Facebook removes Hamas fan page

28/07/2009| IslamWeb

The networking Web site Facebook removed a fan page dedicated to supporters of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat reported on Sunday.

The report published Sunday, said the Web page titled "Commander Haniyeh" had more than 10,000 friends when it was removed without any explanation.

The Palestinian Maan news agency said one of the supervisors of Haniyeh's site said he feared similar action will be taken against the page devoted to Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, which has already attracted more than 17,000 friends.

The agency said other pages affiliated with the Hamas movement remain online.

According to the report, "It is likely that the well known website Facebook is under pressure from Israel, the United States, and lobbies that are resisting the Palestinian people and movements of the Palestinian Resistance, among them Hamas."

Since the removal of the webpage, Facebook owners have received a barrage of emails demanding the page be put online again for the sake of freedom of opinion, the paper reported.

Source: Agencies