Just last night, i was discussing the situation in Pakistan with my rebel mamoo from Purdue, i told him (he's well informed, so he already knew but still he entertained my grievance) how facebook was blocked since yesterday morning, and that youtube and wikipedia were blocked as well. I was all whiny about how there isn't anything left to do on the internet anymore, and after the most briefest yet thoughtful of pauses he goes like "They want you to watch porn, silly!". I laughed so hard I thought I'd probably break something, and it was mostly because it just made so much sense!
it took most of us quite some time to switch our internet browsing preferences from desibaba to sites that construed a much positive influence on our lives like youtube, wiki, and such. And yet more time to stop searching for boobies on youtube and start following people like Norman Finkelstein, Imran Khan and Carl Sagan (and RWJ =3). Just when things got better these ignorant bitches in the Pakistan High Court went on and blocked Facebook and these other sites.
Lets discuss the motive; I got an sms yesterday, the gist of which was that by banning facebook in Pakistan, Facebook just lost 2 Billion Euro, yea you heard me, 2 Billion Euro, and if we keep up this stupidity for the next 7 days, Facebook's losses will reach around 40 Billion Euro. If even for a moment, we consider the aforementioned claims as true, it would be a testament to all those loafers in Pakistan who make a couple of dozen facebook accounts on facebook and send fraaandship requests to women all day, and play a lot of farmville in their spare time (and needless to say add their other accounts as neighbors). Its quite pathetic to suggest facebook would actually be losing money right now, and to talk about this further is like insulting my own intelligence. Haven't they heard of the thing about that the harder you squeeze, the more that will slip through your fingers?
The decision to block out Facebook doesn't make much sense to me, and most such decisions don't, which led me to my Nonsense-lativity Theory: "Blocking Facebook doesn't make sense anyway, and now once that its blocked, unblocking it eventualy would make no sense at all, so if we are to assume that nothing the Pakistani government will do in the future will make sense, then Facebook should be back on in a couple of days." I know! seems simple enough dunnit?!
Commenting on the original "Draw Muhammad Day" issue; the message the muslim populus should have been getting accross should have been that no matter what anyone writes, or draws about the Prophet (pbuh), it will never influence what we think of Him (pbuh) or the regard we have for Him (pbuh) in our hearts. Seems simple enough, doesn't it? (sigh)
Showing posts with label draw Muhammad day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label draw Muhammad day. Show all posts
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Why I will not boycott Facebook on the 20th
My name is Adnan Ali and this is why I will not sign off or boycott Facebook on May 20, 2010.
As you know someone has created a page on Facebook to collaborate the “Draw Muhammad Day”, NauzibAllah , Astaghfar, shame on the antagonist and participants.
Muslims on Facebook are outraged by this act of blasphemy and due to our immense respect and love for our Prophet Muhammad PBUH, have been reporting the page in the Racist / Hate Speech category. I have done so myself. Apparently Facebook has not acted upon what we Muslims think are its own rules and policies about user generated content on Facebook.
Since then, there has been a growing demand by the Muslims on Facebook to boycott the platform and it has been rumored that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has been asked by the Pakistan government to block Facebook or the disputed Page’s URL. [Update: ProPakistani.pk is reporting that PTA has indeed blocked the Page URL.]
I will not be supporting any such boycott by Muslim users of Facebook, nor shall I support any block or ban by the PTA. Here is why:
1. Boycotts are the easy way out. Boycotts achieve little and they are just a self satisfaction tool.
2. If the 2,359,620 Pakistanis choose to delete their accounts on Facebook, it is going to make no economic or social difference on Facebook.
3. This is a media war. Muslims have always been prone to emotional discourse which provides immense pleasure to our enemies. Moreover, boycotts are going to leave the social media space open for those who hold wrong beliefs about our Prophet PBUH.
4. Why should PTA ban this page in Pakistan? It does not have jurisdiction over other countries. So, PTA is stopping Muslims in Pakistan from accessing this page? How does that make sense? Why are Muslims in Pakistanis visiting this page in the first place? I think that no Muslim worth his salt would visit such pages and therefore PTA can stay away from banning the internet.
5. Allowing government interruption and censure on the internet will lead to precedence. Which sites will be next? Local sites where the government is criticized for politics and policy? This is a wrong and dangerous step and we should not in any case accept government censure of the internet in Pakistan.
6. Boycotting something like this will only give it more life. Imagine all the status messages that have the link of the page. We are actually spreading this virus rather than burying it. Add to this, other pages and groups created by Muslims which highlight the content of the blasphemous page. This is ridiculous behavior.
7. Our emotional outbursts are only going to be picked up by mainstream media and then everyone can join and laugh at our activities.
8. For most of us so called aggrieved people, we disrespect, ridicule and deny the teachings of Prophet Muhammad PBUH when we do not offer prayers, do not fast, lie, steal, bribe or accept bribes, engage in immoral activities etc. So I do not consider that being a Muslim gives us any moral high ground in this situation. As Muslim youth, we are the least educated in Islam. A majority has not opened the Quran or read a Tafseer in ages. A little introspection never hurts.
Here is what I would do if I was so inclined to do so:
1. Instead of promoting the blasphemous content by adding the link to my status message and creating groups and pages that showcase this content, I would sit and contemplate why this is happening.
2. Have no confusion; this is another organized attack just like the original cartoons. They know how we will react to such outrageous behavior. They know that we will boil our blood in emotional outrage and then destroy our own properties, kill our own citizens and provide another body blow to our weak economy.
3. As a reply, I would create a Facebook Group or Page to praise the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, highlight his teachings, his achievements, and his famous sayings, how he taught us to treat the poor and the children and the women. How the Prophet Muhammad PBUH urged caution and care and taught rules even for war.
4. I would ask people to record 1 minute videos about why they love Prophet Muhammad PBUH and recite their favorite Hadeeth.
5. I would narrate how Islam teaches respect for all Prophets of Allah and our faith is incomplete without believing in the Prophets of Allah.
6. I would encourage western and non-muslim scholars to visit the page and add their comments about this issue.
7. I would hope and encourage all Muslims to join this page rather than having small silos of their own. In fact, unity is the only solution here.
I am confident that my solution is better than emotional outbursts and impotent activities like boycotts and governments bans of websites.
As you know someone has created a page on Facebook to collaborate the “Draw Muhammad Day”, NauzibAllah , Astaghfar, shame on the antagonist and participants.
Muslims on Facebook are outraged by this act of blasphemy and due to our immense respect and love for our Prophet Muhammad PBUH, have been reporting the page in the Racist / Hate Speech category. I have done so myself. Apparently Facebook has not acted upon what we Muslims think are its own rules and policies about user generated content on Facebook.
Since then, there has been a growing demand by the Muslims on Facebook to boycott the platform and it has been rumored that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has been asked by the Pakistan government to block Facebook or the disputed Page’s URL. [Update: ProPakistani.pk is reporting that PTA has indeed blocked the Page URL.]
I will not be supporting any such boycott by Muslim users of Facebook, nor shall I support any block or ban by the PTA. Here is why:
1. Boycotts are the easy way out. Boycotts achieve little and they are just a self satisfaction tool.
2. If the 2,359,620 Pakistanis choose to delete their accounts on Facebook, it is going to make no economic or social difference on Facebook.
3. This is a media war. Muslims have always been prone to emotional discourse which provides immense pleasure to our enemies. Moreover, boycotts are going to leave the social media space open for those who hold wrong beliefs about our Prophet PBUH.
4. Why should PTA ban this page in Pakistan? It does not have jurisdiction over other countries. So, PTA is stopping Muslims in Pakistan from accessing this page? How does that make sense? Why are Muslims in Pakistanis visiting this page in the first place? I think that no Muslim worth his salt would visit such pages and therefore PTA can stay away from banning the internet.
5. Allowing government interruption and censure on the internet will lead to precedence. Which sites will be next? Local sites where the government is criticized for politics and policy? This is a wrong and dangerous step and we should not in any case accept government censure of the internet in Pakistan.
6. Boycotting something like this will only give it more life. Imagine all the status messages that have the link of the page. We are actually spreading this virus rather than burying it. Add to this, other pages and groups created by Muslims which highlight the content of the blasphemous page. This is ridiculous behavior.
7. Our emotional outbursts are only going to be picked up by mainstream media and then everyone can join and laugh at our activities.
8. For most of us so called aggrieved people, we disrespect, ridicule and deny the teachings of Prophet Muhammad PBUH when we do not offer prayers, do not fast, lie, steal, bribe or accept bribes, engage in immoral activities etc. So I do not consider that being a Muslim gives us any moral high ground in this situation. As Muslim youth, we are the least educated in Islam. A majority has not opened the Quran or read a Tafseer in ages. A little introspection never hurts.
Here is what I would do if I was so inclined to do so:
1. Instead of promoting the blasphemous content by adding the link to my status message and creating groups and pages that showcase this content, I would sit and contemplate why this is happening.
2. Have no confusion; this is another organized attack just like the original cartoons. They know how we will react to such outrageous behavior. They know that we will boil our blood in emotional outrage and then destroy our own properties, kill our own citizens and provide another body blow to our weak economy.
3. As a reply, I would create a Facebook Group or Page to praise the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, highlight his teachings, his achievements, and his famous sayings, how he taught us to treat the poor and the children and the women. How the Prophet Muhammad PBUH urged caution and care and taught rules even for war.
4. I would ask people to record 1 minute videos about why they love Prophet Muhammad PBUH and recite their favorite Hadeeth.
5. I would narrate how Islam teaches respect for all Prophets of Allah and our faith is incomplete without believing in the Prophets of Allah.
6. I would encourage western and non-muslim scholars to visit the page and add their comments about this issue.
7. I would hope and encourage all Muslims to join this page rather than having small silos of their own. In fact, unity is the only solution here.
I am confident that my solution is better than emotional outbursts and impotent activities like boycotts and governments bans of websites.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)