Yemen: Yes to Internet Filters

Yemeni blogger Omar Barsawad is in favour of his country's internet censorship tactics, saying: “Yemen was mentioned as one of the countries to have the most extensive censorship filters for the Internet. I do wholeheartedly support this; as would most of my fellow adult Yemenis. What Yemen censors most, are the very many sites that have no positive purpose except to corrupt and spoil; with this, I have the very many pornographic Internet sites in mind.
Imagine living in a country as conservative and as religious as Yemen. Where almost all women seen publicly or even at homes, are covered completely from head to feet; imagine, what it would be like for a young man to have a ‘window’ to see women of all forms and of all kinds and colors, naked and sexually explicit?”

4 comments

  • jakkandy

    Quoted from poster.

    “imagine, what it would be like for a young man to have a ‘window’ to see women of all forms and of all kinds and colors, naked and sexually explicit?”[/quote]

    Well, in a country like yours, I’m sure most people would be GLAD to have some sort of sexual outlet. Even you, here’s a tip from a relegious point of view.

    The porn actors will rot in hell, yadda yadda yadda, however I doubt Allah will kill you for enjoying yourself while not harming others (Pornographic actors have their reasons and their right). And isn’t that one of the rules of Islam. To enjoy life?.

  • David H

    Using pornography as an excuse for censorship is hogwash. I lived in Yemen 1977-79, and was proudly shown pornographic magazines within days of my arrival. What is shameful is that, for some reason, my Yemeni friends assumed that this normal in the US, as if everyone keeps porn at home. And possessing it was a badge of honor for them. You can change the medium, but the attitudes and behavior remain unchanged.

  • Raja

    The earth is full of pollution and population who are already polluted. Criminal minds like this ought to be treated in rehabilitations clinics. Hitler propagandists have already passed away. I wonder why a distinguished media like yours provides outlets to sick people to voice and spell their vomit on us. Why did not you look for the oppressed voices in Yemen to give them a chance to be heard

  • Any sane mind knows that porn is a debasement of Man; of women in particular. It’s irrefutable that millions of women are used as sex slaves in the most deplorable of conditions.

    David – most likely you were involved in work related to oil, minerals, international agencies or an NGO. In all these sectors, the most liberal of Yemenis are found; and pornogarphy is very much on and sought after (provided mainly by the Westerners and foreigners involved in these sectors; the pornographic magazines you were shown were most likely provided to the Yemeni by a foreigner. There is no other source and the penalty, if caught, for any thing porn – is too high a price to pay). But to the millions of other Yemenis, very few were oblivious of porn till the Internet came in.

    I support Yemen’s Internet censorship in relation to porn; but any other form – I am not for. In actual fact, very little else is censored. Whenever I use uncensored Internet, which is often – I access the same sites I would when using the censored Yemeni one. I have only noticed one blog that I know of that’s censored; otherwise I haven’t noticed any thing else.

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