REPORTING FROM CAIRO -- An administrative court has banned Egyptians from surfing the Internet for pornography and ordered the state to block X-rated websites, the state newspaper Al Ahram has reported.

Pornographic websites emit "poisons in spreading immorality" that "destroy all religious beliefs, ethics and moral values," the court said in its verdict. "Not blocking them destroys. . .values. This can't be considered in the frame of freedom of expression because what's shown on these websites harms the country's higher interests and its national and social security."



The verdict comes after an inquiry by Younis Makhioun, a member of parliament with the ultraconservative Islamist Al Nour party, who called for pornographic websites to be outlawed. He said X-rated sites have destroyed morality, corrupted the youth and spread obscenity, family troubles, rape and divorce.

"Instead of focusing on important issues affecting our country, Egyptian youth have become busy with lust.... Just making it difficult for users to surf these websites will be a positive step," he said.