Kiss in Mecca: Facebook loses in court

David wins against Goliath: The blogger, who caused a huge outcry of indignation from religious circles with his montage of a gay kiss in Mecca, wins in court against Facebook. The platform blocked him after the post – and now has to face the consequences.

Death threats for a picture – who received Amed Sherwan en masse in December 2020, certainly more than he wanted to count. He speaks of thousands. And not only that: even his friends were threatened with death! Trigger: Sherwan posted a photo montage on Facebook and Instagram that showed a kiss between him and a friend – in front of the Kaaba in Mecca, along with a rainbow and rainbow flag. For many, apparently less of a call for love and acceptance than a provocation that triggers a cerebral infarction. The blogger, who campaigns for equality and human rights in the Islamic world, was subsequently confronted with a shit storm of biblical proportions.

Facebook takes the side of the homophobic agitators

Facebook covered itself anything but fame in the affair: Those responsible did not block the accounts of the people who spread hatred and agitation and threatened the activist with death threats – but Sherwan himself. His Instagram profile was even completely deleted. He defended himself against this in court and obtained an injunction with his lawyer, whereupon Facebook had to reactivate the accounts.

This week, the activist announced – on Facebook, of course – a success story: The Flensburg Regional Court ruled in his favor – and against the social media giant Facebook. In the process, which was postponed from February 18 to March 17, Facebook was supposed to explain how the deletions came about. Insight? Apparently none: According to Sherwan, Facebook tried to argue that it could post its content on the subject of homosexuality on YouTube or Twitter. The court could not seem to understand this reasoning. After a concurring declaration of completion, Facebook must now even assume the entire costs of the procedure. Sherwan writes with relief:

“I am overjoyed about this important symbol for freedom of expression on the Internet: A religious mob must not assert itself on Facebook with its misanthropic ideas! A kiss is not a crime! “

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