'Innocence of Muslims' ordered removed from YouTube by Brazilian court

GlobalPost

SÃO PAULO, Brazil -- A judge in Brazil has ordered YouTube remove clips of "Innocence of Muslims," or the company will face fines of $5000 a day for every day they remain visible in Brazil.

A state court in São Paulo made the decision hours after Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff criticized "Islamophobia" in Western countries during her speech at the United Nations, reported Reuters. São Paulo is home to a large Middle Eastern immigrant community.

Reuters also noted that Judge Gilson Delgado Miranda said in his decision that the case juxtaposed freedom of expression and the need to protect individuals or groups of people from action that could incite religious discrimination.

The National Union of Islamic Entities, a group representing Brazil's Muslim community, filed the lawsuit, claiming the film violates Brazil's constitutional guarantee of religious freedom for all faiths, according to the Associated Press.

In a statement on the organization's website, head of religious matters Mohamad al Bukai called the ruling a victory, noted the AP.

"Freedom of expression must not be confused with giving disproportionate and irresponsible offense, which can provoke serious consequences for society," al Bukai said.

More from GlobalPost: 'Innocence of Muslims' to stay up on YouTube, judge rules

Courts and officials in other countries have also tried to restrict access to clips of "Innocence of Muslims," causing the debate of freedom of expression in the Middle East, the United States and Europe to be renewed.

But the AP reported Miranda stressed in his ruling that "this type of jurisprudence cannot be confused with censorship," which he defines as "the undue restriction of the civic consciousness."

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