Twitter’s legal team sent an email to activist Ensaf Haidar, a Canadian citizen, after she posted a tweet against the practice of wearing niqab.
New Delhi: Canadian-Saudi activist Ensaf Haidar received an email notification from Twitter Friday, for violating the law of Pakistan, a country she doesn’t belong to. The email was sent after Haidar posted a tweet against the practice of wearing niqab.
– Retweet if you're against niqab.
– Retweeter si vous êtes contre le niqab. pic.twitter.com/CXwxWUh9Hb
— Ensaf Haidar ⚜️ (@miss9afi) August 20, 2018
Haidar, who is the wife of imprisoned Saudi-Canadian blogger Raif Badawi, has vehemently opposed the practice of wearing niqab on social media in the past as well.
Badawi was arrested in 2012 for running a blog focused on political issues and is serving a 10-year prison term. He was also sentenced to cruel practice of flogging, which caused a global uproar.
As a wife who lost her husband..
As a mother who can't answer her kids hard questions..
Please help me Mr. President @realDonaldTrump to bring my hero husband to home from a Saudi prison!#FreeRaif pic.twitter.com/dvJWVuRcwh
— Ensaf Haidar ⚜️ (@miss9afi) November 26, 2018
Also read: Why young Indians aren’t on Twitter
Haidar moved to Canada after she received threats while she was in Saudi Arabia. She also manages Badawi’s Twitter handle to raise awareness about her husband’s plight.
– If you were born under Sharia and forced to wear the niqab and your humanity was stolen, you know why I'm against all this.
– Si vous êtes né sous la charia et forcé de porter le niqab et que votre humanité a été volée, vous savez pourquoi je suis contre tout ça.
— Ensaf Haidar ⚜️ (@miss9afi) October 13, 2018
Although Canada does not take any action against anyone for criticising the niqab, Twitter’s legal team reminded Haidar, a Canadian citizen, about the flouting of the strict anti-blasphemy law in Pakistan through its email.
Funny, Twitter just told me that I'm broken the Pakistan’s law!! pic.twitter.com/ze2EGw63HE
— Ensaf Haidar ⚜️ (@miss9afi) November 30, 2018
In the end @TwitterMENA is ran by some extreme radical staff and Jake know that well!,” Haidar said.
She posted the screenshot of the email on Twitter, which stirred up a storm on the social media platform.
“Since when is Pakistani law applicable to the rest of the world? tweeted journalist Nazrana Yousufzai.
Hahah. Hilarious when a Canadian-Saudi activist gets a notice of violating Pakistani law. Seriously twitter ???
Since when is Pakistani laws applicable to the rest of the world? https://t.co/opkFJAVlt0
— Nazrana Yousufzai 🌹 (@NazranaYusufzai) November 30, 2018
Many others talked about the absurdity of Twitter’s action, pointing out that Pakistan’s laws weren’t the best to set an example for Twitter conduct.
Why is Twitter even paying lip service to the laws of countries like Pakistan, where dissidents are abducted, tortured and killed? https://t.co/la4H8fXOzV
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) November 30, 2018
Is this the same Pakistan who tried to execute a Christian lady for drinking out of the wrong cup? Just asking.
— patrick (@patrick161616) November 30, 2018
Twitter’s policy communications manager Kate Hayes told ThePrint over email: “Many countries have laws that may apply to tweets and/or Twitter account content. In our continuing effort to make our services available to people everywhere, if we receive valid requests from an authorised entity, it may be necessary to withhold access to certain content in a particular country from time to time.”
“When we notify users that we have received a report against their account, it does not necessarily mean that we will take action on that report,” Hayes said.
But Haidar posted a tweet recalling how another user had earlier tweeted a violent remark about her husband Badawi, but he was “only banned from tweeting for 12 hours.”
Believe it or not,
Twitter and @jack have no problems with a terrorist guy Calling to cut the head of my husband @raif_badawi the prisoner of conscience, He was only banned from tweeting for 12 hours!!!
Is promoting of killing people OK
I will expose you everywhere pic.twitter.com/Siv0iA5Qa4
— Ensaf Haidar ⚜️ (@miss9afi) November 30, 2018
पाकिस्तान अंतरराष्ट्रीय समुदायए के लिए North Korea से भी बड़ा ख़तरा है , क्योंकि पाकिस्तान के पास कट्टरपंथी इस्लामी और Nuclear Bomb दोनो ही है।
मुझे उम्मीद है कि Twitter ग़ुस्सा नही होगा क्योंकि मैंने पाकिस्तानी क़ानून तोड़ा है। 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Vqd2ERS4EF— Ensaf Haidar ⚜️ (@miss9afi) December 1, 2018