Some villagers threatened Mehrab Shah Afridi, a journalist from Khyber District, and attempted to attack him inside the Landi Kotal Press Club, causing anguish and indignation within the journalist community.

These intimidators serve Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri, according to Mehran Shah Afridi, also a TNN correspondent from Landi Kotal Tehsil.

Speaking to TNN, Mehrab Shah Afridi said that he had interviewed MPA Shafiq Sher Afridi a few days ago regarding the street light put in Landi Kotal Bazar in which Shafiq Sher said that Alhaj Shah Gul started the street light scheme in 2013 in Landi Kotal, which he has now completed.

According to Mehrab, after the interview was aired, opponents of MPA Shafiq and activists of Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri criticized Shafiq Sher Afridi and also accused him of doing envelope journalism.

According to critics, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noor

Haq Qadri has placed street lights in Landikotal Bazaar and other development initiatives, while MPA Shafiq Sher Afridi is attempting to claim credit for these projects and programmes through envelope journalism.

This, they claim, does not end there, as these critics have begun to harass him in numerous ways, with some abusing him and others threatening to torture him.

According to him, Dr Rasim Shah Shinwari had also come to the Landi Kotal Press Club intending to attack him. However, he was on the upper floor at that time, thus the people on the ground floor sent him back and thus his life was spared.

On the other hand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa journalists’ organizations have strongly condemned the threats made to Mehrab Shah Afridi by activists of Federal Religious Affairs Noor

Haq Qadri and demanded protection for journalists.

“The Federal Minister for Religious Affairs is trying to construct his own kingdom in Khyber, the Prime Minister should take prompt notice of this,” journalist Rifatullah Orakzai said in a tweet. Since when did those who claimed to be building a ‘Riyasat.e.Madina’ begin to enslave people?

Shamim Shahid, a senior vice-president of the Federal Union of Journalists and a senior journalist, claims that since the PTI administration took control in the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the media has faced numerous impediments in carrying out their responsibilities. Journalists, on the other hand, are subjected to various forms of torture for pointing out the failures of the government.

Lakki Marwat Press Club announces protest

Lakki Marwat Press Club journalists have strongly condemned the threats made against Mehrab Shah Afridi, and have stated that the journalist community of Lakki Marwat is behind Landi Kotal Press Club journalist Mehrab Shah Afridi.

They claimed that assaulting and intimidating a journalist was illegal. If the government does not respond quickly and take legal action against the intimidators, protests would erupt from Dera Ismail Khan to Chitral.

The situation of journalism in Pakistan

Experts on freedom of expression and journalism say that organizations working on freedom of the press consider journalism to be a dangerous profession in Pakistan. This, in turn, has led to a drop in Pakistan’s journalistic rankings every year in terms of freedom of expression.

According to Pakistan’s senior journalist and analyst, Haq Nawaz Kitikhel, prosecuting or killing journalists for exposing government corruption and misconduct, intimidating them with violence and kidnapping is nothing new. But rest assured that no one’s voice can be silenced with such cheap tactics.

Haq Nawaz said that the accused of most of the affected journalists across the country have not yet received justice. If the process of punishment and retribution is made possible then the crimes against journalists can be reduced.

He said that agencies dedicated to the protection of journalists’ rights have rated Pakistan as the most hazardous country for journalists, citing the recent killing and injury of senior journalist and former PEMRA chairman Absar Alam by unknown individuals as an example.

“Shooting, killing, kidnapping, torturing, or filing false FIRs sends a message to other independent, constitutional, and democratic journalists to remain silent,” he says. “However, I don’t believe anyone can stop the flow of information, and the government is living in denial if it thinks so.”

Last year, Mehrab Shah Afridi was also threatened. The attack on Mehrab Afridi, a TNN correspondent, was condemned by journalists from throughout the country, including the Peshawar Press Club and the Khyber Union of Journalists

Source: TNN

The Sindh Assembly on Monday once more adopted the Sindh Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners Bill 2021. The bill was earlier returned by the governor to the legislature as he had objected to some features of the proposed law and refused to give his assent.

After the second passage of the bill by the Sindh Assembly, it has been enacted. In a statement issued on Monday, Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah greeted the fraternity of journalists and media persons on the second time adoption of the bill aimed at the protection of people associated with the news media in the province.

Speaking in the Sindh Assembly when the bill was again presented in the house for consideration, the information minister said that earlier the assembly had approved the bill and sent it to the governor to get his assent to make it a law but he returned the bill without his assent after raising unnecessary objections to the draft of the proposed law.

He alleged that undue hurdles had been created in the enactment of the law aimed at protection of the journalists in Sindh. “This was done because the federal government has been banning media and press as it doesn’t want that such a bill is passed, which is aimed at the protection of media workers and journalists,” Shah said.

He added that the federal government had introduced an ordinance to stifle the voice of media as new laws were also being adopted for the purpose. “They don’t accept independence of the media and protection of the media workers,” said the information minister as he criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s federal government for its media policies.

“In order to give response to such people, we are presenting once again in the Sindh Assembly the bill for the protection of journalists so to adopt it without the help of the people who have been creating such hurdles,” Shah said.

Source: The News

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has demanded Prime Minister Imran to explain his position on freedom of speech in the wake of his Special Assistant on Information Shehbaz Gill’s statement over the issue.

The journalists’ body expressed grave concerns over the statement of Gill in which he openly announced that the PTI government would control all the current affairs’ program on news TV channels and would even finalize the list of guests, says a press release.

Terming it a fascist tendency, PFUJ President Shahzada Zulfiqar and Secretary General Nasir Zaidi, in a statement, strongly condemned the statement, demanding the Prime Minister Imran to clarify his position the two leaders of the union said that freedom of press and freedom of expression is a fundamental human right that is guaranteed by the Constitution. “In addition to that Pakistan is a signatory of international treaties and conventions on press freedom and freedom of expression. We would like to know if the prime minister will adhere to such treaties or not,” said the statement.

Zulfiqar and Zaidi observed since PTI came into power, the media has been under a tremendous pressure. “There has been a phenomenal surge in the incidents of editorial dictations, censorship, and press advice, arm twisting of journalists, content control and use of advertisement as a tool of blackmailing media houses.

The union leaders said on the one hand the government asks Pakistanis to improve the image of the country. “But elements like Mr Gill are doing no service to the country by hurling veiled threats at media persons by openly expressing the government’s intention of muzzling the media. Such acts will only tarnish the image of the Islamic Republic.”

Source: The News

KARACHI: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the Sindh government for conducting a raid on the house of journalist Shabbar Aazmi.

“The police raid on the house of bedridden Shabbar Aazmi, who suffered a paralysis attack a few months ago and is wheelchair-bound, is not only highly condemnable but also a shameless act,” said a joint statement issued by Afzal Butt, president of his own faction of PFUJ, and secretary general Ayub Jan Sarhandi.

They said the police raid was led by a man in plain clothes and appeared to be a part of the government’s plan to curb freedom of speech. “This is the second such action in Karachi during the last three days and speaks volumes about ill-intentions of the government,” the statement said.

The two leaders criticised the provincial government for failing to take any action against officials who are conducting such raids to harass the media. “We are surprised that a political party which has always stood for freedom of expression and fought military dictators is now itself allowing such acts in its own province,” Mr Butt and Mr Sarhandi said.

“We call upon Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to seek an explanation from his party’s government in Sindh over these illegal actions and inform the journalist community about the forces which were behind these acts. “We reiterate that journalists across Pakistan cannot be cowed down by such tactics and that we will defend freedom of expression at all cost,” the joint statement said.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by Karachi police on Monday said they had not singled out Shabbar Aazmi’s house for any action.

Instead, it added, a combing operation of all the houses in a part of Gulistan-i-Jauhar was carried out after the blast in that area last week.

Dawn

Veteran journalist and human rights activist – Hussain Naqi on Monday warned that gagging of press would rather hurt the country’s integrity. “The 1971-like situation may strike the society if the public voice is suppressed,” veteran Naqi said, speaking at a function held in his honour by Karachi Press Club. Trade unionists, labour leaders, journalists and academics largely attended the event.

He asked the journalists to keep their struggle alive against the press repression. He asserted that society still believes in freedom of speech and justice.

“Press repression began in 1948 when several Sindhi language newspapers were closed down,” he said. Naqi was of the view that situation has not reached the suffocating level in the society because hopes for freedom of speech still breathe. However, seasoned journalist warned that continuing curbs on press editorials would make circumstances the country has already faced in 1971.

“If freedom of press is not allowed then how even the government will know what is happening in the country,” he asked, citing his argument telling the government in the past. Refreshing memory, the aged journalist said the radio and TV aired news on East Pakistan War in 1971 that were completely against the ground realities, resulting in a total misinformation about the grave situation.

Naqi called the curbs on press freedom as a challenge, asserting that the dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971 was mainly due to restrictions on the free speech in the society. He emphasised that the country can move forward only with unity and the society should be based on a representation from all religious and ethnic groups for sustainable progress. He said trade, students and journalists’ unions have fallen to divisions.

The octogenarian rights activist also lamented degeneration of social norms and education system that he feels in tatters. He also cited his argument with former prime minister, (the late) Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who he had asked to bring back the money people sent abroad. He said situation still remains same and it seems there is no place in the country for investment. He said ministers and others are being jailed for their wealth, which they have sent abroad. He thanked the KPC for honouring him with warm reception.

Author and blogger Akhtar Baloch called Hussain Naqi an epitome of press freedom, big journalist and human rights educator. Introducing him to the audience, Baloch showered him with praise, saying veteran Naqi “taught us an unbiased behaviour towards ethnic groups.” He lauded him for struggling for rights of other people throughout his life. He said Naqi accepted his own dismissal from Karachi University to save Baloch students from expulsion and rustication.

“Hussain Naqi suffered many forced displacements from one city to another for his challenging attitude,” Akhtar Baloch said, adding that the man also had to lose jobs several times for authoring uncompressing editorials. He said he had established a trade union when he became an editor at a newspaper that was unbelievable.

Prof Dr Tauseef Ahmed said that Naqi was fired from a news agency in 1968 for writing an investigative piece. He said he was also charged with violation of the Secret Act during the tenure of military dictator President General Ziaul Haq.

KPC president Ahmed Malik eulogized senior journalist for his struggle for freedom of press and narrated a long poem of Ahmed Faraz to pay tribute to Hussain Naqi, which audience greatly enjoyed and applauded.

KPC secretary Maqsood Yousufi gave a welcome address to inaugurate the function. Other speakers included: Senior journalists Rasheed Butt, I. A. Khan, Ali Ahmed Khan, Khursheed Tanveer, Habib Khan Ghori, Piler chief Karamat Ali and labour leader Usman Baloch.

Business Recorder

Foe few weeks a serious issue, ‘blasphemy’, was the talk of the town. Pakistan had apparently succeeded in stopping the contest of Blasphemous Caricature which was to be held in Holland organised by Geert Wilders.

Blasphemy law is a law limiting the freedom of speech and expression relating to blasphemy, or irreverence toward holy personages, religious artifacts, customs, or beliefs.

The Pakistan Penal Code prohibits blasphemy against any recognised religion, providing penalties ranging from a fine to death. From 1987 to 2014 over 1300 people have been accused of blasphemy, Muslims constitute the majority of those booked under these laws.

Over 60 people accused of blasphemy have been murdered before their respective trials were over, and prominent figures who opposed the blasphemy law have been assassinated. Since 1990, 62 people have been murdered as a result of blasphemy allegations.

According to one religious minority source, an accusation of blasphemy commonly subjects the accused, police, lawyers, and judges to harassment, threats, attacks and rioting. Critics complain that Pakistan’s blasphemy law “is overwhelmingly being used to persecute religious minorities and settle personal vendettas,” but calls for change in the blasphemy laws have been strongly resisted by Islamic parties. Blasphemy law sometimes has also been used wrongly in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s laws became particularly severe between 1980 and 1986, when a number of clauses were added to the laws by the military government of General Zia-ul Haq, to “Islamicise” the laws and deny the Muslim character of the Ahmadi minority. Prior to 1986, only 14 cases pertaining to blasphemy were reported.

Cases under blasphemy law have also been registered against Muslims who have harassed non-Muslims.

By its constitution, the official name of Pakistan is the “Islamic Republic of Pakistan.” More than 96% of Pakistanis are Muslims. Among countries with a Muslim majority, Pakistan has the strictest anti-blasphemy laws. The first purpose of those laws is to protect Islamic authority. By the constitution (Article 2), Islam is the state religion. By the constitution’s Article 31, it is the country’s duty to foster the Islamic way of life. By Article 33, it is the country’s duty to discourage parochial, racial, tribal, sectarian, and provincial prejudices among the citizens. Under Article 10A of constitution it is also the state’s duty to provide for the right of fair trial. Section 295 and 298 with its sub sections of Pakistan Penal Code particularly deals with blasphemy.

The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) is a religious body which rules on whether any particular law is repugnant to the injunctions of Islam.

Pakistan’s opposition to blasphemy has caused Pakistan to be active in the international arena in promoting global limitations on freedom of religion or belief and limitations on freedom of expression. In March 2009, Pakistan presented a resolution to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva which calls upon the world to formulate laws against the defamation of religion.

In May 2010, Pakistan blocked access to Facebook because the website hosted a page called Everybody Draw Muhammad Day. Pakistan lifted the block after Facebook prevented access to the page. In June 2010, Pakistan blocked seventeen websites for hosting content that the authorities considered offensive to Muslims. At the same time, Pakistan began to monitor the content of Google, Yahoo, YouTube, Amazon, MSN, Hotmail, and Bing. There is ban on Facebook in China, Iran and North Korea while Bangladesh and Malaysia has censorship on it. So, it can be done without hurting anyone’s emotions.

On 19 March 2014, Pakistani newspaper, “The Nation”, conducted a poll of its readers that showed 68% of Pakistanis believe the blasphemy law should be repealed.

On the other hand, the International Crisis Group reports that the Islamic parties are most successful in galvanising street power when the goal is narrowly linked to obstructing reforms to discriminatory religious laws that often provoke sectarian violence and conflict and undermine the rule of law and constitutionalism.

Arrests and death sentences issued for blasphemy laws in Pakistan go back to the late 1980s and early 90s. Despite the implementation of these laws, no one has yet been executed by the order of the courts or governments as to date, only imprisoned to await a verdict or killed at the hands of felons who were convinced that the suspects were guilty.

Christians and Muslims in Pakistan condemned Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code as blasphemous. On 3 June 2006, Pakistan banned the film. Culture Minister Ghulam Jamal said: “Islam teaches us to respect all the prophets of God Almighty and degradation of any prophet is tantamount to defamation of the rest.”

The fabricated cases for personal gain are also used sometimes. So, close scrutiny should be conducted so that only culprits are punished. According to Article 19 of 1973 Constitution, freedom of expression is allowed to every Pakistani but not at the cost of derogation of religion, defence and peace of the country.

Some things should be done by state that all religious institutions and mosques of the country should be under state control as in Turkey and Friday Sermons Should also be issued by state. All Imams and Qaris should also be employees of the state. No one should be allowed to take law into his own hands and iron hand should be used in this respect if needed.

During last government’s era, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui compelled the government to take this thing seriously and then Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar has rightly addressed the issue of ‘Objectionable Content’ on social media by a move to devise Muslim World plan against blasphemous content.

The present government should also involve OIC and Arab League including sixty Muslim Countries in it and UNO platform should be used to assert on the issue. Moreover, if there is ban even on the talk of Holocaust in the West so the blasphemy should also be considered seriously. West is not aware of the sensitivity of blasphemy issue but we have to make them realise that they thus are playing with the fire which can gulp the peace of the world. .As a Muslim, we all are liable to condemn it and liable to ban it if needed. Moreover, as a Muslim State no compromise should be made on the sanctity of Islam, Prophet(PBUH) or any other prophet and religion.

The writer is medical doctor by profession and a content writer, freelance writer

and a poet. He is a motivational speaker and columnist and has written for a number of English dailies like Dawn, Express Tribune, The Business and The Educationist etc. He is also Alumni of LUMS and doctor at CMH Hospital.

The Nation

KARACHI: Articles 19 and 19A of the Constitution of Pakistan guarantee citizens’ freedom of speech and expression but why is it that, in 2015, we are not free to express ourselves without fear, asked actress Nadia Jamil while moderating a session on ‘Freedom of Expression. What Sets the Boundaries?’ on day one of the School of Tomorrow conference.

“Freedom of expression is not when you shout fire in a crowded room where there is no fire, and cause a stampede,” said writer Muneeza Shamsie. “It has to do with good governance and [adherence to the] law,” she explained. She said the idea of freedom of speech is related to governance and law, which has been lost in our country.

Dr Jawad Syed, professor of organisational behavior and diversity management at the University of Huddersfield, said there is a sense of fear when it comes to expressing ones thoughts in Pakistan, a fear that is both internal and external. The definition of freedom of expression, as per the international community is the right to seek, receive and disseminate information, he explained. “We shouldn’t be hypersensitive about this information,” he said. “By voicing insight on religion would I [end up] like Salman Taseer?” Dr Syed asked, terming this an institutional fear that hinders freedom of expression.

“It’s my right to dislike you but when I put that dislike in action, that becomes a problem,” said Harsh Narayan, creative director at Dragons Lab, an Indian animation company. “Imposing your personal dislikes onto another person is a way of curbing their freedom and we must accept diversity of thought,” he stressed.

“We have become more accepting of violence and therefore complicit in that violence,” claimed Shamsie. Dr Syed added to this by saying, “I should have the right to [express an opinion that may be offensive to some] but no one should have the right to exercise violence against me”. He explained that freedom of speech must be limited, however, when harm is intended or implicated by that speech.

That is where regulation comes in, according to actor and filmmaker Adnan Malik. “You can be as right-wing as you want but, if you go a little on the left, you aren’t given space [to express yourself],” he lamented, adding that people, especially public figures, need to self-censor.

“[Television] has to be integrated with fair representation from each community,” said Malik. “Expression of what minorities feel should be part of the central dialogue,” urged Shamsie. She claimed separate channels according to religion will increase the division between communities.

Express Tribune

The freedom of speech still seems to be a distant dream for Pakistanis, so much so that 16 journalists have had to seek it from foreign shores after going into exile since 2010, says a report published by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

According to the data compiled by the CPJ, the total number of journalists worldwide who have had to flee their homeland is over 450.

The report, which includes only journalists who fled due to work-related persecution and remained in exile for the period of at least three months, identifies Syria as the most dangerous country for journalists. As many as 101 journalists have fled the war-torn country in last five years, followed by Ethiopia and Iran with 57 and 52 Journalists going into exile from these countries, respectively.

Threat of imprisonment was the biggest reason behind journalists leaving the country, as it accounted for the 42 per cent of exiles, while 40 per cent left their homeland due to the threat of violence. Other reasons forcing people to live in exile included imprisonment, violence and harassment.

Out of the 452 journalists who were forced to leave their respective countries only four per cent managed to return, while 17 per cent were able to continue working in exile.

Three out of 16 Pakistani journalists were forced to flee, have been able to return to the country.

Among those still unable to return include journalist Raza Rumi, who had to flee after he was attacked in Lahore on March 28, 2014. Though Rumi survived the attack, his driver, Mustafa, did not. Subsequently, he had to leave the country.

According to the report, United States, Turkey and Kenya were identified as top destinations for journalists who were fleeing their homeland.

As many as 92 journalists fleeing their homeland ended up in the US, while Turkey and Kenya saw 71 and 65 journalists in exile, respectively.

Express Tribune

It is a dark time for freedom of speech. It is a return to the medieval ages wherein men (and women) were burnt, impaled and tortured for daring to exercise dissent and free will. Now we live to see the day where men are hacked to death on the streets for expressing their views. Another blogger, 27-year-old Washiqur Rahman, was murdered right outside his home by two men armed with knives and meat cleavers on Monday. This heinous crime comes on the heels of the public hacking to death of secular blogger Avijit Roy, who was attacked along with his wife last month on the streets of Dhaka. Horrified onlookers did not come to their aid in fear of being targeted too. In the last two years several outspoken bloggers have been killed in this way. The finger of blame always points towards Islamists and in the cases of Roy and Rahman the suspects arrested have come from religious seminaries. What is ironic is that the two arrested in the murder of Rahman have even confessed to not being familiar with his writings but were only carrying out the orders of someone higher in an Islamist group.

The murders of Roy and Rahman have sent a chilling message to anyone who is foolish enough to think they will be safe if they freely express their opinions. The dangerous uptick towards conservative Islam in Bangladesh has also released a counternarrative by the likes of these bloggers who feel they need to present their views in an increasingly oppressive environment. It is for this reason they are being killed so mercilessly, so that no other voice except the dogmatic remains. Any dissenting views or secular opinions are being fought tooth and nail by the radically strengthening Islamists in Bangladesh who are willing to go to any length to protect their draconian view of the world.

This entire region is suffering from an affliction. Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are spewing vitriol in the name of religion, exhibiting never-seen-before barbarity in the name of ‘protecting’ religion. We have seen a woman lynched in Kabul for daring to defy a mullah at a shrine, we have seen many hauled up for blasphemy, especially the minorities, and now in Bangladesh we see this savage display of religious ‘devotion’. What is this region coming to? What kind of Islam is this where differing views, instead of being accepted and open to discussion, are hacked down like their expressers? Roy and Rahman are casualties of this disease and their killers and the powers behind them must be brought to justice. *

Daily Times

The post Murder of freedom appeared first on Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF).

But as Facebook emerges as the leader of social media, with a new survey inferring that 71 per cent of US adults were hooked to the social networking website in 2014, according to IANS, it continues to draw criticism over partial sieving of content. Abbasi seems to be a recent victim of this alleged lopsidedness, with Facebook apparently blocking his recent post regarding Charlie Hebdo and limitations on free speech.

However, in a rare apology, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Monday admitted that his team may have made a mistake by deleting Abbasi’s Facebook post on the Paris attack. Responding to a comment on Facebook, he said, “I do not think this should have been blocked. Our team might have made a mistake.”

Justin Osofsky, Vice President of Global Operations and Media Partnerships at Facebook, apologised for what he repeatedly termed as a ‘mistake’ on the website’s part. “We made a mistake in taking this down. We try to do our best, but sometimes make mistakes. We apologise for this error, and hope that the author will repost it as we are not able to restore it from our end. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.”

The apology follows Abbasi’s post on his verified Facebook page, which is followed by 1.6 million people, that the social media website had removed his update and warned him after deactivating his profile.

According to a screenshot of the banned post that Abbasi uploaded, Facebook said they had removed it since it violated its community standards. It was not clear under what aspects of the community standards the post was removed.

Abbasi, a former civil service trainee, tried to explain in the post the circumstances under which executions are permitted in Islamic law and who can carry them out. He went on to explain that despite the nature of some of the cartoons printed by publications, such as Charlie Hebdo, which have caused riots in Pakistan before, it did not give anyone the right to commit murder. “Even my blood boils when someone insults my Prophet (pbuh). But that does not give individuals the right to kill,” read the post.

He went on to argue that while freedom of speech should “include criticism, disagreement and even rejection of faiths or ideologies… it should not and must not allow ‘insult’.” He urged the West to revisit and fix its definition of freedom of speech, adding that failure to do so would cause someone from the Muslim community to go “ballistic and kill unjustly.” His post got over 45,000 ‘likes’ and some 5,000 shares.

The post’s removal was heavily criticised, as just a day ago, Zuckerberg had declared that he would not cow down to extremists and curb speech on his website. In his Facebook post, he opened up about how “a few years ago, an extremist in Pakistan fought to have [him] sentenced to death because Facebook refused to ban content about Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) that offended him.”

The Facebook CEO revealed that he received threats just two days after the Charlie Hebdo shooting. In his Facebook post, he said, “As I reflect on yesterday’s attack and my own experience with extremism, this is what we all need to reject — a group of extremists trying to silence the voices and opinions of everyone else around the world.” He added, “I won’t let that happen on Facebook. I’m committed to building a service where you can speak freely without fear of violence.” Zuckerberg received over 120,000 ‘likes’ along with several comments on his post.

He even replied to one comment where the user had asked whether the content that had offended the man who threatened him was banned. His response was, “It’s not against our policies to talk about Prophet Muhammed (pbuh). We did block the content in Pakistan where it was illegal, but we didn’t block it in the rest of the world where it is legal.” One of his latest Facebook posts regarding freedom of expression began with the words, “You can’t kill an idea.”

Express Tribune