As the Internet connects more people to one another, religious tensions have become more sensitive than ever before. In some Muslim-majority countries, conservative governments have seized on online censorship as a way to restrict citizens access to global ideas and materials. <\/p>\n
But Islam itself is not to blame for this phenomenon. Authors of a recent Freedom House study found that religion and censorship are not so closely linked -- instead, political and developmental differences may be to blame. <\/p>\n
Clamping Down <\/p>\n
All across the Middle East, the Internet in general and the World Wide Web in particular have recently caused massive changes in a few divergent ways. <\/p>\n
In 2010 and 2011, it helped young activists spread information and build bridges between networks, eventually spurring the Arab Spring revolutions that overturned oppressive governments in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen. <\/p>\n
In terms of expanding global freedoms, this was a positive outcome -- but it had some detrimental effects. Some governments that were not overthrown, like those of Bahrain and Pakistan, clamped down on Internet freedoms in an effort to prevent further dissent. <\/p>\n
Things took a turn for the worse in September, when a YouTube clip produced in the U.S. was dubbed in Arabic and went viral. The video, called \"Innocence of Muslims,\" portrayed Islam's Prophet Muhammad as a buffoon and sexual deviant. Demonstrations erupted in countries as diverse as Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan. Dozens died as a result of the protests. <\/p>\n
Several Muslim-majority countries banned the film on YouTube, including Egypt, Iran, Libya, and Saudi Arabia. Some governments cited a wish to prevent further violence; others objected to the productions blasphemous nature. <\/p>\n
The episode cast fresh doubts on the potential of the Internet to bridge cultures across borders -- especially in conservative Muslim states in the Middle East. <\/p>\n
Measuring Up <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\nThe Surprising Truth About Internet Censorship In The Middle East<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"