Egypt bans pornographic Web sites

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood lauded a decision to ban pornographic websites while others said governmental efforts should be focused elsewhere. Mahmoud Ghozlan, a Muslim Brotherhood spokesman told the al-Ahram daily the decision to implement an earlier administrative court ruling is the "first step toward establishing a society based on ethics." On Wednesday, Prosecutor General Abdel Maguid Mahmoud ordered the court ruling banning pornographic websites to take effect, Ahram Online said. "The prosecutor general's decision will serve to preserve Egypt's social norms and values," the Egyptian news site quoted him saying. Mohammed al-Nour spokesman for the Salafist Nour Party told the Ahram Online the decision "represents a step toward preserving traditional Egyptian values and ethics." However Ayman al-Sayad, an Egyptian journalist and adviser to President Mohammed Morsi said officials should be more concerned with drafting a new constitution. "Those who are preoccupied with banning websites (which they will not be able to block for technical reasons) should be more concerned about the drafting of Egypt's new constitution," the site quoted Sayad saying on his Twitter account. Former Muslim Brotherhood member Islam Lofty, founder of the Egyptian Current Party, criticized the decision. "Instead of focusing on pornographic websites, the prosecutor general should focus on his efforts to combat corruption," Ahram Online quoted him saying.