What is the hukum on people who are defaming islam on the internet e.g. on Youtube? Are they the same as those who wage war against Muslims and Islam physically, or worse?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

If those mockers are non-Muslims in principle, then this is not surprising. Our Lord informed us in His Book about their hostility against Islam, and their plots and evil plans against it.

If those mockers are Muslims (affiliated with Islam), then there is no doubt that it is forbidden to mock and ridicule the religion or some of its rituals, and the one who does so is a disbeliever without any difference of opinion whether this is on the internet or else.

Mocking the religion and ridiculing it is undoubtedly one of the forms of waging war against it, and this is the way that the hypocrites undertake in their war against the religion of Allah.

It is known that the hypocrites are the most dangerous enemies.

Athwaa’ al-Bayaan reads:

“Because the Muslims think that they are their brothers (in Islam) while they are enemies. The worst enemy is the one whom you think that he is a friend; it is for this reason that Allah has warned His Prophet of them as He Says (what means): {They are the enemy, so beware of them.} [Quran 63:4]” [End of quote]

The evidence that the hypocrites are worse than the original non-Muslims is that Allah has made them in the lowest depths of the Fire on the Day of Judgment; Allah Says (what means): {Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire - and never will you find for them a helper.} [Quran 4:145]

At-Tahreer wat-Tanweer reads:

“The hypocrites are the lowest depths (of the Fire); meaning in the most humiliating stages of punishment, because their disbelief is the worst disbelief.” [End of quote]

Allah knows best.