Pakistan authorities: 'Jesus Christ' and 'Satan' obscene words

By Dilip -
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has come under criticism after it ordered mobile phone companies to block text messages with certain words and phrases. The human rights group Bytes For All has said it plans to challenge the order in court. Digital Journal reported the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) sent to mobile phone companies in Pakistan a confused medley of words and phrases deemed "obscene" and "indecent." The list included two unlikely allies from the Christian perspective, "Jesus Christ" and "Satan."
Bytes For All (BFA), a human rights organization in Pakistan, posted the list online.
The message to mobile phone companies to block "indecent and obscene" words and phrases, including "Jesus Christ" and "Satan," acknowledged that Pakistanis have the right to freedom of speech and expression, but the telecommunication authority said the freedom of Pakistanis was subject to restrictions as prescribed by law "in the interest of the glory of Islam."The unwieldy list, which contained over 1,600 words, included mostly words that are commonly considered vulgar and others of a sexual nature. But inclusion of some words such as "athletes foot," "K Mart," "period," "tampon," "flatulence," "headlights" seem inexplicable. Bytes For All (BFA) expressed concern about unwarranted "moral policing" of Pakistanis. The BFA, according to The Christian Post, criticized the inclusion of "Jesus Christ" in the list of banned words:

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/314686#ixzz1eJPcHT8S

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