By Stewart Tongue

YNOT – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is attempting to block more than 160 Top Level Domain applications submitted during the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ recent “open season” on generic TLDs. The Saudi government finds the proposed new gTLDs offensive, according to formal complaints the country’s Communication and Information Technology Commission filed with ICANN.

Among the most notable of the non-sexual gTLDs to which the Saudis object is .catholic, proposed by the Vatican. According to paperwork filed with ICANN, the Saudi government claims the Vatican “cannot demonstrate that it possesses a monopoly over the term ‘Catholic.’”

“Many other Christians use the term ‘Catholic’ to refer more broadly to the whole Christian Church regardless of denominational affiliation,” the Saudi complaint states. “Other Christian communions lay claim to the term ‘Catholic,’ such as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church. Therefore, we respectfully request that ICANN not award this.”

The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Social Communication already controls the .va registry under a contract for which it paid ICANN $185,000 earlier this year. The council’s application for .catholic explained the move encompasses “recognition of how important the digital space is for the church.”

The Saudi government evidently has adopted a policy of objecting to any group’s attempt to administer a domain space devoted to religion. It also has objected, on similar grounds, to proposals that would establish gTLDs ending in .islam, .halal and .ummah.

In addition, the Saudis have filed objections to proposals for .baby submitted by pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson and two other entities. In that complaint, the government commission claims such a gTLD could lead to the proliferation of online pornography.

“Pornography undermines gender equality and threatens public morals by objectifying and exploiting women,” the Saudi objection to .baby states. “The values expressed in pornography clash with the family concept, and they undermine the traditional values that promote marriage, family and children.”

A proposal to establish .gay met similar Saudi resistance, because it “will be offensive” in societies that denounce homosexuality. Such a gTLD would be “contrary to their culture, morality or religion,” the Saudi complaint notes.

The Saudis are not alone in filing reams of objections as ICANN attempts to broaden the internet addressing system in what some have characterized as a money-grab. Presently 364 TLDs exist; most are country codes. Applications have been filed to create nearly 2,000 new gTLDs, which would expand the number of TLDs by roughly 600 percent in less than a year. Many of the proposed gTLDs have met with opposition of some kind. Six applications have been withdrawn.

Because of the volume of comments it has received about new gTLD applications, ICANN has extended the closing date for public comments until Sept. 26. The organization has not revealed how the extension will affect other decision process target dates.