Kuwait: YouTube Ban Lifted  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

News about YouTube being blocked in Kuwait hit the headlines yesterday, with bloggers frustrated over what they described as yet another intrusion on freedom of speech in their country.
The Kuwait Ministry of Communications first issued an order to local ISPs denying access to Youtube due to video content considered offensive to Muslims and Islam. Blogger later reported that the ban was lifted after YouTube removed the ‘offensive’ video.
About the original ban, Ansam writes:
I think this is the dumbest decision ever made when it comes to blocking offensive sites… whats next? Blogs!!! Limewire!!!
Man this is ridiculous… no, no, no… its is ridiculously sad! Who comes up with such decisions! Isnt youtube also full of videos supporting Islam, Muslims, and Arabs! Why take the negative part?!?! Was it because of the Quranic verses read in melodic background? The video was removed for God's sake? You only need to report offensive videos and your voice will sure be heard!
I am hating this SO MUCH! Ughhhhhhhhh!
And when the ban was not implemented, Ansam exclaimed:
They canceled! Its not blocked… YAY
Another Kuwaiti blogger, Loft965, notes:
It’s the end of the world as we know it: Kuwait might block YouTube.
Bashar  too is livid at the decision, suggesting that the government bans other sites while it is at it. His suggestions include:
If they still wanna move forward, despite that YouTube did really act upon the video, listned to people complains, and there isn’t really any such videos right now, then I have a list of suggestions to push our country furter forward, carefully selected from Alexa top 100 sites in Kuwait:
Falantan brings news of the order to ban YouTube being reconsidered at higher levels. He writes:
Thanks to you all and the amazing response, it seems the Ministry people are realizing their blunder […]And now I got confirmation that the Minister himself has convened with his department heads and rescinded the order.
Thank you al-Jarida and thank you bloggers of Kuwait :)
Writing in Arabic, Jandeef argues:
Jordanian Moey, who visits Kuwait regularly, urges the authorities:
Why block the website? I’m not sure if any of you remember, they blocked anything +18 in Yahoo groups 2 years back, and YouTube has an option that allows users to report offensive content.
Please don’t go nuts like Syria and block YouTube and Facebook?
And Frankom rants:
الخبر نازل بالجرايد اليوم
مبروك علينا دولة الديموقراطية والحرية
مبروك علينا ناس مثل الكندري مدير الرقابة
مبروك علينا وزير مايعرف وين الله قاطه
مبروك علينا شركات ماتدافع عن العملاء
مبروك علينا كلنا هذا النعيم
الى الخلف يا كويت