Hamas bans internet porn from Gaza Strip as Islamic hardliners crackdown on Palestinian freedoms
Hamas has ordered a full ban on
internet pornography in the Gaza Strip -- the latest restriction on
personal freedom imposed by the hardline Islamic political party.
Under
a rule passed down by the Ministry of Communications, the ten largest
internet service providers in the Palestinian territory must block all
XXX-rated content or face fines.
Hamas,
which was elected to lead Gaza in 2007, claims the move is necessary to
protect 'the fabric of Palestinian society' as more and more
Palestinians are seeking adult content online.
'Protecting society': Hamas claims the ban on
pornography was necessary because searches for adult content have
outstripped news sites and social media
Any internet users in the territory of
1.7million who surf to adult content will now be greeted with a message
that the website is blocked because it 'violates etiquette.'
Critics
fear that this could be just the first step Hamas' plan to impose wider
restrictions on opposition websites and political dissidents.
Hamas has worked to crack down on
social freedoms in recent years -- banning women from smoking water
pipes in cafes and passing laws that prevent men from cutting women's
hair.
Hamas claims it is not blocking pornography itself, only asking internet providers to do it.
However,
the order from the Ministry of Communications says any companies that
fail to filter out adult content can be subject to fines under
Palestinian penal law.
Crackdown: Hamas has been rolling back personal freedoms since the military Islamist party was elected to the Gaza strip in 2007
The policy went into full force on Saturday.
At
first, several Palestinian news sites were blocked, as well. The
Ministry of Communications said it was only a temporary glitch that was
quickly fixed, the Times of Israel reported.
The pro-Hamas newspaper Felesteen wrote that the move was long overdue.
'We
have learned that pornographic websites… have been receiving many views
in Palestinian society over the past two years, surpassing social and
news websites, including official ones like the WAFA news agency,'
columnist Issam Shawar wrote.
'This is a dangerous indicator which must push us to create an active plan to protect our Palestinian society.'
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