Dear Shayma
I have just read about the terrible attacks at the mosques in Lahore and the huge sorrow and unease it is causing for the city and entire country. I am so sorry and I hope, fervently, that your family is safe and you are not too worried about them.
I also (somewhat belatedly) read about the Facebook competition over the cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed and the subsequent blocking of that site by the Pakistani government.
I wanted to say that I was, not for the first time, truly shocked by the appalling disrespect and hatefulness of ‘The Great Online Unwashed’, and the way that people feel free to use the internet and social media as a way to wield aggression, fuel violence and unrest.
What bloody idiot came up with that idea? I take my hat off to the Pakistani government for blocking FB in terms of damage limitation and the right to protect people’s religious dignity. I only wish it had been stopped before it came to that.
Although I would have described myself as a liberal and a supporter of free speech up until very recently, I do have to say that increasingly I see that First Amendment right cited more often as a way to protect the aggressors.
It’s used to cloak verbal hate crime in a mantle of democratic patriotism.
It’s cleverly twisted to present abusive, degrading pornography into some kind of empowering symbol of free expression
It allows anyone to say anything to anyone, often anonymously, without fear of direct physical retribution.
But words are very powerful as you know.
I read the other day about ten year old girl who was part of a school group who met Michelle Obama, and she asked her about immigration on behalf of her mother, who was Mexican, and did not have the correct papers. Mrs. Obama gave a smooth answer and moved on – she was there to talk about children and food – but the comments afterwards were truly shocking.
“Send the bitch back to Cucaracha-land and get the brat to a textile mill to earn her keep and pay back some of my tax money!!”
“If I could get near some of these people I’d just get my gun out. We know how to get rid of trash in Texas”
The hatred fairly shimmered off the screen. Who are these people??
And in what way is this commentary contributing to a positive democratic society?
In the same way social media, FaceBook in particular, swims in very murky water.
On the one hand it will let people say almost anything they like. Racial hate groups abound – I have seen several anti-Semitic ones, then there’s the famous one wishing Obama to die (in cloaked references), and now this charming ‘Draw the Prophet Mohammed’ day which I will not link to as I think it’s disgraceful. (BTW I wonder if some of the people who thought that was amusing would also be tickled by a ‘Draw Christ giving Mary a blow-job’ day? Maybe not as popular here in the West, and I’ll wager it would get taken down, but I don’t think ANY of them should be up there on an international public forum where there is so much room for anonymous rage.)
Funnily enough, this the same site that insists on removing photographs of people breastfeeding their children (nary a nipple in site) but will allow highly suggestive photographs of women in scant sexy underwear, many of whom, bafflingly, try to friend me.
So FaceBook speech is not entirely free, just certain things entirely discounted?
Anyway, I digress.
The main point of this letter was to let you know that you are on my mind today, so please know I am sending my thoughts, prayers and wishes for safety to you and all your family.
Love,
Mothership
{ 7 comments }
Sigh, people can just be so dumb and nasty.
Is FB still removing breastfeeding pictures? I have to say that is hasn’t happened to anyone I know, I’ve seen lots of pics of nursing babies recently.
.-= geekymummy´s last blog ..fast friends =-.
I totally understand what you are saying – the comments you have quoted are despicable, hateful and mindless. But ultimately I can’t agree. The right to free speech is more important than any groups or individuals right to not be offended. And if we don’t have free speech then what do we have? Who gets to decide what is o.k. to say and what isn’t? On what basis? There are no clear cut lines on what is and is not offensive. There is already a law against incitement to violence. That is enough in my opinion.
Words are indeed powerful. So let’s use them and defeat those who spout these bigoted and offensive views with rational reasoned argument.
.-= Gappy´s last blog ..True Blood. =-.
Do we think that deliberately provocative and ridiculing images are covered by Free Speech, though? We don’t allow child pornography images. I’m not seeing that there are clear cut lines right now, just a lot of opinion porn and if there is a law (in some countries, not all) against incitement to violence, it’s not exactly working for Pakistan, is it?
And just as who gets to say what is ok and what is not, who gets to say what is rational reasoned argument?
I don’t have a clear answer, myself, but I do see a lot of problems with the way it’s going now. I liked it better when I didn’t know what the bigots were thinking and they couldn’t find a public forum to air their hatred.
I also liked it better when I didn’t know what quite a few “friends” were thinking! Even with their names attached (since they’re on Facebook) people seem willing to say some outrageous things. I’m not saying ignorance is bliss, but ignorance would have helped me retain some friendly feelings towards some people.
Where was I? In my head I’m already fixing dinner, and my train of thought got derailed. That’s torn it, now I have to go put the oven on. (If the train returns, I’ll come back). 😉
Dearest MTFF, Such a wonderful, passionate post- I thank you with a huge, huge hug, which I hope to give you when I see you next. What happened in Lahore today made me feel ashamed- my close family friend who is Ahmaddi lost some relatives- so it was even more disturbing to hear about this news.
With regards to the banning of Facebook in Pakistan, the reason we are not allowed to depict images of the Prophet is because there is/was a fear that Muslims would start to worship those very images- against the fundamentals of our religion. I have mixed views about the banning of it…But the Facebook group was just terrible.
All I can say is that the philosophy and ideology of the Prophet is lost on those people who committed this horrific act today. The Prophet was a tolerant man. I just hope that people living in the West can remember that we are a country of 170 million- we have some bad eggs but there are wonderful Pakistanis out there as well. Sadly, through the media we are only hearing about the negative aspects.
I would love for everyone to read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson- to perhaps get a different perspective- a positive one, of Pakistan.
Thanks, dear MTFF, for this post. much love, shayma
.-= shayma´s last blog ..Chicken Brochette in the Pakistani Manner =-.
I like the way you put it:
“It’s used to cloak verbal hate crime in a mantle of democratic patriotism.
It’s cleverly twisted to present abusive, degrading pornography into some kind of empowering symbol of free expression.”
It’s really hard to police some things, choosing where to draw lines, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t at least try.
The internet does seem to be an open invitation to vitriol. You just have to look at the comments on the Daily Mail website. And yes, Facebook too – sometimes I am shocked by the comments on friends of friends’ posts. So I think you have a good point, although it is a very murky debate.
.-= nappyvalleygirl´s last blog ..Explanations, explanations =-.
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