New Delhi: Nearly five years ago, the depiction of Prophet Mohammad in a Danish newspaper cartoon had sparked off worldwide outrage among Muslims who believe any image of the Prophet is un-Islamic. Now, a similar controversy on Facebook threatens to erupt in a similar way.
The popular social networking site and YouTube have both been banned in Pakistan after some groups invited people to draw their versions of the Prophet.
Within the country, however, the protests have been divided on cultural lines. While hundreds of Jamaat-e- Islami members are demanding a full boycott of Facebook, among Pakistan's elite and those on cyber space there's a cry against it.
"The event organised by Facebook is such a cowardly act that we are here to protest against that," said Yamna Alam, a protester.
It all began when the popular American show, 'South Park', showed the Prophet wearing a bear suit. The episode led to threats against the creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker.
A woman named Molly Norris decided to show her support for the show's creators and drew her version of the Prophet and posted it on the Internet.
The idea spread quickly and someone began a Facebook page called 'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day'. More than 70,000 people responded; some Islamic lawyers then went to court in Pakistan and the rest, as they say, is history with the court ordering a ban.
Norris has distanced herself from the concept of 'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day', saying her cartoon was a one-off statement on free speech.
In cyber space, Twitter has now become the only forum to vent for those against the ban. Many tweets express outrage while others have resigned themselves to draw some humour from the situation.