Removing the ban on this Arabic word is mandated by Meta’s Oversight Board: Learn More

The monitoring board of Meta has requested that the business lift its complete prohibition on the Arabic term “Shaheed,” which is approximately equivalent to “martyr” in English.

After a year-long, thorough investigation, the Board concluded that Meta’s current, worldwide prohibition on the term “shaheed,” which it said may be used to glorify or support terrorism, “has led to widespread and unnecessary censorship affecting the freedom of expression of millions of users.”

The board said, “Meta should lift its blanket prohibition on “shaheed,” as the word’s discriminatory and disproportionate effects on freedom of speech and information sharing exceed any worries that it could have been used to incite terrorism. The board acknowledged that large portions of information may have been incorrectly eliminated as a result of Meta’s “approach.”

In the statement, co-chair of the Oversight Board Helle Thorning-Schmidt said, “Terrorism destroys lives and undermines the very fabric of our societies, but it is counterproductive to stop journalists from reporting on terrorist groups and to limit people’s ability to debate and condemn the violence they see around them just because of the presence of a single word.”

After conducting a policy review in 2020 over its moderation of “shaheed,” Meta urged the Board to step in in 2023 since it was at a loss for what to do.

The independent group continued its investigation to examine user behavior on Meta’s platforms and the background of the terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7 and the subsequent Israeli military actions in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the board recommended that the term “shaheed” be removed only “when it is linked to a clear sign of violence (like imagery of weapons) or when it breaks Meta’s rules (for example, glorifying a designated individual).”.

This, according to the statement, “will see the most harmful material removed, while minimising the chances of non-violating content posted globally that is purposefully or unintentionally removed.”