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February 10, 2013

Egypt blocks YouTube for one month over anti-Islam movie

YouTube was also blocked in Pakistan and Bangladesh in September last year.

By CBR Staff Writer

A Cairo court in Egypt has ordered the video sharing site, YouTube, to be blocked for a month after carrying an ‘anti Islamic’ movie called "Innocence of Muslims".

Judge Hassouna Tawfiq described the movie as offensive to Islam and to the Prophet Muhammad. He warned that if the video is circulated on any other social platforms like Facebook and Twitter, those sites may also face bans.

The new constitution of Egypt includes a ban on insulting religious messengers.

A Google spokeswoman in Cairo told Reuters that the company had yet to receive any formal notification of the ruling.

The Cairo court’s decision to temporarily block YouTube comes five months after the movie, which sparked violence in Muslim countries.

In September last year, YouTube was blocked in Pakistan and Bangladesh after the site refused to remove the trailer of the movie.

The trailer of the movie, which reported to have shown Prophet Muhammed in a poor light, has led to protests at US embassies and consulates in various countries that include Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Indonesia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

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