By Saeed Qureshi
Google, the leading Internet Mughal has declined
a request by the White House to block the controversial video that denigrates
and caricatures the founder of Islam prophet Muhammad. The giant media network
argues that it was not consistent with its belief in freedom of speech policy to
block the highly inflammatory 13 minute video. Its argument which is patently
hollow when it insists that “It had already determined that the video did not violate its terms
of service regarding hate speech. In this case, the video stays up because it
is against the Islam religion but not Muslim people”.
Now per say even if the video does not violate the terms of
service regarding the freedom of speech, Google should withdraw it because its projection
is causing so much of turmoil in at least 20 Muslim countries that are
violently protesting its footage. The main country being unjustifiably hit is
the United States of America. The United States is also taken by surprise and
has no role in the making of the incendiary film. It was the dirty work of some
four individuals who made this detestable and uncalled-for film that has hurt
the religious feelings of about over one billion Muslims around the world.
The freedom of speech is not a cogent and compelling reason while the
Western and American embassies are being targeted, assailed, and burned and
their staff members exposed to grave danger to their lives. What other reasons
or grounds could be as imperative and unassailable as the lives of human beings
lost on both the sides.
The United States for no obvious reasons has to face the brunt of
this fury and bulging deluge of violent protests and besieging of her embassies
from the enraged Muslims. The Muslims are genuinely hurt and outraged because
their most revered figure and founder of the religion is being vilified,
slandered and mocked in such a shameful, brazen, crude and bizarre manner.
The freedom of speech looks mere taboo behind which the Google is
taking shelter. This roller coaster rule should not be applicable to defaming
and reviling the most adored and esteemed personalities, all the more the
exalted messengers of God who have connected the humans with the creator of the
universe and were a model of exemplary character and superb conduct for
humankind.
The religious prejudice and hate apart, but the fact is that all
the apostles of God, be it the Jesus Christ, Muhammad (pbuh) the Moses, the
Gautama Buddha, Guru Nanak and others were people of immaculate integrity, profound
sublimity and great blessing for the oppressed segments of humanity.” Even if
someone does not believe in a particular religion, he or she has no right to malign,
despise and spread hatred against their rival faith and their founders.
It is highly regrettable that we live in 21st century which is
exploding with unbounded knowledge and man is reaching the thus far unknown and
uncharted frontier of the universe. The
mental outlooks are broadening, the civil liberties sprouting and the
geographical boundaries are getting meaningless. Yet we have a pedigree of
human beings who live in the lurid medieval past, the age of crusades and who
are trying to inflame and trigger the religious animosity and bad blood.
“While the Rome was burning Roman Emperor Nero was playing his
flute” as the story goes. In the
prevailing scenario while the whole world is witnessing the burgeoning catastrophe
and the interstate relations being dismantled, the mighty unleashed Google is
sticking to its spurious and frivolous claim of freedom of speech. That
argument or plea, arguably, logically and morally, does not apply to the ongoing
crisis, getting worse and violent by the day.
It is like abusing some one's mother or father. If the insult to the
parents cannot be swallowed, how come that derision and smear of the spiritual
leaders of such a vast humanity can be tolerated and stomached by the
believers. In this case the Islamic believers respect their prophet more than such
precious relations.
If the Google does not heed the White House’s request to remove
this extremely damaging, diabolic and mischievous video then the Jews, Christians
and Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus should jointly register their protest by boycotting the Google
outlets and its search engines so as to show their repugnance and annoyance
against the dubious conspiracy and machination by some nasty person of
targeting an exalted prophet. It would
also be helpful in soothing and placating the enraged Muslims. May be it impels
Google to remove it from the YouTube.
It is also necessary to halt the anti-American rage that is
getting fiercer and might water down the fruits of the Arab spring that was an
historic milestone in democratizing those countries teetering under the oppressive
tyrants for ages. Should we call it the clash of civilizations? But which is the
biggest scapegoat of this pernicious chain of horrendous development? Woefully
it is our country the United States of America.
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