BEIRUT, September 25 - RAPSI. A Lebanon court has ruled to prohibit the distribution of "Innocence of Muslims", a film which has incited a massive uproar in the Islamic world, Naharnet news agency reports.
The court made its ruling on the basis that some of the film's scenes are disrespectful towards Islam.
The court demanded that the Lebanese Information Ministry and all Internet providers take all the necessary measures to block access to the film in Lebanon. The fine for violating the ruling may reach $1 million.
Iran has blocked access to Google and Gmail for all users within the country, the BBC reported.
YouTube, which belongs to Google and features clips from the film, has been blocked in Iran since 2009.
As a result of the film, Sudan, Bangladesh and Pakistan have also blocked access to YouTube, as have several Chechen and Daghestani Internet providers.
Google previously took the decision to restrict access to the clips in India, Indonesia, Egypt and Libya.
Saudi Arabia has threatened to block access to YouTube if the company refuses to block the links to the anti-Islamic film.
Mass demonstrations have broken out in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Sudan, as well as in other predominantly Muslim countries. US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens was killed along with three colleagues when rioters attacked the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on September 11.
A 14-minute US-made film trailer released last week on YouTube is considered to portray Muslims and the Prophet Muhammad in a negative light.
The United States is strengthening the security of its diplomatic staff in countries where they may be subject to attack, while a number of Eastern countries have blocked the access to the film. At the same time, Google has rejected requests that it completely remove clips of the film from its video-hosting sections.