YouTube website unblocked in Afghanistan: Raheen

By Sajad - January 5 2013, 9:58 pm

Edited bySajad

Afghan information and culture minister Syed Makhdom Raheen on Saturday said the YouTube website was unblocked in Afghanistan.

The website was banned by the Afghan government following the broadcast of the insulting movie on Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) however Afghan information and culture minister Syed Makhdom Raheen in his Facebook page wrote, “YouTube has been unblocked, but I am not sure if we have learnt the culture and discipline on how to YouTube or not. It was good to test the experience.”

An official in Afghan telecommunication ministry Abdul Malik Nazari, who are monitoring the filtering of websites in Afghanistan said the website of YouTube was unblocked following a formal letter from the information and culture ministry.

YouTube users welcoming the decision by information and culture ministry said they are now able to enter the website.

The website was previously blocked for the users accessing internet through state controlled internet service provider and other private internet service providers including mobile telecom companies.

However internet users out of the control of the Afghan government had only limited access to youTube website and a consider number of viewers in international organizations could access the website.

In the meantime users of the Facebook website in Afghanistan largely campaigned to unblock the YouTube website and a few users called on the government to end extremism.

The comments by information and culture minister regarding the unblocking of YouTube website was largely welcomed by Facebook users however his comments regarding the culture and discipline on how to use the website was criticized.

But Mr. Raheen’s gesture was towards the contents being displayed in YouTube was those materials which are considered to be unethical in Afghanistan.

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