back to article Egypt takes hard line on internet pr0n, calls for total ban

Egyptian Prosecutor General Abdel Maguid Mahmoud has called for a total ban on internet pornography to be strictly enforced, and says that he intends to crack the whip on the purveyors of smut. After considering the issue, Mahmoud said in a statement to government departments that his ruling requires they "take the necessary …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why not make yourselves heros, Egypt?

    Why not make yourselves heros, Egypt, and ban death, illness, and poverty?

    You have as much likelihood of making that happen.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Suppress natural instincts

      Maybe this is why there has been so much in the news here in the UK about the exploitation of underage girls by Asian men. It is human nature to live a little.

      Live in a society where girls are not allowed to have boyfriends or do normal teenage stuff, where men are expected to marry a cousin, where natural instinct and desire are suppressed. Where couples exist in loveless partnerships. Where these men look at women as if they are property, where women are have less value than men. A society where if you step out of these 'social norms' and cause dishonour to the family it is acceptable to kill. Where white women are seen as prostitutes and worthless.....

      Egypt, a country where women can be molested with impunity.

      It's not about porn, it's about control and being ruled over by people who still live in a backward medieval feudal society, whose rulers fear true freedom and loss of authority.

      1. RICHTO
        Mushroom

        Re: Suppress natural instincts

        Sounds like Muslims in general, not specific to Egypt. They do after all believe in the teachings of a pedophile who invented his own religeon by copying bits of Christianity while shacking up with a 9 year old girl....

        1. tonysmith

          Re: Suppress natural instincts

          You might want to research that a bit rather than just copy and paste stuff from BNP esque websites. Historical accuracy of his wife's age is disputed even among Muslims. It ranges between one source saying 9 years with others indicating 16 years all the way up to around 21 years of age.

          Of course if you're Nick Griffen then 9 is the most accurate.

          The fact that it seems our elite are riddled with the pedo tendency I think we're best sorting our house first.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Suppress natural instincts

            I'm really tempted to say "who cares?"

            Reasonably moderate people who happen to be muslim will probably roll their eyes at this blatant inaccuracy (in their opinion).

            Bomb-wielding fucktards will start frothing at the mouth and maybe, just maybe, with a little bit of luck, might bust an important blood vessel or two.

            Whatever happens, just keep mocking. And yes, that includes our "elite" (massive sarcasm quotes there).

            Anonymous because.. well, duh.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Happy

              Re: Suppress natural instincts

              LOL

              "Bomb-wielding fucktards will start frothing at the mouth and maybe, just maybe, with a little bit of luck, might bust an important blood vessel or two."

              Falls off seat laughing.

              I have spend some time with religious fanatics - and all they are is proof positive, that people can be made to believe anything and to go with it.

              Add in a century or two of political interference, whole scale murdering and property theft by the British and the Americans etc., and you have some really committed people who are really off the deep end.

              But the religious of all persuasions are basically terds - like the cathaholics telling the cathaholic doctors not to perform certain proceedures, because it's against the church doctrines.

              Yes the medical / legal / social fraternaties really are filled with people that spineless and that stupid.

              Islam is the same crap - all clubby bullshit.

              Intimidation, fear, oppression, guilt, shame, ostracisim, exclusion, manipulation, deceit, abuse.......

              And all these manipulative control freak nazi groups.....

              I mean I like women and I like sex and I like some "porn" but most of it, most of the time, is less interesting than doing the dishes....

              "Ohhh what? Another 10,000,000 naked people having sex and masturbating?

              Uhhhhh what else is on?"

              And these religious nutjob nazi's dictating their crap into the lives of others...

              I have a book from 1570 or there abouts - available on google books, with some religious prick calling out the sinfulness of dancing and festivals.

              And I read it - and I thought these nazi arsehole religious pricks and their bullshit - nothing has changed in the last 500 years...

              People are still being people and religious nutters are still trying on their control freak social manipulation.

          2. Matt Bryant Silver badge
            FAIL

            Re: Suppress natural instincts

            "You might want to research that a bit......" I suggest it is you that needs to do some reading, try here for a start:

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aisha

            Now please do list any source that suggests Aisha was 16 years old, just for the comedy value.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Suppress natural instincts

              Comedy value? You mean the posting a wikipedia link on a controversial topic like that. That's all the comedy needed.

              Here you go: http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_151_200/ayesha_age_the_myth_of__a_prover.htm

              It references all the historical sources for the age and shows that most/all contradict each other. It also goes in to a fair amount of detail on Arabic linguistics, Islamic terminology and chronological order of better known events to get way points to determine the accuracy of the age.

              Just to give you a hint - they didn't have birth certificates back then! Have "fun" reading it - you might struggle if wiki is your normal level of research.

              1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
                FAIL

                Re: Re: Suppress natural instincts

                Looks like the Wiki entry, which seems to agree with a lot more pages on the Web, including Islamic ones, has a load more facts than your weak rebuttal. What only "most" of the Hadith reports can be laid on one guy (most implies not all, so what about the others?), and he is reputable until he leaves the Medina political center and wanders off to Iraq? Strange that you are so desperate to push Aisha's age up to sixteen to make it "respectable", does it cause you problems with your belief that Mohammed was so pious if he was having sex with nine year olds? And very strange that Muslims of your ilk want to claim that Islam is the one true religion because it has not been "edited", yet picking and choosing the Hadiths you want is EXACTLY that. Mind you, that is what Islam needs, a lot of updating, but it needs to be done not to whitewash Mohammed but to admit times have changed and Islam needs to change too. Acts of censorship such as those of the Muslim Brotherhood don't inspire confidence that the penny has dropped with mainstream Islam just yet.

                1. Visible Otters
                  Thumb Down

                  Re: Suppress natural instincts

                  "Muslims of your ilk want to claim that Islam is the one true religion"

                  An anonymous poster disagress with you and posts a link showing that not everyone on the planet agrees with your point of view, and from that you not only infer that they're a Muslim but make very specific assumptions their beliefs so that you segue into a whinge about people of that "ilk"?

                  Stay classy Matt!

                  1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
                    FAIL

                    Re: Re: Suppress natural instincts @ Visible Otters

                    Yes, thanks for adding so much to the discussion in hand. Oh, actually you added zip! But don't worry, I'm impressed you managed to operate the keyboard for yourself. I'd feel quite safe in betting that the poster is Muslim as ONLY Muslims come up with these attempts to whitewash Islam's history. Is it any worse than Christian history of the period? No, we can look back and criticise European Christians for also marry off their children too young, amongst other failings. But that's the difference - we can criticise Christianity, indeed it is a favourite target for the hp'n'trendy who seem only too scared to do the same of Islam. I'm quite happy not to be what you would consider "classy" as it obviusly involves removing the ability to think for yourself.

      2. TrishaD

        Re: Suppress natural instincts

        "Live in a society where girls are not allowed to have boyfriends or do normal teenage stuff, where men are expected to marry a cousin, where natural instinct and desire are suppressed. Where couples exist in loveless partnerships. Where these men look at women as if they are property, where women are have less value than men. "

        But enough about the US MidWest .......

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      First

      Ban porn

      Then

      Ban alcohol

      Then

      Ban music

      Then

      Ban singing

      Then

      Ban kite flying

      Then

      Ban shaving

      Then

      Ban bright colours

      Then

      Ban girls schooling

      Do you see a pattern emerging?

      Afghanistan 1998-

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: First

        No mention of "Ban goat shagging"?

  2. Bumpy Cat
    Unhappy

    Hmmm

    Given that large numbers of Egyptian men harrass, grope and sexually assault random women in the street, one would think that Egypt needs more pr0n, not less.

  3. IglooDude

    It is vaguely comforting to see that there is at least one chunk of commonality among vastly different nations - a few people seeking to 'protect' others from "corrupting influences" and a fair chunk of the local populace either pushing back or finding ways around the supposed do-gooders.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Yeah, it's quite easy to jump to conclusions and judge a country on the actions of it's leaders, but looking at some of the #Egypornban tweets it seems a lot of Egyptians aren't too happy about it either. It seems that most of the people in the world are pretty similar when it comes to their governments introducing censorship in order to 'protect' them, whether it's Australia or Egypt.

      Some of their tweets are quite funny too. I particularly like this one:

      "Guys look at the bright side ... We won't be walking in on our children as they minimize tabs on their PCs and forget to mute!"

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "the Salafist Nour, which believes in following a strict interpretation of the Koran that's as close as possible to how the original prophet Mohammed lived."

    Well, let's see. The Koran does not mention football, health care, pharmaceuticals, big screen TV's, loud speakers for calls to prayer, video, purified water or car / train / airplane travel. So I guess they'll be outlawing those as well?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I think the point is to live according to the character and social norms outlined in the Quran - not the fact xyz technology did or didn't exist so you can or can't use it. If it was the case the Muslims would not have been at the forefront of scientific advances around a thousand years ago.

      I don't think the concept is that hard to grasp even if you don't agree with it.

      1. Tom 35

        "I think the point is to live according to the character and social norms outlined in the Quran"

        What group have the correct interpetation?

        Most of the established religions are just as bad, each group sure they are the only ones going to someplace good, while everyone else is going someplace bad.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          RE: "everyone else is going someplace bad"

          Yeah man, you guys are screwed unless you lick the dead guru's balls. Oh my bad, those aren't his balls. That was that the stone that the guru stepped on during a trance. You're going to a bad place anyway because you did not lick the pebble. Now I shall make it rain.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          I don't think the point is interpretation but the fact that the person above was pointing out that just because the technology wasn't there back then or mentioned in the Quran does not mean it's not covered in any "social norm" promoted in the Quran.

  5. Irongut

    as close as possible to how the original prophet Mohammed lived

    Mohammed didn't have the internet so don't order broadband for your hovel and as a bonus you won't see any pr0n either.

  6. OldBiddie

    Good luck with that Egypt.

  7. NomNomNom

    "Mahmoud said in a statement to government departments that his ruling requires they "take the necessary measures to block any corrupt or corrupting pornographic pictures or scenes inconsistent with the values and traditions of the Egyptian people"

    Traditions like this?

    http://www.nature.com/ijir/journal/v16/n5/fig_tab/3901195ft.html

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why can't they stick to themselves?

    I have no problem with the religious/political/etc people living life as they believe, providing it is not harming other people or animals by doing so.

    But why can't these useless tossers leave others alone and free to live their lives AS THEY WANT (again providing it is not harming others)?

  9. James 100
    WTF?

    Not just over there, sadly

    Could we help them in their scheme by donating Claire Perry MP, who wants to inflict the same prudish nonsense on us in the UK through the Department of Education, which has suddenly decided it somehow has authority over the Internet?

    I hate busybodies like this whatever their motivation and nationality - we need an international law version of the US First Amendment prohibiting this nonsense. Like the famous Star Trek misquote says, "censors indicate no intelligent life"...

    1. Thorne
      Childcatcher

      Re: Not just over there, sadly

      Australia is just as bad with it porn blocking firewall. Luckily they dropped the idea (for now) but not before Telstra and other providers installed it

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Not just over there, sadly

        I still cannot believe Australia banned small titted women. It's both insulting and just incredible that something like that could even happen. Why are they so conservative? Constantly banning games and films and trying to censor the Internet. What happened?

  10. Dire Criti¢

    "Wank like an Egyptian"

    Fuckin' love it !!

    1. philbo
      Happy

      Re: "Wank like an Egyptian"

      May I steal that idea and turn it into a full parody, please?

  11. Big-nosed Pengie
    Facepalm

    Oh, the irony

    '"Egyptian society is conservative by nature and rejects these websites," said Mohamed Nour, spokesman for the Salafist Nour Party, after the news was announced.'

    If that's true, then there's no need for censorship. If you need censorship then it's a lie. QED.

  12. WonkoTheSane

    Dear Egypt...

    You may be interested in the story of King Canute.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "US pornography consumption is higher in conservative "Red States", with the Mormon stronghold of Utah leading the pack."

    I am surprise by this. I though the mormons were allowed more than 1 wife?

    The conservatives (in any country) are usually the biggest pervs! They preach 1 thing but do the opposite. I suppose this is why conservative policies FAIL US ALL, TIME AND TIME AGAIN.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Who needs pr0n

    When you have a whole house full of "wives", you are LIVING pr0n.

    I should move over there....

    "My dick's on the dole, living on hands-outs again" -Kevin Bloody Wilson

    1. Thorne
      Stop

      Re: Who needs pr0n

      "When you have a whole house full of "wives", you are LIVING pr0n."

      No a suitcase of case and a hotel room full of hookers is living porn. A whole house of wives is living hell

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