Pakistani ISPs Block YouTube Access Over Anti-Islamic Videos
By Dee Chisamera
15:23, February 25th 2008
34 votes
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Pakistani ISPs Block YouTube Access Over Anti-Islamic Videos

YouTube Website’s two hour inoperability on Sunday had a simple explanation: Pakistani authorities, who ordered all ISPs to block the site a day before, due to an anti-Islamic video on the site. “"We have determined that the source of these events was a network in Pakistan", YouTube said. The internet service providers complied with the demands, and the video-sharing site became unavailable for users around the world.

Pakistani authorities admitted to blocking users’ access to YouTube, considering them to be offensive and provocative. The Website continues to be blocked in Pakistan, and the Internet service providers will keep their positions until a decision will be made.

“If the video is provocative, then it is better it is removed, rather than provoke unrest in Pakistan,” Wahaj us Siraj, convener of the Association of Pakistan Internet Service Providers said, computerworld.com reports.

The Pakistani Government asked for the removal of the video in order to allow its people to use and post videos on YouTube. However, the discussions are continuing over a video or videos that still remain unknown, but are said to offend Islam.

According to one PTA official, the video in discussion could concern a movie trailer whose author is Geert Wilders, a man with radical anti-Islamic convictions that so far have brought him numerous death threats.

It is not the first time YouTube has had to deal with this sort of reactions from authorities in several countries, such as Iran, China or Brazil. The access to the Website has been blocked multiple times after being considered immoral, offensive or embarrassing.

In January this year, Turkey ordered the blocking of the site due to insulting videos regarding Kemal Ataturk, while Thailand banned the site for several months after they felt the country’s monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, has been greatly offended.



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