YouTube Blocked in Tajikistan After Video of President Dancing Goes Viral
As tensions surrounding elections slated for November continue to poison the political mood in Tajikistan, a video of President Emomali Rahmon singing and dancing at his son's wedding has gone viral, giving opposition figures yet another reason to criticize the excesses of the ruling family and the Tajik authorities yet another reason to block the video-sharing platform YouTube. The wedding took place in 2007, but the video was uploaded to YouTube on May 18, 2013.
Considering some of the things that have been happening to journalists and opposition figures in Tajikistan in recent months (see Global Voices coverage here, here and here) Rahmon's tone-deaf vocal performance was hardly a heinous crime. But after a well-known Tajik exile Dodojon Atavulloev released “Tajik Disco Dancer”, a clip showing extended footage of the wedding accompanied by political commentary, lively debates ensued among the country's online community. Tajik authorities cut access to both YouTube and the independent Central Asian media channel K+ between May 18 and May 27.
Footage of the wedding was originally shown on K+ prior to being published on YouTube. Currently, a YouTube video titled “Drunk President of Tajikistan Sings a Song”, uploaded by the user politiktj, has close to 200,000 views, despite the temporary block on the platform inside the republic.
The most popular comment under the clip read [ru]:
Вот настоящий диктатор которого надо повесить на виселице – народ в нищенствует – а он пляшет на костях
That's a real dictator who should be hanged in the gallows – the people suffer – and he dances on their bones
BtCOYyf52f0[/media]]
Now based in Hamburg, Atavulloev's eccentric criticisms of Tajikistan's president has left him with a contested reputation among his fellow citizens. His long standing rivalry with Rahmon dates back to the 1990s and as head of the political movement “Vatandor” (Patriot) he has been [ru] a target of several assassination attempts.
Besides comparing the president to the lead actor in the Indian movie “Disco Dancer”, he also points out the lavish nature of the wedding itself, which contradicts a national law restricting numbers of guests at weddings and the duration of nuptial celebrations.
Online observers of the Rahmon family's happy day were thus divided into two camps: those who consider Rahmon as showing normal human emotions by expressing joy at his son`s wedding, and those who find the dancing, singing and presumed intoxication of the president inappropriate for a Head of State and leader of a predominantly Muslim country.
Source: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/27/tajikistan-famous-wedding-singer-splits-opinion/
As tensions surrounding elections slated for November continue to poison the political mood in Tajikistan, a video of President Emomali Rahmon singing and dancing at his son's wedding has gone viral, giving opposition figures yet another reason to criticize the excesses of the ruling family and the Tajik authorities yet another reason to block the video-sharing platform YouTube. The wedding took place in 2007, but the video was uploaded to YouTube on May 18, 2013.
Considering some of the things that have been happening to journalists and opposition figures in Tajikistan in recent months (see Global Voices coverage here, here and here) Rahmon's tone-deaf vocal performance was hardly a heinous crime. But after a well-known Tajik exile Dodojon Atavulloev released “Tajik Disco Dancer”, a clip showing extended footage of the wedding accompanied by political commentary, lively debates ensued among the country's online community. Tajik authorities cut access to both YouTube and the independent Central Asian media channel K+ between May 18 and May 27.
Footage of the wedding was originally shown on K+ prior to being published on YouTube. Currently, a YouTube video titled “Drunk President of Tajikistan Sings a Song”, uploaded by the user politiktj, has close to 200,000 views, despite the temporary block on the platform inside the republic.
The most popular comment under the clip read [ru]:
Вот настоящий диктатор которого надо повесить на виселице – народ в нищенствует – а он пляшет на костях
That's a real dictator who should be hanged in the gallows – the people suffer – and he dances on their bones
BtCOYyf52f0[/media]]
Now based in Hamburg, Atavulloev's eccentric criticisms of Tajikistan's president has left him with a contested reputation among his fellow citizens. His long standing rivalry with Rahmon dates back to the 1990s and as head of the political movement “Vatandor” (Patriot) he has been [ru] a target of several assassination attempts.
Besides comparing the president to the lead actor in the Indian movie “Disco Dancer”, he also points out the lavish nature of the wedding itself, which contradicts a national law restricting numbers of guests at weddings and the duration of nuptial celebrations.
Online observers of the Rahmon family's happy day were thus divided into two camps: those who consider Rahmon as showing normal human emotions by expressing joy at his son`s wedding, and those who find the dancing, singing and presumed intoxication of the president inappropriate for a Head of State and leader of a predominantly Muslim country.
Source: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/27/tajikistan-famous-wedding-singer-splits-opinion/