YouTube blocked in Saudi to stop anti-Islam film

By Abdullah Shihri

Associated Press

Published: Tuesday, Sept. 18 2012 3:06 p.m. MDT

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FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 14, 2012 file photo, Afghans burn the U.S. flag in Ghanikhel district of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, during a protest against an anti-Islam film which depicts the Prophet Muhammad as a fraud, a womanizer and a madman. Islamic militants seek to capitalize on anger over an anti-Islam video that was produced in the United States, saying a suicide bombing that killed a dozen in Afghanistan is revenge and calling for attacks on U.S. diplomats and facilities in North Africa.

Rahmat Gul, FIle, Associated Press

Summary

Saudi Arabia's state-owned press agency reports that King Abdullah has ordered the blocking of all websites with access to an anti-Islam film that has sparked protests across the Muslim world.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia's state-owned press agency reports that King Abdullah has ordered the blocking of all websites with access to an anti-Islam film that has sparked protests across the Muslim world.

An Associated Press reporter in Saudi Arabia reported that the online video sharing site YouTube was inaccessible Tuesday evening.

This comes after the Saudi Press Agency reported the kingdom sent a request to Google Inc., YouTube's owner, to "veil" all links containing the video, which was produced in the United States and which ridicules the Prophet Muhammad.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Google has blocked access to the video in Libya and Egypt following violence there, and in Indonesia and India because it says the video broke laws in those countries.

Comments

YouTube blocked in Saudi to stop anti-Islam film

Free speech, religion clash over anti-Muslim film

Free speech, religion clash over anti-Muslim film