speak for them selves..This was not a conflict regarding “”You are walking on my property hush”"..You think may our government’s move as infringement;(they asked youtube to block that video they didnot as a result it was blocked here in pakistan to prevent further escalations.)) We as proud citizens assure you we dont(we do have some humanity left in us)

          “”"”"”Second… ahh,  there’s a glimpse at an actual agenda and true motivation.  If your opinions about America there are really what it’s all about… why the absurd argument about a video? Why support the limiting of free speech in Pakistan or elsewhere?  ”"”"”"

          Actually all of this is linked…I dont need a quad core processor to see thing out..It is not hard to find..WHo was the fim producer(…?)..On which platform it was publish ..(…)..WHich country has the highest number of sites,posts,publications working against Islam??USA cannot digest the concept/religion/way of life i.e Islam..Thats why we are alienated.

          WHEN YOU PIT MILLIONS OF DEAD MUSLIMS AGAINST A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE I AM JUST ON THE SIDE WITH MORE LOSSES AND GRIEVENCES THATS ALL..

          Please i cannot argue with you more..It seems like you do not seems to understand the concept of wrongful use of FOS..being a die hard FOS fan..you cannot judge rationally..IT WAS A HATE SPEECH 

• [chris jimson]

  Note to angry Muslims: just because you can’t see the video, doesn’t mean it has ceased to exist and is no longer denigrating the prophet, nor does it mean some other intolerant jerk isn’t defaming the prophet to his friends and family, or even just hating on your religion in his heart.  As offensive as this movie might be, is it really more offensive than what Pamela Gellar says every day on her blog?

• [Nida Rasheed]

  As someone who lives in Pakistan, and was raised a Muslim, let me just say a couple things. 
  1. I’ve not seen the video. It seems like its only purpose was to make Muslims angry, and while it has succeeded in doing that, I don’t care about the content in the slightest. The same can be said for a large percentage of the population. 2. None of the social media using population of Pakistan is happy about the YouTube ban. How will we get our Jimmy Fallon fix now? 3. The “mobs” that DO care about the video are a minority. A minority being driven by political forces within the country. The governments reaction is similar to those in the past, but they are just trying to appease the religious parties in the country, which will very well play an important role in determining who comes into power in the April 2013 elections. We all have our idiots. Let’s not blame all of a country (Pakistan), or a religious belief (Islam), for what is going on. 

  • [regeya]

    I don’t think a person has to be Muslim, or in any way follow Islam, to be offended by that.  It’s just…bad.  It looks like something a bunch of bored teenagers would do to be shocking.

• [professor]

  Protests and violence is a highly predictable reaction to a film like this (Rational? No, but everyone knows what mob reactions are like). If banning the video will save just one life, then it’s worth it. I’d have to wonder how any of the “freedom of speech trumps everything” people would react if their own child or spouse died as a result of some deliberately inflammatory video or comment…

  • [soithascometothis]

     Probably the same way they would to any other situation in which their “own child or spouse died as a result” of the actions of a person.

    This video has not and will not kill anyone. People are killing people. That they feel justified in killing another person because of a video that they’ve never seen nor will likely ever see is just asinine any way you slice it.

    Much like blaming the video for the actions of people.

  • [retepslluerb]

    Can you tell me how someone dies as a result of a deliberately inflammatory video or comment?  Apart from getting worked up and dying from a heart attack, that is.

    People die because a mob wants to feel superior and has entitlement problems.  That’s what bullets are for.

• [failquail]

  Seems odd that something as horrible as that video is kept online, yet random other videos can be taken offline at the drop of a hat by a DMCA takedown…

  Deliberately offend entire nations = fine
  Fair use of music/video clips = OMG DELETE IT THIS SECOND!¬

  Just seems an absurd set of priorities IMHO.

  • [Monica Norton]

     I was just wondering why they hadn’t just claimed copyright infringement, since that seems to pull down videos quicker than a fact check!

  • [jeligula]

    Yup.  I uploaded a video of myself playing a classical guitar rendition of Stairway to Heaven, as the cover it was.  I was immediately warned that I was in violation, but they did not take the video down.  Ooops.  I just heard someone whistling a popular tune and neither one of us submitted payment to the record companies.

  • [niktemadur]

    At face value, you make a helluva good point.  YouTube is applying a “same rules to all” policy, yet the playing field is slanted in a way.

    But then again, do you think YouTube gladly carries out DMCA policies?  Fully aware what the bottom of that particular slippery slope looks like, YouTube does not want to start on that same path where “freedom of speech” is concerned.

    Malicious incendiary videos such as this one, though, if not taken down, could do with a preliminary disclaimer.  How about mentioning that it was made NOT by a Jew, but by a Coptic Christian with a previous meth conviction?

• [assholio420]

  That’s good ban the site if 99.99 percent of the country agrees that’s way better then burning and killing hell make your own movie I don’t care we Americans are not fanatics and we would not ban your movie but make it better then this stupid movie I agree the had right to make it but man it really is crap bad acting bad filming even the voices are dubbed but as far as making fun of stuff that’s what Americans do we even make fun of each other

• [Charlie B]

  No scriptural arguments allowed, or is the thread just half cleaned up?

  I’m hoping for the latter, but I would understand the former.

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    Scriptural arguments need a better foundation that that rude troll comment. I guess that I could have left the responses, but it was kind of weird.

    • [Charlie B]

      Gotcha!  I’m not even halfway through the Qur’an yet anyway.

• [Tyler]

  1914 – World War I – The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

  1939 – World War II – Germany attacks Poland

  20?? – World War III – An epic trolling thread appears on 4chan

  • [niktemadur]

    20?? – World War III – An epic trolling thread appears on 4chan
    …resulting in a flame war that escalated to WWIII.

    Now that I think about it, that sounds about right.  It wasn’t the assassination itself that caused WWI, it was the zero-sum July Ultimatum (the apex of “flame warfare”, to coin a term) issued by Austria-Hungary to Serbia.  But anyway, is 4chan the new Black Hand?  Details at 11.

• [Guest]

  deleted

• [BlackPanda]

  I’d just like to quote the good Mr Richard Dawkins here :

  “Somebody in New Zealand has insulted Thor. Quick, burn the Peruvian embassy and behead the Italian ambassador.”

  That pretty much summarises how I feel about the matter, too.

  Also, Theo van Gogh, Salman Rushdie, Jyllandsposten. When does it end? Why are you the only ones who claim a special right to kill people because somebody upset your imaginary friend.

  Respect for other people’s “beliefs” is diminishing by the minute. That goes for just about everybody I know, as well. 

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    But Christians do things like that all the time when they attack abortion clinics or mosques and synagogues. It’s depressingly common and rarely gets any national/international press.

• [BlackPanda]

  At least the Christians tend to stick to things that Jesus would approve of like trying to ban Harry Potter and the occasional bombing of an abortion clinic.