Free Speech or Hate Speech? Facebook's Two Faced Policies

What I am about to write in this post is not typical of what I usually blog about. 
I decided to go ahead though because I feel I need to share this information with all of you.
My aim is to raise awareness about the issue that's going to be discussed from a human rights perspective.
Outside the West, it can sometimes be a very slippery slope deciding what constitutes freedom of expression and what does not.
In the West however, the case isn't quite the same.
Or so we might like to think.
I do not condone or agree with the method the person in the letter I'm going to share with you chose to make his point, but I do believe if one group's rights are worthy of protection then so are another's.
This letter comes at a time when most of the "Draw Muhammad(P.B.U.H) Day" protests and anger have settled down a little.
This incident has raised many issues in my mind though, such as why certain groups are allowed to express their ideas, whereas others are ridiculed and lashed out against simply for defending attacks on theirs.
This letter is a reminder that stereotypes of certain groups and hatred towards them does exist in the West, which could be the basis for discrimination against them. It might be up to us then to combat these in the most positive ways possible.
I have personally experienced the hatred and derogatory words of those "championing" this "free speech cause" so I know first hand exactly how ignorant some individuals are.
By sharing this letter with you, I hope to make you stop and think for a bit.
Why is it that certain things are labeled free speech, and others hate speech? 
Why is it that when it comes to certain groups, hate speech parading as free speech is actually something to be protected rather than condemned?
Why is it that some people can get away with such uncalled for, abusive, offensive and derogatory behavior, while others doing the same or similar things cannot?
We need to wake up and think about why there are so many double standards.
We've been asleep for long enough. It's time to stop shying away from the reality of certain things and look them in the eye.
I know I'm ready. 
Are you?


This letter was written by a Facebook user in Pakistan, in light of the "Draw Muhammad(P.B.U.H) Day" controversy. 


By Saad Mustafa Warraich, Karachi – Pakistan

I had been banned from Facebook and my account had been disabled a night before Facebook was banned in Pakistan. Before all this happened, I visited the blasphemous page “Draw Muhammad Day” and the content on the page hurt me badly.
Once again a certain group of westerners called it the “freedom of expression” and went on to show extremism – something they always verbally disassociate themselves from.
As a response to this lunacy, I thought it best to find out how they respond to others’ right of freedom of expression – I created an Adolf Hitler page right away and it read, “To all those who think they can ridicule Islam in the name of freedom of expression and yet punish those who speak of the genius of Hitler”.
The comment on the wall read, “Let’s hit them where it hurts them the most”. Further I added some photos of the Fuhrer, Nazi Party and the Italian Footballer Paolo Di Canio who was banned and fined by FIFA two years ago for performing the “controversial” Roman Salute which according to him gave him a sense of belonging to his people.
Within an hour tens of people joined the Hitler page which was named “H | T L E R”. The very next time I tried to log in I found out that my profile had been disabled for ‘violation of Facebook Regulations’.

Facebook’s reply for my inquiry was as following (also shown in above screenshot):

Hi Saad,

After reviewing your situation, we have determined that your violated our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. One of Facebook’s main priorities is the comfort and safety of our users.
We do not tolerate hate speech. Targeting people based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or disease is a serious violation of our standards and has resulted in the permanent loss of your account.
We will not be able to reactivate your account for any reason. This decision is final.

Kimmie
User Operations,
Facebook

Now how is it that Hitler is termed as the most evil person in the history of mankind while those that bomb Muslims, commit heinous crimes in their countries, ridicule their Prophet and Quran and as a result hurt the sentiments of 1.2 billion Muslims are hailed as heroes? And I wonder why the victims of Holocaust are more important than victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Despite the protest of a large number of Muslims, Facebook has not removed the blasphemous page from the website.
According the statement issued by Facebook their policy is to withhold such content in countries where it is controversial. The statement specifically says that we do not remove Nazi content from Facebook because it is illegal only in a few countries. 
As two-faced statements go, this one takes the prize. Perhaps before issuing the statement the Facebook did not realise that words like “Adolf Hitler”, “Sieg Heil” and “Nazi” are not allowed to be used on Facebook to create new pages.
And if all this and the removal of Hitler page and the permanent deactivation of my profile isn’t enough, here is a testament to Facebook’s vile hypocrisy. 
The statement issued by Facebook on 20 May says, “We strongly believe that Facebook users have the freedom to express their opinions, and we don’t typically take down content, groups or pages that speak out against countries, religions, political entities, or ideas.”
While, in another instance, Facebook replied me in entirely different way. Excerpt and screenshot is given above.
Now these two conflicting statements speak volumes about the discrimination by the Facebook. It simply means that Facebook through its official statement to global media wants the world to believe that they are the torchbearers of freedom of expression and allow everyone to speak their minds out. 
On the other hand the face that individuals like me get to see is a much horrible one. It talks about hate and intolerance and all forms of so-called equality and unshakable resolve. While Facebook is portraying itself as the silent and innocent onlooker for the entire world, I wonder what gives them the right to remove a major chunk of my life from the web.
I don’t think Facebook should come up with any clarification statements for the Muslim world over what happened. 
It is clearer than crystal that as long as we are labelled as extremists, we are not going to enjoy the equal rights in this world. And those that are trying to play God love to label us that. 
While reporting the Facebook ban in Pakistan in different articles, guardian.co.uk mentions the brutality of Pakistan Army in Swat while Yahoo thinks it’s necessary to unveil Al-Qaida’s plans of attacks on Danish and Dutch football teams. 
It is a blatant attempt to criticize Pakistan for placing the ban, link the country to extremism and terrorism and thereby justifying this sacrilegious act of Facebook users.


Thoughts?
xx