Extremism, including religious extremism, on the Internet should be fought but not by shutting down access to the worldwide web, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday.
A dedicated effort is required to counter extremism on the Internet, Medvedev said at a meeting with the national antiterrorism committee.
"It is important to create our own websites, extend our presence in the networks, create religious sites, giving Muslim preachers and all persons concerned an opportunity to speak up," he said.
In a thinly veiled reference to Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, the Russian president cautioned against borrowing the experience of "certain states."
"Blocking the Internet, cutting off global communication lines and attempting to reach agreement with one's own people by force of arms - all of this leads nowhere. Moreover, it's a crime," Medvedev said.
VLADIKAVKAZ, February 22 (RIA Novosti)
