The CII Chairman, Allama Raghib Naeemi, retracted his earlier remarks on using VPNs. This inflamed the debate due to what he claimed was only a printing error, stressing VPNs were not branded un-Islamic.
Also Read: Pakistan Islamic Council Declares VPN Use ‘Haram’
The CII Chairman, Allama Raghib Naeemi, has clarified the content of his earlier statement about VPNs and the controversy resulting from it, he said, resulted from a printing mistake. He specified VPNs were not religiously prohibited. Adding to the confusion was a recent statement from the CII which reportedly described using VPNs as against the tenets of Islam, which led the Ministry of Interior to order the PTA to implement a ban on all unregistered VPNs. After this order, the PTA is said to have suspended many VPN services.
On Wednesday, while answering questions during a press conference in Islamabad, Allama Raghib Naeemi stated, “It is a well-known fact that social media is a very effective means of expressing and exchanging ideas.” However, its engagement for purposes of defamation, sectarianism, and any other forms of extremism is out of place.” He continued, “In case these guidelines are not adhered to, then yes, sure, using social networking sites will turn out to be non-Islamic.” The CII Chairman clarified that no CII member labeled VPNs as nonpermissible in Islam. This was misunderstood because there was a misspelled word in the statement released. The absence of the word ‘not’ caused the mix-up. Allama Naeemi also stressed the need for social media to be used carefully and responsibly and requested people to refrain from actions that encourage hatred, terrorism or religious extremism.
Also Read: PTA Streamlines VPN Registration for Organizations and Freelancers
Final thoughts: The elucidation by Allama Raghib Naeemi on the understanding concerning the error in the mention of VPN’s and the stressing on responsible use of social media underscores the need for correct and ethical expression when communicating online.