[governance] new gTLDs

[Milton L Mueller]

Fahd:
Thanks for the response. Here is my response.

Two points here:

  *   I would have preferred to say "Some Saudi Citizens" (or any other appropriate phrasing) since the comments made do not reflect the opinion of the Saudi government
[Milton L Mueller] Yes, it is the official spokesperson of the KSA, or at least someone claiming to be a spokesperson for the Kingdom.
Once the many TLDs that they have commented on - and I have too - are delegated and active, it is a matter of a simple rule on the "Great Saudi Arabian Firewall" (mind you with the term since it is always used for the Chinese Firewall) to block them all.
[Milton L Mueller] Yes, I understand that KSA has a strict censorship regime. I just don't understand how they can believe they ought to impose it on the rest of the world.
The Saudi's - and for that matter many Muslims around the world - see these kind of TLDs as violating to the basics of the Islamic religion. Islam rejects pornography, trans-sexuality, gay/lesbianism... and any other form of sexual act that almost every religion in this planet opposes to.
[Milton L Mueller] It is fine for followers of the Islamic religion to urge its adherents to reject these things. It is not acceptable for either side to attempt to use the force of the state to ban discussion or symbolic recognition of those practices on a global basis. Muslims need to learn the wisdom of tolerance - just as do the Christians in my country who try to prevent peaceful Muslims from building mosques in their community. Remember, some people reject Islam - so would they be justified in trying to object to or ban any mention of Islam in a TLD? Remember too that some people reject religion, i.e. are atheists.
P.S. I am not trying to get into any religious debates here, but I am trying to explain the views and concerns of the comments comming out of Saudi Arabia and many other Arab/Muslim countries. I myself being a father would strongly oppose to my kids being exposed to such TLDs at their tender young age.
[Milton L Mueller] First, it is not the TLDs you are concerned about it is the content they harbor. Second, as a father it is your responsibility to watch out for what your kids are exposed to. Third, this material is already on the internet. Blocking TLDs will not change that.
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