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Indonesian threatens to block YouTube access over anti-Muslim film
The Associated Press , Jakarta | Tue, 04/01/2008 7:44 PM
Indonesia said Tuesday it would block access to YouTube unless the video-sharing Web site removes an anti-Muslim film by a Dutch lawmaker within 48 hours.
Communications and Information Minister Mohammad Nuh said the government sent a letter to the site informing it of its demand on Tuesday.
"The deadline is two days. If (the film) is not removed by that time, we will block YouTube under cooperation with the Internet service providers," Nuh told reporters in the capital, Jakarta.
Anti-immigration politician Geert Wilders posted the 15-minute film on LiveLeak.com on Friday. It has since been available on other blogs and file-sharing sites, including YouTube.
Last year, Thailand blocked YouTube for four months because of clips it deemed offensive to the king. The ban was lifted after YouTube's owner, Google Inc., agreed to not allow videos that break Thai laws or offend the Thai people.
In February, YouTube was inaccessible globally for several hours after the government of Pakistan blocked it, citing what it said were clips in which Wilders made denigrating remarks about Islam.
Wilders' film intersperses scenes of recent terror attacks with versus from the Quran, Islam's holy book, and speeches from Islamic extremists calling for attacks on non-Muslims. It has been condemned as racist and misleading by governments around the world.
Earlier Tuesday, about 50 people rallied outside the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta calling for Wilders to be put to death.
"Islam is a holy religion," Shodiq Ramadan told about 50 protesters who shouted in agreement. "Those who have insulted it deserve to be sentenced to death."
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation, but its government is secular and hard-line interpretations of the faith generally do not attract much support.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who relies on the support of several Islamic parties in parliament, has condemned the film and urged protesters in Indonesia - a former Dutch colony - to stay calm. (*)
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Briansfam (not verified) — Thu, 04/03/2008 - 4:37am
Your own actions are proving Mr. Wilders correct. He says you're violent and you go out and be violent. Duh!!! The better action would be to be nonviolent and forgiving that would prove Mr. Wilders wrong.
Dennis (not verified) — Wed, 04/02/2008 - 4:00pm
That´s stupid. Another prove of shortsightness. Everything that Wilders has put together, and that´s just all he has done, could already been seen on youtube or in the daily news the last few years. But probably they hadn´t noticed.
A very backward decision.
Fatima el Amrani (not verified) — Wed, 04/02/2008 - 3:57pm
Shodiq Ramadan is the biggest insult to Islam himself! And so are all fanatics that only listen to dogmas and abuse their own religion.
The Reader (not verified) — Wed, 04/02/2008 - 3:35pm
The film might gives a wrong impression about the Islam, but still who is talking is not Mr. Wilders but are well-known Islamic figures.
It is better to aim the protest to them rather to the one who makes notice of it.
Sacha (not verified) — Wed, 04/02/2008 - 5:37am
I think that Indonesia, as a secular and open democracy, it ought not to ban the movie, not that I support the movie, I thought it was disgusting; in any case, this will give others to think of the film themselves in an appropirate manner, through intellectual debates, not violence and hatred. Isn't that what Islam is about; so, we must prove them wrong. This film may be an opportunity for Indonesians to make a film of what the Dutch had done in their splurge of colonialism.
Michiel (not verified) — Tue, 04/01/2008 - 11:40pm
The crucial phrase being "we will block YouTube under cooperation with the Internet service providers". I wonder whether all providers will cooperate. Else, there is always bittorrent to download the film. Sangat sangat bodoh... Why? Don't look if you don't want to see.
Jitso Keizer (not verified) — Tue, 04/01/2008 - 11:03pm
In your article I would prefer some other words than "a former dutch colony". The archipelago became gradually ruled for some time -not much in its long history- by a foreign power in order to take advantage of its natural treasures. This could happen when there were no regional dominating states. There was in general not much difference in excerting power by this or that ruler as all were undemocratic. Maybe the dutch word "win-gewest" (exploitation without sufficient return) describes better the situation than colony because the latter often also refers to arrival of permanent settlers. In bahasa indonesian eventually a suitable word may be developped.
On the content of your article I like to remark that the Danish cartoonist presumably was not very well informed about the role religion played when state power was still absent. To tame us greedy people we need threats of punishment like in the Koran. All what is good is in line with God. Disbelievers are not in line with God and therefore can be depicted in a religious book as subjects to evil deeds, which have to be fought. State law likewise mentions measures to that purpose. A better cartoon could show a devil standing behind the prophet, putting a bomb under his hat. For Mohammed held high David-in-his-better-moments and must not be seen as destructive to Gods creation.
As for Wilders see my site www.janjitso.blogspot.com/the heir of Bileam.
The psalms, in which so many things of life are expressed poetically, are shared heritage of jews, christians and moslims. I propose to build a Psalms House in which these are sung and musicized.
Wim Bruneel (not verified) — Tue, 04/01/2008 - 10:12pm
By giving youtube an ultimatum to remove the Fitna movie or otherwise The Indonesian government will block youtube, the Indonesian Muslims just proved the point that Islam and democracy(free speech) are impossible to cooperate. And that is just what all the right wing parties in Europe try to make believe the people(including Geert Wilders)!
If the Indonesian government will react by blocking youtube, then they just give new arguments for islamphobia ideas. And I don't think that is going the solve the problem.