Silly seasons: Facebook controversy

..Alas, common sense is not so common in Pakistan.  Face book will soon get its 45 million users back, but it will take Pakistan a blue moon to get religious tolerance back.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Staff | Opinion
Source & Credit: Richmond Muslim Examiner
By Ayesha Noor| Richmond, VA | may 25, 2010

Facebook lost 45 million Pakistani users when it chose to keep the "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day" page. If Pakistanis had made this choice individually it would be a different story. But in reality, the high court enforced it upon them. Facebook did violate its own policy of Rights and Responsibilities. It gives the right of reporting abuse to its users if a page does not qualify for common courtesy. At least 3 out of 5 of those reasons validated the shutting down of the said page. Unfortunately, Facebook did not turn out to be responsible enough and kept it for whatever reasons. However, the extreme reaction of some Pakistani groups is even worse. They have been burning the US flag, shouting death to the face book and the US. Lahore High court has gone as far as to ban Face book and You Tube for an indefinite time.


Every time an ignorant Non-Muslim group tries to defames Islam, it fails but the extremist response of ignorant Pakistani Mullah ensures its success . Such a response is not new in Pakistan, Danish cartoon controversy in 2006 led to the burning of McDonald and KFC across the country. In their folly, the Pakistani Mullahs consider such boycotts and protests, a service to Islam. In fact there is no evidence found in Quran or the life of Muhammad (sa) that support such protests. Quran clearly defines the characteristics of the servants of God as those who walk on earth in a dignified manners and those who say 'peace' when the ignorant ones address them (25:64). Both dignity and peace were nowhere in the processions against Facebook.

The Holy Prophet of Islam preached and practiced peace and dignity. As a result he brought moral revolution in the society. People who are protesting against the caricatures of Muhammad (sa) disregard the fact that he spent 13 years with his blood-thirsty enemies in Mecca. He was disgraced, ridiculed, even tortured at numerous occasions. But not even once he responded to such ignorant acts in the same manner. Neither did he protested nor did he boycotted. Instead, he always treated his enemies with love and compassion. Even at the time of the grand victory of Mecca, he forgave those whose purpose of life was to distress him. It was for his peace loving personality that within 23 years Islam became the most dominant religion in Arabia. If he had commanded his companions to burn down the houses of disbelievers, surely they would have done so. But in doing that, Islam would also have extinguished with those ashes. The credit of the exponential growth of Islam goes to his forgiving not hostile nature.

Lahore High Court's ban on the Facebook is nothing but materializing of Mullah's folly. This decision drew more attention towards this matter than Molly Norris could have imagined in her wildest dreams. They could have come up with positive, logical and peaceful response to this issue. At the very least they could just have ignored it as per the suggestion of the Holy Quran. Simply disregarding this matter would not have given it any coverage in the media. Consequently, the matter would have died on its own. But Alas, common sense is not so common in Pakistan.

Face book will soon get its 45 million users back, but it will take Pakistan a blue moon to get religious tolerance back.



Read original article here: Facebook Controversy


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Ayesha Noor, an economics graduate, has worked in various Muslim communities in three different countries. A member of the 'media watch,' her expertise include Islam, women's rights, and religious minorities. Leave a comment for Ayesha with your thoughts and suggestions on this article or about this topic.