TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A United States appeal court has ordered Google to remove an anti-Islamic movie from YouTube that caused protests across the world, despite Google's argument that to do so would violate the constitution.
By a 2-1 vote, the panel decided the 'Innocence of Muslims' fell into the category of hate speech, and therefore was not protected by the First Amendment. Plaintiff and actor in the film Cindy Lee Garcia filed an objection to the film after learning that the clip was an edited version of footage she had shot, dubbed so she appeared to be asking: "Is Mohammed a child molester?"
Garcia's lawyer Cris Armenta said that she is delighted with the decision. "Ordering YouTube and Google to take down the film was the right thing to do," Armenta said in an email to Reuters. "The propaganda film differs so radically from anything that Ms. Garcia could have imagined when the director told her that she was being cast in the innocent adventure film."
The controversial film popped up in YouTube back in 2012. It depicted the Prophet Mohammed as a fool and sexual deviant. As a result, it sparked anti-American unrest among Muslims in Egypt, Libya and other countries. Google, on the other hand, had refused to remove the film from YouTube, despite pressure from the White House and others.
REUTERS | TRIP B
