Pakistan lifts Facebook ban after page removed
BABAR DOGAR
Pakistan lifted a ban on Facebook on Monday after officials from the
social networking site apologized for a page deemed offensive to Muslims
and removed its contents, a top information technology official said.
A Pakistani man browses the internet in a net cafe in Karachi.
AFP |
The move came almost two weeks after Pakistan imposed the ban amid
anger over a page that encouraged users to post images of Islam’s
Prophet Muhammad. Many Muslims regard depictions of the prophet, even
favorable ones, as blasphemous.
“In response to our protest, Facebook has tendered their apology and
informed us that all the sacrilegious material has been removed from the
URL,” said Najibullah Malik, secretary of Pakistan’s information
technology ministry, referring to the technical term for a Web page.
Facebook assured the Pakistani government that “nothing of this sort
will happen in the future,” Malik said.
Officials from the website could not immediately be reached for
comment. They said earlier the contents of the “Everybody Draw Mohammed
Day!” page did not violate Facebook’s terms.
The page encouraged users to post images of the prophet to protest
threats made by a radical Muslim group against the creators of the
American TV series “South Park” for depicting Muhammad in a bear suit
during an episode earlier this year.
Pakistan blocked Facebook on May 19 following a ruling by one of the
country’s highest courts. The Lahore High Court reversed its ruling
Monday because of Facebook’s response, paving the way for the government
to restore access, Malik said.
AP |