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Facebook Access Restored in Pakistan


A Pakistani court has lifted a ban on the popular social networking site Facebook, two weeks after the site was blocked for soliciting images of the Prophet Muhammad.

Most Muslims consider any image of the Prophet to be blasphemous, and Facebook's "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day" page triggered protests throughout Pakistan.

The Lahore High Court on Monday ordered the government to restore access to Facebook, but said "blasphemous" content should remain blocked. The court also called on the government to develop a system targeting offensive content online.

Last week, Pakistan lifted a similar ban on the video website YouTube. Authorities said sacrilegious or profane material will remain restricted.

On Sunday, authorities in Bangladesh also temporarily blocked Facebook.

Publications of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Danish newspapers a few years ago sparked violent protests in majority-Muslim countries.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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