// posted by Greg // 04.08.2008 at 12:31 pm //

If it bleeds, can it be censored?

The Indonesians and the Dutch are at it again! The AP, Reuters and others are reporting that a dutch legislator has created a film that not only depicts Muhammad (a no no for Muslims), but also encourages Muslims to “tear out ‘hate-filled’ verses from the Koran”. What has been the response to such an inflammatory film? Indonesia’s 4 largest ISP’s, “heeded a government order” to block youtube and myspace and they continue to search for places the video has been posted in order to expand the censorship. Yet again, we see evidence that states have no idea how to deal with the internet, but we also see evidence that the internet is itself not as free as we might assume. Let me elaborate….

In this particular story I see two interesting pieces of information relevant to the study of democracy and the internet, the video by a dutch legislator, the Indonesian response¹. Let’s start by considering the video². Fitna presents the words and actions of Muslim extremists. From the 9/11 catastrophe, to murder for being gay, to militant calls for world domination, Fitna presents the most extreme demands of extremists Muslims. There are no debates between atheists, competitor religions, liberals (in the classic sense), secularists etc. This video seeks to portray a view of Islam based on the actions and words of a few nuts. The same could be done for any religion or non-religion if you wish to attack my ilk…the atheists.

Indonesia’s reaction to this video? Ban it. The Indonesians are trying very hard to block all I.P addresses which provide an opportunity to view Fitma. This response is interesting and relevant for three reasons. First it provides evidence that states don’t know how to deal with information flowing over the web except for shutting down those sites (or the web) entirely. Banning youtube and myspace will not prevent circulation of Fitma within Indonesian territory. Furthermore such actions highlight the anti-democratic tendencies of the Indonesian state (a no no in today’s international context). Secondly, it allows us a window to be self critical of what we ban in the west (Europe, USA). Finally, attempts to ban the video show that the web is not necessarily a democratizing device.

We need to critically ask the question, should this video be banned? To my mind it is clear propaganda. The point in Fitma is to convince the majority of us, the calm, rational, moderates, of all faiths, that Islam turns people into murderers. That the religion in all of it’s incarnations is a threat to everyone in the west (and perhaps outside of the west). Here in Florida such propaganda probably won’t incite violence, but might it in Jakarta? If so perhaps the Indonesian authorities are right to try to limit distribution of this video. In the USA we have no problems with banning subversive and inciteful speech. Is Fitma, inciteful and subversive in Indonesia? We should consider this question before we decide if banning the video is democratic or undemocratic. Admittedly, I don’t know the answer to that question, but if it is perhaps the Indonesians are right to try to limit its distribution.

What is the place of the web in democracy? Do censorship standards vary across nations and cultures? If so, Fitma is perhaps justifiably censored in places where it might incite violence. But if not, if censorship standards are to be universal, then who sets that standard? If the Dutch produced a video calling all Latino-Americans gang members and murderers backed by videos and news clips from LA gang violence would that be inciteful and subversive? Could we justify a ban if we thought such a video would lead to violence? What if such a video did lead to violence but censorship rules are considered universal? Then would such a ban be undemocratic?

Ay, more questions then answers.

1Both the Governments’ and the ISPs’

2I encourage you to watch the video and form your own opinion. As I’m about to elaborate my opinion of the video and it’s meaning for democracy.

// Tagged democracy, Featured