Saudi blocks controversial Facebook page: paper: “Saudi blocks controversial Facebook page: paper
English.news.cn 2010-05-21 20:52:46 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIYADH, May 21 (Xinhua) — Saudi Arabia has blocked a controversial page of the social networking website Facebook that ridicules an Islamic ban on depicting Islam’s prophet Muhammad, local Arab News reported Friday.
The kingdom’s Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) blocked the page that marked May 20 as ‘ Everybody Draw Muhammad Day,’ the paper said.
According to the report, Facebook as well as groups protesting the page and calling for a boycott of the website that remains accessible in the kingdom.
The ‘Everybody Draw Muhammad Day’ page was based on a cartoon by U.S. illustrator Molly Norris, which called for the designation of May 20 to ‘water down the pool of targets’ by having people draw their own images.
The page encouraged users to post images of the Islamic prophet to protest threats against producers of popular show ‘South Park’ for an offensive depiction of the prophet during an episode last year.
Norris, however, issued an apology and said in an interview that she is against her cartoon ‘becoming a reality.’ She even posted a link to the ‘Against Everybody Draw Muhammad Day’ Facebook page on her webpage.
The page drew outrage form millions of Muslims across the world, with Pakistan temporarily blocking the popular social network over the page. The government took the action after a group of lawyers won a court order on Wednesday requiring officials to block Facebook until May 31.”