Google Blocks 'Innocence of Muslim' Video In Indonesia and India

hypnosec writes "Google has blocked the anti-Islamic video, which was posted on YouTube, in Indonesia as well as India. YouTube has already denied a complete removal of the clip 'Innocence of Muslims' that mocks Islam and Prophet Mohammed. The video has led to protests and violence across the Arab world. The foreign ministry spokesperson of Indonesia and India have confirmed that Google has blocked access to the video. Indonesia has also asked RIM to filter the video on its smartphones."

Comments

Delicate Balance

[wermske]

I believe there is a delicate balance between having and holding values and imposing them upon others. I don't deny that the violent reaction is itself an imposition of values; however, I posit that traditions of free speech can withstand the assault and our culture is unharmed by demonstration of respect. Where as, I am not confident that opposition cultures with outspoken and violent counter-mainstream elements -- unsteeped in and intollerant of traditions of free speech -- are capable of withstanding the intense pressures of cultural imperialism.

I think it is entirely appropriate, for regional stability, diplomatic relations, and national security to consider being judicious in how we share our culture, how we respect minority voices (while at the same time reserving the right to disagree), and how we permit individual members of our society to cause harm through negligent speech or action.

Within the boundaries of our civil society remedy can be sought for harms; however, when the reach of members of our society extend beyond our sphere of influence with ramifications and consequences (blowback) that cause harm or create disruption (directly or indirectly) for our society...it is the duty of governments -- as representatives of the people and charged with the safety and security of the people (and society) to take action.

In this case Google is taking action, but whether it is taking action of its own accord or at the insistance of governments...it is action all the same. I can understand how this would make the EFF and/or the ACLU twitchy... but when it comes to human life, there IS a price that is too high to pay for free speech relative to the time value received in return (or time cost extracted from humanity as a whole).

Re:Are they also going to block this image

[squiggleslash]

I'm going to make a guess that you're - if not making it up, then - intentionally building a narative you have every reason to know is suspect. That you've never actually met any imams, that you've probably based your opinion on the basis of a hysterical news report or two that has gone out of its way to quote an imam who's completely unrepresentative of US Muslims.

What's going on in Egypt and Libya is clearly unusual and hard to use as an example of anything concrete. Meanwhile neighboring "Christian" countries are executing people for being homosexuals using laws that were lobbied for by US "Christian" organizations, backed, bizarrely, by customers of a certain fast food chain who were outraged when it was suggested that support for such groups and views might be, well, wrong.

Right wing "Christians" are patting themselves on the back for not being like those ignorant savage Muslims in being violent over their reaction to a movie, when the considerably less offensive "Last Temptation of Christ" was, indeed, greeted with violence, including the firebombing of cinemas who were showing the movies (and by showing I mean they were showing the films at the precise point they were being firebombed.)

All this from the US far right, a group that believes in "personal responsibility", except when it comes to certain groups. That nice Muslim couple down the road? They're evil, because they're responsible for the behavior of some rioters in another country. That Catholic couple next door? They're probably not, although, my gosh, they are Catholic rather than members of a real Christian sect! The couple on the other side of the street who listen to the 700 Club all the time and donate money to anti-gay hate groups and see no problem with the bombing of the occasional abortion doctor? How can you disagree with them? They're not responsible for anyone else's actions!

I'm tired of it. Treat people as responsible for what they themselves do, not what others who share a label do. The vast majority of people, Christian, Muslim, or whatever, are good people. Remember that.