SINGAPORE: Singapore joined the chorus of international governments calling on Google to remove an anti-Islam film clip from its video-sharing website YouTube on Wednesday after global protests erupted last week over the film that insults and defames Islam and Prophet Mohamed. Citing security concerns over the film's release, Singapore's ministry of home affairs said it had taken the pre-emptive measure of asking the Media Development Authority to make the request to Google to block online access to the film. The ministry noted that Google was currently considering its request. Since its release, the film has sparked off violent protests and riots that resulted in deaths and injuries in many parts of the world. The ministry has urged the public to refrain from re-posting the video or adding comments that might further inflame the situation. Last week, Google announced it would not ban the film clip from its site, but did say it would block it in Egypt after the protests in the country erupted. The film clip shows the Prophet as being a fraud, participating in child sexual crimes and alleges he could have been a homosexual. The clip is extremely insulting to Islam and the protests have demanded the US take action against filmmaker Sam Bacile, who is currently in hiding in California. Last Tuesday in Egypt, protesters climbed the US Embassy's wall and took down the American flag, replacing it with an Islamic flag that read: “There is no God but God and Mohamed is His Messenger." While the Egyptian protesters remained nonviolent, in Libya's Benghazi, violent attacks took place against the American consulate in the city, which left Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other American staffers dead. Google said it was attempting to balance freedom of speech with legal and ethical concerns. In a statement released last Wednesday, Google rejected the idea of removing the video, arguing that it did not violate YouTube's policies. “This video – which is widely available on the Web – is clearly within our guidelines and so will stay on YouTube," Google said in the statement. “However, given the very difficult situation in Libya and Egypt, we have temporarily restricted access in both countries." Malaysia has also requested the film be barred from view in the country, but activists have told Bikyamasr.com that they have been able to still find links to the clip even after the banning.
