Dutch Islam film website 'shut'

[subsuelo]

Source: BBC News

A website that a Dutch right-wing politician was planning to use to release a film expected to be fiercely critical of Islam has been suspended.

The US hosting service, Network Solutions, said it was investigating complaints that it may have breached guidelines on hate language.

Dutch politician Geert Wilders says the 15-minute film describes Islam as "the enemy of freedom".


...on Sunday, Network Solutions said it had received a number of complaints that were under investigation.

It said the site was suspended until it was established whether the content of the site violated Network Solutions' terms of acceptable use.

They include "material that is obscene, defamatory, libellous, unlawful, harassing, abusive... hate propaganda" and "profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable material of any kind or nature".

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7310439.stm

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Not to defend this website in the least, but this is kind of a scary precedent.

How long before DU is considered a 'hate site'?

The bigger question here, of course, is: Who gets to decide what is considered objectionable material or propaganda?

[ohio2007]

1. Who gets to decide what is considered objectionable material or propaganda?

the minority does. Turn about is fair play as many "jihadi" websites are constantly being taken off the web by US hosting sites when enough objectors let them know how they feel about it.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3ff_1206239051


http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=6b9_1182808414

[msongs]

2. bullies & thugs of religion - who wants a faith that cannot face challenges? nt

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. What if this site had been anti-Jewish?

Would you still say it was ok to post the site? What if it were anti-Christian? Or anti-Hindu? Just curious if your standards are for all religions or just one.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Well, I remember when we first got internet where I live

each person was given a website to create, if they wanted to. And it was common for folks to email others on the same internet connection to tell them about the websites they had created. (Our internet provider was very small and this was in the early '90s). Anyway, one fellow asked us all to go look. The website was a hate site. It villified blacks, Jews, and anyone who wasn't a WASP male. It said that women should be barefoot and pregnant and advocated using violence against them if they didn't "keep their place". The owner of the internet company took down the site, and immediately apologized to all subscribers.

There are sites out there that really are hateful. Their whole point is to spread their hate amongst their supporters and, ironically, to aid and abet the radicals on the other side, who can use their site to whip up their support.

You are overreacting if you think the actions taken against Wilder's site are going to lead to DU being banned. Wilder's site was more like the one I described above.

[subsuelo]

5. Not saying DU would be banned tomorrow or next week

But I am concerned about a growing erosion of the right to post your opinions on a website, however stupid or outrageous they may be. This is a freedom of speech issue we're talking about.

So while I would agree with you that it is unlikely that DU is banned as a direct outcome of the banning of the Islam hate-site, I do think that perhaps down the road there could be more decisions as to what constitutes objectionable material. So the next targets for attack could be sites promoting 9/11 truth. *Clearly* those are dissident and objectionable to mainstream opinion. Then perhaps they could go after other radical causes, such as pro-Palestinian or pro-Chavez sites. Then, what would be next? It's a slippery slope. Better to defend the right of free speech for everyone.

[Phred42]

6. Even the Neo Nazis have a web site full of hate

Not to mention FOX

[Hugabear]

7. You mean Free Republic?

Sorry, couldn't resist that!

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. The answer to your question appears to be: the hosting company

It said the site was suspended until it was established whether the content of the site violated Network Solutions' terms of acceptable use.

They include "material that is obscene, defamatory, libellous, unlawful, harassing, abusive... hate propaganda" and "profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable material of any kind or nature".

[liquiduniverse]

9. Network Solutions is a POS anyway

I would not trust them to do anything. They started the practice of stealing domain names if you do a look-up on their site but don't buy the domain name there. You have to wait 4 days for the name to be available again.

http://blog.domaintools.com/2008/01/network-solutions-steals-domain-ideas-confirmed/

[Vilis Veritas]

10. Network Solutions shutters anti-Islam film site

Source: news .com

Network Solutions has suspended a Web site that a Dutch lawmaker was using to promote a yet-to-be-released film critical of Islam.



Read more: http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9901496-7.html?tag=newsmap

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

11. Had me going there.

I was thinking that Network Solutions, as a registrar, had suspended the domain name from the root DNS records. Apparently, it was Network Solutions as a hosting company. Something a bit different.

While I don't follow the fashion of hating on Islam, I also don't like censorship. That said, an AUP is pretty clearly spelled out at the time of setting up an account, so if this website violated the NS AUP...well...it's great publicity for the movie, right?

[BB1]

12. We in Holland think it's going to be

an Aprilfoolsday prank. At least we hope, 'cause the alternative is a real showstopper.

The Dutch are divided as hell, something we've not seen for decades. Every conversation these days ultimately turn to the Wilders film.

Whatever the outcome, there will be blood.

Remember that this is The Netherlands talking, guys. We're like Minas Tirith. Once we fall, the good of the world and mankind falls. To bad we already have another fairytalefigure running the country (google JP Balkenende).

In other news: snowing like x-mas in the lowlands!

[couriousg]

14. Wilders is a HERO!

Wish he was an American politician!

[BB1]

15. No, he's an Idiot. But still, he's our idiot, so

we have to protect him nonetheless.

By the way, you have politicians like Wilders. They're called Cheney, and they LOVE to wage WAR. Figures...

[tidy_bowl]

16. This is too dangerous....

....freedom of speech must be upheld at all costs. All sites must be protected, DU, anti-castro, pro-Castro, even Nazi sites. Anything less would be death of free speech. Just look at the latest effort of the OIC to press for laws to sue over 'defaming' Islam for example.