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Pakistani gov degrades Wikipedia connections due to blasphemy

pta.gov.pk

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Re: Pakistani gov degrades Wikipedia connections due to blasphemy

#181

Post by acdha »

serverholic wrote: post #162
acdha wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not exclusive to those groups but it’s quite noticeably stronger there. I think that’s because those groups push positions which are unpopular with a majority of the population, so you have to link that to things they do want or think they must do and push it as a package deal. “We’re under attack constantly by deceptive forces” is an effective way to prevent the culture of questioning any part of the package —…

I think it's just as strong on both sides, the difference is intention and outcomes. The right uses this to reinforce their own power. The left uses it to try and correct injustices but ends up creating problems because of it. Take a look at feminism for example. It started as "hey women should have equal rights", which is good. But now we see far too many people treating men as a monolith and demonizing them. So now…

That just tells me that you follow a lot of right-wing sources. That's not a popular feminist position but it's exactly how the right-wing characterizes it to avoid honest engagement with, for example, the feminists who've written thoughtfully and compassionately about how traditional gender roles negatively impact men. The suicide rates you mention, for example, are commonly attributed to the intersection of economic declines for traditional working-class jobs and the traditional belief that men are supposed to be the family breadwinner, which implicitly tells men that if they're not married with a reasonably high income they're failures.

Re: Pakistani gov degrades Wikipedia connections due to blasphemy

#182

Post by whynotmaybe »

pen2l wrote: post #171
rootusrootus wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think we can all agree You'd be wrong. Many of us think that judging content by whether it offends someone is a terrible idea. Viewers should self-censor if they find something objectionable rather than subject everyone else to their personal opinions.

This is the kind of take that only exists on HN and is obviously wrong flat on its face if thought through for even a little bit. Someone can and does have the right to tell dead baby jokes to a father who has just lost a child but that doesn't mean it's okay that someone should, and indeed in a civilized and social society there are guardrails to prevent that sort of thing: that someone would get rebuked and if they…

Yes,... But :

To reach Wikipedia, you have to make a deliberate action, it's not like Wikipedia has kids in the street screaming to sell their product.

It's not a tv channel broadcasted in some restaurant.

It's not a radio you might ear in a bus.

That's where the debate should lie, not around religious views because everyone here could find problematic content on Wikipedia.

Re: Pakistani gov degrades Wikipedia connections due to blasphemy

#184

Post by BeetleB »

acdha wrote: post #83
scientism019324 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same thing happened to James Watson.

No, it didn't — neither Crick or Watson had any consequences for their speech anywhere near the level of being exiled or facing prosecution. An institution cutting ties after you spend years making racist claims is a disappointing tarnish to your career, but it's nothing like going to jail or potentially facing the execution (Pakistan has the death penalty for blasphemy).

Abdul Salam was neither exiled nor did he face prosecution. Let's not get sensationalist. He left Pakistan long before the official moves against Ahmadis, and the reasons for his leaving were mundane: Petty politics at the university in Pakistan.

Re: Pakistani gov degrades Wikipedia connections due to blasphemy

#185

Post by temp-amp »

I don't know why anyone is surprised. Internet is censored in one form or other by almost all countries. And if censorship is hurting business, companies comply to the demands.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Internet_censorship_b...

As for Wikipedia I know it's not a business, but the above logic of countries controlling access of content applies here. It's not the first time or first country censoring Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_of_Wikipedia

I think we need to understand the main cause behind all this. One thing we need to understand more which is not the cause but symptom the right & left wing populism across world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-wing_populism

Re: Pakistani gov degrades Wikipedia connections due to blasphemy

#186

Post by unixlikeposting »

beardyw wrote: post #23
flipbrad wrote: post #2

"Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has degraded Wikipedia services in the country on account of not blocking / removing sacrilegious contents. Wikipedia was approached for blocking / removal of the said contents by issuing a notice under applicable law and court order(s). An opportunity of hearing was also provided, however, the platform neither complied by removing the blasphemous content nor appeared befor…

I am trying to think why Wikipedia would care about this. They offer a free service - if you don't want it that's just disappointing.

They also offer a paid service, with Google notably a customer.

Re: Pakistani gov degrades Wikipedia connections due to blasphemy

#187

Post by eruci »

This ongoing stupidity reminds me of this poem:

  What if

  What if an AI
  writes a blasphemy?
  and the faithful already
  are asking for its beheading?

  I also thought of something else
  to write, but I'd rather not
  for I also have a head
  one can chop.
https://random-poem.com/What

Re: Pakistani gov degrades Wikipedia connections due to blasphemy

#188

Post by robofanatic »

flipbrad wrote: post #2

"Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has degraded Wikipedia services in the country on account of not blocking / removing sacrilegious contents. Wikipedia was approached for blocking / removal of the said contents by issuing a notice under applicable law and court order(s). An opportunity of hearing was also provided, however, the platform neither complied by removing the blasphemous content nor appeared befor…

> PTA is committed to ensuring a safe online experience for all Pakistani citizens according to local laws.

How would Pakistani citizens be unsafe if that content remains? will there be total chaos? riots? more suicide bombings?

Re: Pakistani gov degrades Wikipedia connections due to blasphemy

#189

Post by RichardCA »

jollyllama wrote: post #156
qwerty456127 wrote: post #24

I can hardly imagine an idea more ridiculous than "blasphemy". The G-d is not a psychologically immature human being easy to offend. Nothing a human might possibly say can change the state of G-d from perfect harmony to anything else.

How do you feel about banning hate speech? Blasphemy can be viewed by a believer of any faith as hate speech against God. Likewise, hate speech can be viewed as blasphemy against the values of liberalism.

That's not an example of blashpemy. Being an apoligist for hate speech would be more accurately described as a form of heresy.

Re: Pakistani gov degrades Wikipedia connections due to blasphemy

#190

Post by acdha »

BeetleB wrote: post #184
acdha wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it didn't — neither Crick or Watson had any consequences for their speech anywhere near the level of being exiled or facing prosecution. An institution cutting ties after you spend years making racist claims is a disappointing tarnish to your career, but it's nothing like going to jail or potentially facing the execution (Pakistan has the death penalty for blasphemy).

Abdul Salam was neither exiled nor did he face prosecution. Let's not get sensationalist. He left Pakistan long before the official moves against Ahmadis, and the reasons for his leaving were mundane: Petty politics at the university in Pakistan.

The first paragraph of that Wikipedia page says this:

> At the very commencement of his accession, he found himself forced into exile from Pakistan in response to pressure from the Government of Pakistan.

Is that inaccurate?

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