Facebook causes the "destruction of families," haredi activists claim.
Behadrei Haredim is reporting that there is a serious attempt afoot to ban Facebook.
Rafi G over at Life In Israel explains who is behind the ban and the rationale for it:
[T]he beis din has been presented with numerous situations of families that have been damaged greatly [because of Facebook]. The askan [activist] said that because Facebook has absolutely no use for business purposes or for parnassa [earning a living], therefore there is no hetter [permission] to use it. That along with the tremendous amount of time it causes people to waste [is the reason for the coming ban].
Rafi notes that Kikar HaShabbat spoke to Rabbi Mottka Blau, the head of the "Committee for the Holiness of Facebook." Blau is leading the initiative to get Facebook banned.
Blau listed these reasons for banning Facebook:
It is a tragedy that from a young age the haredi community is makpid on separation of the genders. It is incomprehensible that mixing of the genders should be ok in social media.
people are regularly transgressing issurim of lashon ha'ra and rechilus.
tzniyus issues in regards to pictures and other things that are shared.
Rafi also notes that Blau says he will redefine the word haredi to include only people who don't have Facebook. He who is haredi does not have Facebook.
May God save us.
[Hat Tip: Undercover Kofer.]