Gaza Internet Porn Ban Holding Firm for Most People

GAZA STRIP—A article posted on al-monitor.com paints a detailed picture of the current state of the internet porn ban in Gaza, which was imposed by Hamas officials in September of last year and appears to be holding firm for a majority of the population.  According to reporter Asmaa al-Ghoul, “The ban on these sites, called ‘filtering,’ was issued by Osama al-Issawi, minister of communications and information technology in the Gaza government, and came into effect on Aug. 29, 2012. All Internet providers in the Gaza Strip abide by this decision.” People are working around the ban, of course, but the director of licensing at the Ministry of Communications said that 80 percent of the Gaza population is unable to access adult content. That leaves a sizeable 20 percent, but the director seemed resigned to facts on the ground. “This decision serves regular Internet users,” said Ziad Sheikh Dib to al-monitor. “Those looking for these kinds of films, however, will find a way to obtain them, either by sharing DVDs or videos or by using a chip that provides them with Internet through a network that is not local [VPN].” Al-monitor.com also spoke with some young Gazans, who predictably said the filters were easily skirted and that the ban will only make more people want to use the alternatives. “This step will only lead people to further search for such sites, especially with the existence of programs that penetrate the filtration system, knowing that some of these programs are automatically enabled on some iPads and smartphones," said one kid who wanted to remain nameless. That’s the other part of this story—the fear felt by people who oppose the ban. “In a conservative town such as Gaza City,” reported al-Ghoul, “it is difficult to show opposition to the government's decision to block pornographic websites, since such sites are a societal taboo and a red line. This is true even for human rights activists, who mostly refused to comment, fearing societal judgment if they spoke on the subject of sexual freedoms.”