The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has
classified “Jesus Christ” as offensive or pornographic, along with about 1000
other English words.[i]
It issued a letter on 14 November 2011 giving cell phone companies until today, 21 November 2011, to implement the ban on the list of words in text messages.
The PTA letter from the Director General,
Muhammad Talib Doger, said the order was legal under a 1996 law that enables
them to prevent information that is “false,
fabricated, indecent or obscene”. It further enables them to restrict
content if it is deemed to be in the “in
the interest of the glory of Islam.”
Is this an April fools joke? I had to go check various sources to make sure this was not some weird prank. Sadly it appears not. I am speechless . . .
