Green Energy
Ironic isn't it? Just a little over a week ago, the President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed announced his intentions of making Maldives a sanctuary for dissenting writers from countries such as Burma. Now, a week later, Haveeru News reports that the Telecommunications Authority of Maldives has blocked 5 sites under orders from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs (MoIA).
Here are the sites declared not-fit-for-public-consumption along with their approximate blocked date:
1. seedhaahithun.com (29 Nov 2008, details)
2. sidahitun.com (29 Nov 2008, details)
3. gospelgo.com (29 Nov 2008, details)
4. raajjeislam.com (13 Mar 2009, details)
5. randomreflexions.com (15 Mar 2009, details)
6. feydhooschool.info (15 Mar 2009, details)
Seedhaahithun.com, sidahitun.com and gospelgo.com were apparently blocked for "promoting Christianity". The reason for blocking RaajjeIslam a few days ago is unknown and according to the media, the MoIA has not offered an explanation. As has been noted by Minivan News and Haveeru News, the website was blocked after they published an audio clip of Mohamed Shakeeb, an Imam at Shaviyani Atoll Foakaidhoo, claiming that he has been threatened by the State Minister of Islamic Affairs Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed. It is interesting to note that the material on the website seems to be ideologically similar to that advocated by the Adhaalath Party, who controls the MoIA, and tame compared to what can be seen at, say, fagudi.wordpress.com. There is no specific explanation given for randomreflexions.com. The feydhooschool.info site was apparently blocked upon request from a "senior person" at the Feydhoo School. I seriously doubt the MoIA has the authorization to block any website under such flimsy pretense.
You might have noticed that I used "mass internet censorship" in the title of this post and here is why.
continue reading here
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Green Energy
Maldives: Mass internet censorship in effect
Ironic isn't it? Just a little over a week ago, the President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed announced his intentions of making Maldives a sanctuary for dissenting writers from countries such as Burma. Now, a week later, Haveeru News reports that the Telecommunications Authority of Maldives has blocked 5 sites under orders from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs (MoIA).
Officially blocked
Here are the sites declared not-fit-for-public-consumption along with their approximate blocked date:
1. seedhaahithun.com (29 Nov 2008, details)
2. sidahitun.com (29 Nov 2008, details)
3. gospelgo.com (29 Nov 2008, details)
4. raajjeislam.com (13 Mar 2009, details)
5. randomreflexions.com (15 Mar 2009, details)
6. feydhooschool.info (15 Mar 2009, details)
Seedhaahithun.com, sidahitun.com and gospelgo.com were apparently blocked for "promoting Christianity". The reason for blocking RaajjeIslam a few days ago is unknown and according to the media, the MoIA has not offered an explanation. As has been noted by Minivan News and Haveeru News, the website was blocked after they published an audio clip of Mohamed Shakeeb, an Imam at Shaviyani Atoll Foakaidhoo, claiming that he has been threatened by the State Minister of Islamic Affairs Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed. It is interesting to note that the material on the website seems to be ideologically similar to that advocated by the Adhaalath Party, who controls the MoIA, and tame compared to what can be seen at, say, fagudi.wordpress.com. There is no specific explanation given for randomreflexions.com. The feydhooschool.info site was apparently blocked upon request from a "senior person" at the Feydhoo School. I seriously doubt the MoIA has the authorization to block any website under such flimsy pretense.
Mass censorship??
You might have noticed that I used "mass internet censorship" in the title of this post and here is why.
continue reading here
- U.s. Military Blocks Access To Southern Baptist Convention’s Website For Having “hostile Content”
From Fox News: The U.S. Military has blocked access to the Southern Baptist Convention’s website on an unknown number of military bases because it contains “hostile content” — just weeks after an Army briefing labeled Evangelical Christians...
- Maldive Muslim Implicated In The Islamic Assault On Bombay
According to a Divehi language report by Niumatolla Idris in the Maldives’ biggest newspaper Haveeru, there is a Maldive connection to the recent Islamic assault on the Indian city of Mumbai. A senior Lashkar-e-Toiba operative, Faisal Haroun attempted...
- Maldives: Fear Of Christianity Takes Centerstage In First Multi-party Elections
All parties are claiming to be the ones who will protect and teach true Islam and accusing the other of trying to bring Christianity!!! President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has said the largest opposition Maldivian Democratic...
- Infidel Bloggers Alliance Blocked By U.s. Dept. Of Interior
From Baron at Gates of Vienna: This email just came in from a reader: Howdy,I’m a long-time reader, without ever actually commenting on anything. Yesterday the U.S. Department of the Interior installed blocking software on their entire network. Gates...
- Pakistan Deals With The Cartoon Issue
E Mullah is from Pakistan, living in the US, he has become a friend of mine. This is a disturbing post from him... Bush pats Musharraf for blocking my Blog 2 comments "The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday directed the government...