Google-owned Youtube will be banned for the coming month in Egypt, according to a court ruling that was issued on Saturday. The decision came over an offensive video on Prophet Mohammed called: “Innocence of Muslims” uploaded in 2012 on the video-sharing website.
The ruling comes six years after it was issued and appealed in 2013, due to what was believed to be technical difficulties. However, Google responded at that time saying the Egyptian authorities can delete the offensive content without banning the whole website.
On social media, Egyptian are split between opponents of the ban and supporters who expressed their pride about taking such a stand on Youtube, costing the network loss of ad revenues in one of its main major markets.
Others raised concerns over the aim of the Egyptian authorities for such a ban, saying this is just another way to curb public freedom in the country, especially since liberties in the country have been under attack.
كبح لجماح الحريات ليسة إلا العسكر محدودي الفكرة والإدراك. ..اللهم احفظ بلاد المسلمين من الفتن
— Fatih Omer (@FatihalrahmanO) May 26, 2018
Translation: “Curbing freedoms is the military way [in Egypt] to limit in thought and perceptions. God bless Muslim countries.”
Some believe it is important to take such a stand to pressure Youtube to delete the video.
#حجب_يوتيوب_في_السعوديه
— dodi (@wedadelmasri) May 27, 2018
مصر اصدرت حكماً بحجب ومنع اليوتيوب شهر كامل بسبب نشر فيلم يُسيء للرسول الكريم عليه الصلاه والسلام
لين هنا حلو الكلام طب نفس الفيديو لسه موجود لاذم نطالب بحذفه يعني مو بس مقاطعه اليوتيوب
Translation: “Egypt ruled to ban Youtube for a month over a movie that offends Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). This is great, but the video still on Youtube? We should call for its removal, not only boycott youtube.”
In Saudi Arabia, people have launched a campaign “حجب_يوتيوب_في_السعوديه” or “Ban Youtube in Saudi Arabia”, calling on authorities to ban Youtube over the disrespectful film following Egypt’s steps.
الإساءة لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
— سـيـف الـمـالـگي (@11122Mss) May 27, 2018
تستوجب الحذف بدون أي مبرر
اخواننا في جمهوية مصر حذفو اليوتيوب لمدة شهر كامل نتمنى أن نحذو حذوهم
#حجب_يوتيوب_في_السعوديه
Translation: “Offending Prophet Mohammed PBUH requires the ban without any justification. In Egypt, they banned Youtube for a whole month, I hope we will follow their steps.”
Saudi users took to the hashtag between praising Egypt for taking the initiative and others calling authorities to ban the website until the film is banned in Saudi Arabia.
اذا صحيح فالمفروض كل الدول الاسلامية تحذو حذوها - ولا حول ولا قوة الا بالله
— Khalid Alghamdi خالد (@ilghamdi) May 26, 2018
Khalid Al Ghamdi, from Saudi Arabia, also commented on the news: “If this is true, all Muslim countries should follow the steps by [Egypt].”
Other users however demanded that the government give them the freedom of choice between boycotting the website or not.
ياخوان كل واحد منا يقدر يحجبه من عنده ويعلن موقفه الشخصي
— mm (@mm71824781) May 27, 2018
Translation: “Each one of us can block the website himself and declare his position”
In fact, several incidents were witnessed in the last few years offending Prophet Mohammed in writing or other manners considered insulting for Muslims and the “Innocence of Muslims” film was one of them. It resulted in several protests and clashes in Muslims countries resulting in hundreds of injuries and deaths, including the attack on the US Consulate in Libya killing a State Department official.
"Innocence of Muslims" is a 13-minute film that starts with scenes of Egyptian security forces standing idle as Muslims pillage and burn the homes of Egyptian Christians, according to the New York Times, before it cuts to “cartoonish scenes depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a child of uncertain parentage, a buffoon, a womanizer, a homosexual, a child molester and a greedy, bloodthirsty thug.”
The background of his producer and writer, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, an Egyptian-born Coptic Christian and a US resident were questioned over how the film starts and the themes used in it, provoking an anger among Muslims since it was first published in July 2012.
