Saudi Arabia to ban 200,000 more Internet sites

geekboie

Saudi Arabia is planning to bar access to another 200,000 Internet sites within the next two months, a Saudi newspaper reported today.

The Iqtisadiyah daily quoted IT sources as saying that the forthcoming ban would double the number of sites users cannot access.

The move is part of the conservative Muslim kingdom's drive to censor media that the government deems immoral or un-Islamic.

This censorship is necessary to prevent users from seeing illegal sites, the newspaper said, without giving details.

Oil-rich Saudi Arabia, which introduced access to the Internet in 1999, also bans the consumption of alcohol and forbids women from driving.

The state telecommunications authority is the nation's only Internet provider.

....those poor saudis are so oppressed.

Ronan|Raven

At least im sure they have decent flat rate broadband access!

TwoShedsJackson

Look if you think those buggers are oppresed, try Myanmar(Burma), where possession of a computer or modem without a licence carries a 15 year prison sentence.

Plus a months subscription fee to the one and only Government ISP costs the equivalent of a local's wages for two years. Slightly worse.

tHE vAGGABOND

Just because they believe in different things than we do does not make them oppressed.

Not to start a mad debate here, but that has been the point of view of lots of people down thru the ages, the crusades, sorting out the American Indians, colonising Africa etc. Just cos people are different does not make them worse off.

Hardcore Protestants/Methodists believe in things that I find a bit ‘odd’, Buddists seem off the wall too – and Islamic people are the very same!

FFS Alcohol and Nightclubs are 100% banned in Salt Lake City, USA (where the next Winter Olympic Games are). Not a drop of champers in sight. To drink you have to join a certain club, who have to get licences to buy alcohol within these clubs, which is really really expensive as the locals put a hefty tax on it…

No one there gives a **** as there all Mormons and its what they believe in..

geekboie

Dear vaggabond

I see your point, but do you think these people actually like being told what they can drink and see, and do you think women like wearing a facemask all day and told they can't drive? I think people should be allowed to make up their own minds.

tHE vAGGABOND

they believe in living via their holy book and their religion..

I agree its a bit bizzare, I think the freedom of guns in the USA despite everything is even more bizzare tho , but its the way it is

Canaboid

I think the Women not driving thing makes sense.

geekboie

Canaboid,

That's pretty funny!

_CreeD_

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by tHE vAGGABOND:
they believe in living via their holy book and their religion..
</font>

If they all believed it then the government wouldn't need to prohibit it by law. When any government tries to control the distribution of information they are oppressing their people.

[This message has been edited by _CreeD_ (edited 30-04-2001).]

Hobbes

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by tHE vAGGABOND:
Just because they believe in different things than we do does not make them oppressed.</font>

Perhaps, but then how many other religions blow up ancient statues just because it doesn't fit in with thier religion? (whoops, that's all of them).

Kali

anyone want this moved to Humanities?