Was it reasonable for the Pakistan government to ban YouTube for anti-Islamic videos?

No

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by C. M. Erickson

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While Pakistan's ban on YouTube because of anti-Islamic videos is hardly surprising, it was one of the least reasonable things they could have done. Islam sees no separation between church and state, and is particularly incompatible with democracy. As a theocratic state, it is not surprise that the Pakistani government would ban YouTube. While the government acted with religious fervor, they were clearly blind to human behavior that compels people to search out that which is forbidden. Tragically for them, their ban will cause the exact opposite behavior they were looking for as people will flock to the site to see what was so "ban worthy."

The religion of Islam has held a monopoly on the Arab peoples for such a long time and with such totalitarian governments that the adherents to the faith are unprepared for anything that would mock or denigrate the faith. Their immediate reaction is to forbid access to anything against the tenets of Islam, and to strike back to remove the source of the problem.

Let us remember the international situation a few years ago caused by the cartoons that portrayed Muhammed as a terrorist. The Arab world was in an uproar, and there were street demonstrations, burnings, and death threats for the cartoonists. The Arab world retaliated by creating cartoons of their own portraying Jesus in a negative light. Not a single person paid attention, and any reporting on the act was buried in the very ho-hum "B12" section of the newspaper. The disparate reactions demonstrate how the Western world is used to criticism, even stinging religious criticism, and the Arab world cannot bear even the mildest religious joke or rebuke.

The Western world has lived under a democracy of tolerance for a long time, and people have learned to respect or at least put up with other people's opinions or religions. The Arab world to this day creates a social and political environment that stifles or in some cases forbids the practice of any religion besides Islam, or any words or actions that might cast a negative light on Muhammed or Islam.

Given the Arab world's recent rise to the world stage and Pakistan's very new attempts at a democratic state, it is no surprise that they would react to YouTube in a very typical Arab fashion. No one should be the least bit surprised to hear of the ban against YouTube, as the theocratic leaders are simply acting to protect the reputation of Allah and their religion. Since Islam and the political state are inseparable, any attack on Islam is an attack on their political power, and the ruling party is very unwilling to tolerate a threat to their powerbase. Pakistan has made great strides towards democracy, but it is still very well entrenched in the Arab norms of unquestioning religion and dictatorial strangleholds on government and media.

Unfortunately for the Pakistani government, technology has advanced past their ability to control media outlets. No longer can they control what people learn through their state newspapers, radios, schools, and mosques. The home computer concept is proliferating around the world, and every day thousands more people get access to the internet. That internet access provides access to a wide world of information, much of it contradictory to what they are taught by the state. The internet is helping people everywhere see the whole picture from varying viewpoints and allowing them to make informed decisions for themselves, instead of being spoon-fed their beliefs by their government. No one has learned to control the internet yet, and the Pakistani government is going to have a difficult time keeping its people off of YouTube.

Typical human behavior is to always seek out that which is forbidden. Any child told they cannot have a cookie will wait for the parent to turn their back before trying to sneak another bite. The same behavior is seen in locations where books are banned. Determined people will always find a black market for what they seek, and the lure of the forbidden always makes items more valuable. Make no mistake, the Pakistani people will be twice as curious as to what YouTube contains now that it has been banned. The hearts and minds of the Pakistani youth are at stake here, and they are young and rebellious enough to take the ban as a challenge. The Paskistani youth will flock to YouTube, and their government will discover they merely served to exacerbate the problem.

Had the Pakistani government reasoned through the situation, they would never have chosen to ban YouTube to attain their goal of minimizing its negative religious impact on their citizens. The government's "knee jerk" religious reaction of banning YouTube was the least reasonable option they could have chosen to further their means, and it will come back to haunt them.

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