Court bans Internet pornography in Egypt

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

REPORTING FROM CAIRO -- An administrative court has banned Egyptians from surfing the Internet for pornography and ordered the state to block X-rated websites, the state newspaper Al Ahram has reported.

Pornographic websites emit "poisons in spreading immorality" that "destroy all religious beliefs, ethics and moral values," the court said in its verdict. "Not blocking them destroys. . .values. This can't be considered in the frame of freedom of expression because what's shown on these websites harms the country's higher interests and its national and social security."

The verdict comes after an inquiry by Younis Makhioun, a member of parliament with the ultraconservative Islamist Al Nour party, who called for pornographic websites to be outlawed. He said X-rated sites have destroyed morality, corrupted the youth and spread obscenity, family troubles, rape and divorce.

"Instead of focusing on important issues affecting our country, Egyptian youth have become busy with lust.... Just making it difficult for users to surf these websites will be a positive step," he said.

His comments and the court's ruling raised questions about the priorities of the Islamists, who control parliament and whose conservative elements are pressing for the nation to be guided by sharia, or Islamic laws. This has stirred worries among secularists and activists, who argue the country faces more pressing problems than pornography, such as economic turmoil, lack of security and social unrest.

Makhioun's inquiry was endorsed by Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Salem, who announced last week that his agency is forming a committee to find ways to block pornographic websites.

"Parliament will be represented in the committee. The issue is becoming persistent and worrying to families," Salem said.

According to Google trends, Egypt ranked fifth in the world in searching for the term "sex" in 2011. It was also reported that at least six pornographic websites rank among the top 100 sites in Egypt. A similar court verdict to block such sites was handed down in 2009 but was never implemented under former President Hosni Mubarak's rule.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/03/court-bans-internet-porn-in-egypt.html

Edited March 29, 2012 by ☼

[X Factor 1,110]

This will be quite an undertaking. I am interested to see how they will go about banning these websites. This means that the screeners in Egypt will be looking at a lot of porn sites themselves to see which ones to ban.

[Danno 1,228]

This will be quite an undertaking. I am interested to see how they will go about banning these websites. This means that the screeners in Egypt will be looking at a lot of porn sites themselves to see which ones to ban.

How is Child porn or Beastie porn banned?

If we (they) can ban these aren't we just haggling over acceptable standards?

In this country there is no Right to unfettered access to obscenity.

Sorry.

If there is a will to ban anything..... it will be banned

just look at the silliness taking place with banning cigarets and trans fats of all things.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Good. It was a problem. Now Egypt's problems are fixed.

[luckytxn 2,263]

Ouch!

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Good. It was a problem. Now Egypt's problems are fixed.

[aaron2020 11,651]

Good. It was a problem. Now Egypt's problems are fixed.

All pornography has now been removed from the Internet. :rofl:

Yea!!! More freedoms in Egypt!!!!

Wasn't the Arab Spring suppose to bring more freedoms to Egypt? Can't imagine more government censorship as a goal of the Arab Spring.

(Please don't let me rant about the Egyptian military using virginity tests. The courts in Egypt have said that those tests never happened.)

As bad as Mubarak was - at least he was a secular tyrant. The new government consisting of the Muslim Brotherhood is going to set freedom back a whole lot more in Egypt.

What the youths of Egypt died for in the Arab Spring has been hijacked and twisted by the more organized zealots in the Muslim Brotherhood. Instead of more freedoms, there will be less.

Edited March 30, 2012 by aaron2020

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

All pornography has now been removed from the Internet. :rofl:

Yea!!! More freedoms in Egypt!!!!

Wasn't the Arab Spring suppose to bring more freedoms to Egypt? Can't imagine more government censorship as a goal of the Arab Spring.

(Please don't let me rant about the Egyptian military using virginity tests. The courts in Egypt have said that those tests never happened.)

As bad as Mubarak was - at least he was a secular tyrant. The new government consisting of the Muslim Brotherhood is going to set freedom back a whole lot more in Egypt.

What the youths of Egypt died for in the Arab Spring has been hijacked and twisted by the more organized zealots in the Muslim Brotherhood. Instead of more freedoms, there will be less.

[^_^ 5,021]

All pornography has now been removed from the Internet. :rofl:

Yea!!! More freedoms in Egypt!!!!

Wasn't the Arab Spring suppose to bring more freedoms to Egypt? Can't imagine more government censorship as a goal of the Arab Spring.

(Please don't let me rant about the Egyptian military using virginity tests. The courts in Egypt have said that those tests never happened.)

As bad as Mubarak was - at least he was a secular tyrant. The new government consisting of the Muslim Brotherhood is going to set freedom back a whole lot more in Egypt.

What the youths of Egypt died for in the Arab Spring has been hijacked and twisted by the more organized zealots in the Muslim Brotherhood. Instead of more freedoms, there will be less.

progress is never a straight line.

[MyLittlePony 340]

What if you were caught surfing porn sites in Egypt? Do they cut off the #######?

[^_^ 5,021]

What if you were caught surfing porn sites in Egypt? Do they cut off the #######?

no i just think they sodomize u.

u gonna get tix for cairo now?

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Are nude Egyptian women hot?

[MyLittlePony 340]

no i just think they sodomize u.

u gonna get tix for cairo now?

Heck no ill never step one foot in that messed up country.

[luckytxn 2,263]

Are nude Egyptian women hot?

Some if they can afford a razor.

Why even have a revolution if you can't have porn?