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8/9/2019 Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics
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Facebook: A Platorm or21st Century Politics
Winning Hearts and Minds on the
World Wide Web
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The Internet and specifcally the 100so millions who are connected onlinethrough social networks, is defning21st Century politics.
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Facebook:
A Platorm or 21st Century Politics
Winning Hearts and Minds on the WorldWide Web
The world wide web (W3) is a tabula
rasa a blank slate upon which
individuals, groups, cultures and nations
engage. And because the web is
available to anyone with on-line access, weve seen
that this essential communications medium can be
a very potent platorm to engage and inuence an
increasingly interconnected public audience.
A new widespread shit is underway towards
online discourse and an increasing demand ordirect communication between leaders and their
people; in truth creating a challenge or political
leaders and policy-makers that seek to shape
public opinion. These leaders are fnding it more
difcult to promote their public image abroad
with a highly inormed global audience and equally
at home to deal with the Internet as a growing
medium or political activism and dissent.
Some countries such as the United States o
America, the United Kingdom and Australia
have declared open government initiatives to
promote transparency and oster more direct
political representation with their citizenry
by applying social networking and Web 2.0
technologies to the practice o government. The
initiative, labeled as Government 2.0 programs,
are geared to let people access government
inormation online and collaborate more openly
in the making o public policy.
In many places however, web use is banned or
controlled at the national level. Certain sites are
o-limits. This type o government censorship
led to the recent pullout o Google the worlds
most-used search engine rom China ater Chinas
political leaders began censoring Google search
engine results pages (SERPs). Whether this move
was motivated by Googles desire to orce China
to open access to the web, or a step backward or
the Chinese people, remains to be seen. One thing
o which we can be sure: governments recognizethe power o the web as a tool or communication,
inormation sharing, connectivity with the local
populace and, sadly, the broadcast o propaganda
and containment o political dissent restricting
Web access to government-sponsored messages
that political leaders want constituents to access.
The point? This new medium, the Internet and
specifcally the 100s o millions who are connected
online through social networks, is defning 21st
Century politics.
While this transormation will be elt worldwide, its
impact will likely potentiate the political landscape
in the Middle East and broader Muslim World.
With approximately one-quarter o the worlds
population (23%) adhering to the principles o
Islam, and according to our most recent research
a sizeable 225 million Muslims already online, this
huge demographic has yet to ully embrace and
leverage the World Wide Web.
T
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Moreover, the Internet penetration among the
global Muslim community has been swelling at
a compound annual growth rate o 30% since
2006; projecting orward we will see a total onlinepopulation o 1 Billion people by 2015.
So, we come to the big question, o great concern
at home and across the West, what impact will the
use o the World Wide Web by Muslim leaders
have on one-quarter o the worlds population?
This big question requires an examination o the
oundations upon which Muslim cultures are built
and the impact o the creation o global interaction
at the personal level. Anyone can log on and fndnews o interest to both Muslims and non-Muslims,
and with the phenomenal growth o the web in
just 20 years, we have empirical evidence that web
reach is expanding at the speed o digital.
Accordingly, who are the leaders within the Islamic
community who maintain an active web presence.
What are they doing with it? And what are the
implications o oreign policy or the U.S. and the
rest o the Western world?
The Changing Face o
Middle East Leadership
For more than fve decades, Middle Eastern countries
have been governed by highly-centralized power
structures hereditary monarchies, strongman
military governments, highly organized theocracies
and other agents that relied on controlling the ow
o inormation to the people.
We see this old-school approach today in Iran,
a country that has seen regular protests rom
the Green Movement protestors made up o
the middle class, the educated, the moderateprogressives within Irans hard-line, theocracy-
based government. When these brave, progressive
protestors take to the streets in reaction to an
alleged rigged election, broadcast media are
prevented rom showing these protests.
Reports o Irans people voting with their eet
still fltered out. Grainy images rom cell phones
spread organically across the globe despite Iranian
government eorts to keep internal these reports
o rebellion. And the West was quick to show itssupport o the protestors on social media sites.
Facebook: A Platorm or 21st Century PoliticsWinning Hearts and Minds on the World Wide Web
Source: World Internet Usage and
Population Statistics December 31, 2009;
Global Muslim Population, A Report on the
Size and Distribution o the Worlds Muslim
Population October 2009 by Pew Research
Center; U.S. State Department Religious
REGION
Freedom Act; CIA World Factbook; and
Digital Daya Intelligence Databases
Note: Middle East region comprises the
Arab World (the Gul, Levant, and North
Arica regions), Israel, Iran, and Turkey.
East Asia includes the Muslim populations
in ASEAN and Far East regions.
Central Asia includes Muslim populations
o CIS (except the Baltic), Russia,
Western China, and Aghanistan.
Middle East
East Asia
South Asia/Indian Subcontinent
Central Asia
Sub-Saharan Arica
Americas & Europe
459,878,950228,599,000
485,970,000
128,639,000
240,333,000
24,880,400
1,568,300,350
104,127,68338,631,352
31,448,814
19,912,079
16,964,966
14,963,535
226,048,428
MUSLIMPOPULATION
ONLINE MUSLIMPOPULATION
% OF TOTALONLINE MUSLIM
46%17%
14%
9%
8%
7%
100%
Muslim Population Online by Region
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Over the past ew years, weve seen a remarkable
growth in the use o the world wide web by
national leaders. This is the result, at least in part, o
the changing ace o Middle Eastern leaders. As the
old guard times out, new leaders, younger more
visionary leaders, are taking their places. These
leaders recognize the value o employing webassets to engage their peoples and other cultures
around the globe. In eect, the tabula rasa that is
the W3 is being flled in with a new breed o leader
in Muslim nations across the globe.
Many current Middle Eastern leaders, and the
rising stars within state governments, are Western
educated. His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the
Sultan o Oman, received his higher education in
the UK. So did King Abdullah II o Jordan, President
Al Assad o Syria, Prime Minister Saad Hariri o
Lebanon, and Sai al-Islam al-Qadhaf, son o Libyan
leader Moammar Al Qadhaf all received their
educations rom U.S. or Great Britain Universities.
All are uent in English, all have Western riends
and colleagues, all have been exposed to Western
viewpoints to one degree or another and two
o these leaders actually received their military
education at the renowned Royal Military Academy
at Sandhurst in the United Kingdom. These leadershave integrated the best o Western thought into
Middle Eastern cultures in a slow, deliberate way.
Nation Building on
The World Wide Web:
How National Leaders Use
Web-Based Assets
THE FIRST ONLINE CAMPAIGN FOR
POLITICAL CONTROL WITHIN THE
MIDDLE EAST - GAMAL MUBARAK VS.
MOHAMED ELBARADEI OF EGYPT
Egypt is the most populace nation in the
Middle East with 78 million citizens. Egypts President
Hosni Mubarak has been in the top government
post or the past thirty years, rising to power in
the wake o the assassination o his predecessor,
President Anwar Sadat; to date he has not named
a Vice President. Mubaraks advancing age (82) hasmade the question o succession the top political
issue and hence the recurring speculation o who
will assume this pivotal post.
The younger o the two sons o Egyptians current
President Hosni Mubarak and heir apparent to
his athers power structure, Gamal Mubarak,
is reputedly being groomed to take the place o
his ather although both ather and son have not
publically advocated this move. Nevertheless,
authorities both inside Egypt and within the MiddleEast region believe that, indeed, Gamal Mubarak will
attempt to assume his athers position.
The Internet penetration among
the global Muslim community has
been swelling at a compound annual
growth rate o 30% since 2006
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Gamal Mubarak is well-versed in Western ways
having attended St. Georges College in Cairo,
beore entering American University in Cairo
where he earned his business degrees. Ater
graduation, Gamal Mubarak was employed by
Bank o Americas Egyptian operation beore
being transerred to the London branch. The
young banker quickly rose to prominence or his
perormance in investment banking.
Subsequently, this youngest son o Hosni Mubarak
managed a private equity und to undertake high-
level fnancial consultation. Gamal is also the
Chairperson o the Future Generation Foundation
(FGF), a non-government agency with a mission
o training young people or employment. Hesalso an honorary member o the business-service
organization, Rotary International.
His proessional biography clearly paints a picture
o a man whose principles are frmly based in the
Western concept o ree markets and fnancial
investment. He is a progressive thinker with strong
ties to the West, indicated by his extensive use o
web-based interconnectivity.
Gamal Mubarak is typical o the Middle East leadero tomorrow a leader who is open to engagement
with the West and who moves with ease among
powerul Western interests. His activities on the
W3 urther demonstrate the mans desire to reach
out and communicate with Egyptians and non-
Egyptians on a broad array o topics.
To engage this uture leader, one can visit his Gamal
Mubaraks Facebookpage or his Sharek Facebook
page. As o this writing, Gamal has a growing
ollowing on social media sites with 18,000 ans on
multiple Facebook accounts alone.
The website, www.menassat.com, had this to say
about the younger Mubarak:
In what looks like a clear bid to boost his
presidential campaigning eorts and credibility
among Egypts youth, Gamal Mubarak or
Jimmy as he goes by locally, has launched
his own Facebook site and his very ownonline discussion orum or young Egyptians,
Sharek, which means participate in Arabic, in
collaboration with the General Secretary o the
Policy Committee o the National Democratic
Party (NDP).
The open orum, which goes by the slogan open
dialogue or the Egyptian youth with Gamal
Mubarak, invites young Egyptians to send in
their questions and participate in discussions
with the man who might be leading their country
in the near uture. Gamal discusses topics such
as the challenges and opportunities aced by
todays youth with show participants. Sharek
is being heavily advertised on various social
media outlets and viewers can currently ollow
the show via Facebook and RSS. Soon, ans will
also be able to view episodes on Shareks ownYouTube channel and access photos rom the
program via the photo-sharing site Flickr.
Gamals orum is open and transparent, covering
topics o concern to Egyptians rom all segments
o society. The orum has addressed such issues
as Egypts rate o ination (high), difcult and sub-
standard living conditions, corruption, National
Democratic party corruption and Gamal Mubaraks
presumed ascension to power in the uture.
Mubaraks outreach to, what is presumed to be his
uture constituents, is a model o the integration
o social media and politics in a meaningul, even
personal, manner. However, Mubaraks opposition
has also taken to the world wide web.
Mohamed ElBaradei heads the opposition in
Egypt opposed to Gamal Mubarak with a solid
measure o growing popularity. The principle o
presidency by succession has propelled ElBaradei
to the oreront o Egyptian politics.
Mohamed brings international experience to the
table, serving as ormer UN Nuclear Chie, which
brought him into close contact with the Western
scientifc and political communities. Indeed,
Elbaradei enjoys international support, in part
because o his engagement with the West during
his years at the UN and through his eorts to put
orth his message through social media including
maintaining a Facebook page, a Twitter account anduploads o speeches and interviews to YouTube,
putting a ace to the politics.
Facebook: A Platorm or 21st Century PoliticsWinning Hearts and Minds on the World Wide Web
http://www.facebook.com/Egyptian.Gamal.Mubarakhttp://www.facebook.com/Egyptian.Gamal.Mubarakhttp://www.facebook.com/Sharek.eg?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/Sharek.eg?v=wallhttp://www.menassat.com/http://www.menassat.com/http://www.facebook.com/Sharek.eg?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/Sharek.eg?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/Egyptian.Gamal.Mubarakhttp://www.facebook.com/Egyptian.Gamal.Mubarak8/9/2019 Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics
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Remarkably, Mohamed ElBaradei has built a
strong Facebook ollowing rapidly swelling to
225,000 ollowers as o today.
The race between Mubarak and ElBaradei has been
heated at times, but the rhetoric isnt inammatory.
Neither candidate is calling or revolution in the
streets, which is one o the things that makes
this particular political race so interesting and
intriguing. This could be considered the frst online
campaign or political control within the region o
the Middle East.
U.S. President Obama employed the W3 as an
excellent means o putting orth his message
to the people. Others would point to the hal a
billion U.S. dollars o campaign unds Mr. Obama
raised through his web site. Both are positive,
producing connectivity with the people and
lessening the control o special interests. Instead,
the people are fnancing the campaign a truer,
purer orm o democracy.
This will be an interesting race to ollow in the
months and years ahead. With Gamal Mubarak
and ElBaradei vying or political inuence withinEgypt demonstrates the power o the world
wide web to alter regimes through engagement
with constituents.
BUILDING POLITICAL COALITIONS
- PRIME MINISTER SAAD HARIRI OF
LEBANON
The second son o Rafq Hariri, Saad, took
over the leadership o Lebanon upon his athers
death and ater a long, internal struggle, Saad
Hariri became the countrys prime Minister in
November, 2009.
Saad also took the lead o the Future Movement,
which was ounded by his ather. He also led the
March 14 Alliance responsible or the March
Revolution. This revolution orced Syrian troops to
leave Lebanese territory that it had occupied since
the countrys civil war that took place in the mid-
1970s.The Forces o the 14th o March maintains aFacebook account with over 7,000 ans.
The current Prime Minister o Lebanon was
educated at the McDonough School o Business, part
o Georgetown University located in Washington,
D.C. Ater graduation, Saad managed a signifcant
part o the amilys fnancial empire, placing him in
the middle o an expanding global economy based
on ree market principles principles Saad Hariri
learned during his years at Georgetown University.
The young leader aced sti opposition within
Lebanon, taking several months to orm a coalition
cabinet. His willingness to reach out and embrace
diering views enabled Hariri to build a solid
coalition within the government, creating stability
among the countrys political, business and fnancial
communities.
Further, Hariri has reached out to Syria, long-
time occupiers o parts o Lebanon, traveling to
Damascus to meet with Syrian President Basher
Assad. Reconciliation soon ollowed. Finally,
because o strong business ties, the countrys leader
maintains strong ties with the Saudis and has the
solid backing o the United States and many other
Western democracies.
Once again, Saad Hariri is an example o how
government connectivity with constituents creates
stability and, even more, makes citizens a part o
daily governance. Prime Minister Hariris popularitywith the people is, in part due, to his on-going
dialogue with the Lebanese people through his web
site at www.saadhariri.com.
With Gamal Mubarak and ElBaradei
vying or political inuence within
Egypt demonstrates the power o
the world wide web to alter regimes
through engagement with constituents.
Facebook: A Platorm or 21st Century PoliticsWinning Hearts and Minds on the World Wide Web
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123551066565&ref=nfhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123551066565&ref=nfhttp://www.facebook.com/14march.orghttp://www.facebook.com/14march.orghttp://www.saadhariri.com/http://www.saadhariri.com/http://www.facebook.com/14march.orghttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123551066565&ref=nfhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123551066565&ref=nf8/9/2019 Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics
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Hariris political party also maintains an active
website at Future Movement.
It should be noted that these leaders recognize
that political legitimacy is the oundation o
a stable government and as a consequence a
growing gross national product (GNP) the total
output o a nation in the delivery o goods and
services.
This recognition o the importance o a stable
government among the coming generation o Middle
East leaders bodes well or the national economies
o the region. Currently highly dependent on oil
and gas revenues, we can anticipate an economic
diversifcation in oil-dependent nations as thecountries move to establish a knowledge economy,
similar to the West, instituted on a world-class
university system and enterprise grade, 21st
century businesses working and thriving in every
sector o the economy, rom computer coding to
innovative Islamic fnancial services companies. A
more progressive Middle East holds great promise.
ENGAGING THE POPULATION - HH
SHEIKH MOHAMMED, RULER OF DUBAI
Many other progressive leaders, either in
place or soon to assume leadership roles, are active
on the web. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Prime Minister and Vice-president o the UnitedArab Emirates, is given much credit or turning
Dubai into the fnancial and business capital o the
Middle East the place where Western and Eastern
businesspeople, entrepreneurs and established
companies in broad-based industries meet in the
spirit o common goals.
This has made Dubai one o the most important
centers o commerce in the Middle East, creating
wealth and prosperity across the complete
population spectrum. Dubai is a thriving, destinationcity in which businesses rom around the world
establish headquarters in the region, employing and
expanding the middle class.
The popular ruler o Dubai actively employs
special media to engage the people o the United
Arab Emirates. No longer a distant, remote fgure,
the Ruler o Dubai maintains his own page on
Facebook, one o the most popular social media
experiments currently underway on the world
wide web. You can ollow the Sheiks posts on
your computer. His Facebook pages is: http://www.
acebook.com/HHSheikhMohammed. He currently
has over 150,000 ollowers on Facebook and the
leaders profle page provides open access to the
Sheiks biographical data presented in terms that
people understand and, thereore, appreciate.
Sheik Mohammed serves as another excellent
example o how the web is an important tool o
communication, interaction and personalizationo leaders. Those who ollow the Premiers posts
recognize the humanity behind the position,
the man behind the title, creating an accessible,
engaged, contemporary and pro-active approach to
government and connectivity with the public.
In all o these cases, the web is being put to
mutually benefcial use. The public develops a
personal relationship with leadership. Government
leaders create an inormed, engaged population
stakeholders in the countrys growth and success.Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,Prime Minister and Vice-president o
the United Arab Emirates, is given much
credit or turning Dubai into the fnancial
and business capital o the Middle East
Facebook: A Platorm or 21st Century PoliticsWinning Hearts and Minds on the World Wide Web
http://www.almustaqbal.org/index.php?lang=ENhttp://www.facebook.com/HHSheikhMohammedhttp://www.facebook.com/HHSheikhMohammedhttp://www.facebook.com/HHSheikhMohammedhttp://www.facebook.com/HHSheikhMohammedhttp://www.almustaqbal.org/index.php?lang=EN8/9/2019 Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics
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PLACING TECHNOLOGY ON THE
NATIONAL AGENDA - HIS MAJESTY,
SULTAN QABOOS BIN SAID OF OMAN
Omans 70-year-old Sultan Qaboos bin
Said has lited Oman to new levels o internal
openness, engagement with outside societies
and has turned Oman into a model o the modern
Islamic state. The country boasts a highway system,
artistic monuments and architecture, Western-styleshopping malls, quality, 5-star accommodations and
modern ofce buildings that symbolize a growing,
thriving, expansive economy.
In addition to these surace changes, internal
changes in government tell an even more revealing
story. While the Sultan maintains absolute authority
within Omans government structure, Qaboos bin
Said has instituted parliamentary elections in which
woman vote and seek ofce. Power sharing andgender equality.
Other deeper changes within Omani society
include: engagement with Western and non-
Muslim nations at the highest levels, expanded
access to uncensored print media, the
development o a secondary level school system
(an investment in the countrys uture, no doubt),
and an expanded system o health care or Omani
citizens. In short, this Western-educated monarch
has turned Oman rom a wind-swept, desolate,
isolated, centralized nation into a modern,
thriving economy using the countrys small oil
revenues to fnance these improvements to
beneft the people.
Further, Sultan Qaboos bin Said is on Facebook
and a strong advocate o the use o inormation
technology, seeing the W3 as the important tool
that it is. Speaking at the annual session o theCouncil o Oman, the countrys leader made
clear his views on the world wide web and its
use in nation building and middle class evolution
and growth:
Inormation technology and communications
have now become the main elements that move
orward the development process in this third
millennium, His Majesty said.
Thereore, we have accorded our attention
to fnding a national strategy to develop the
skills and abilities o citizens in this domain with
the aim o urther developing e-government
services. We are closely ollowing the important
steps that we have made in this regard. We call
upon all government institutions to speedily
enhance their perormance, and to acilitate
their services, by applying digital technology in
order to usher the Sultanate into the constantly
evolving spheres or applying knowledge.
Qaboos bin Saidhas turned
Oman rom a isolated, centralized
nation into a modern, thriving
economy using the countrys
small oil revenues to fnance these
improvements to beneft the people.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/His-Majesty-Sultan-Qaboos-Bin-Said-Al-Said/10537412805?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/His-Majesty-Sultan-Qaboos-Bin-Said-Al-Said/10537412805?v=wall8/9/2019 Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics
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Political Activism In the
Broader Muslim World
Western media and Western governments have o-
ten viewed the web as hotbeds o extremism
sites designed to recruit radicals as well as to spreadanti-Western sentiment. This conception has lead
to sanctions against the export o web-based assets
rom the U.S. and other Western nations.
But, is this the true picture? Is the World Wide Web
merely a tool being manipulated, monitored, sanc-
tioned, censored and otherwise misused by radical
political groups putting orth an anti-social agenda
and by national leaders disseminating dis-inorma-
tion or the beneft o a countrys power structure?
A central fnding o a report called The Berk-
man Center or Internet and Society, Mapping the
Arabic Blogosphere: Politics, Culture and Dissent,
published in June, 2009, provides clear evidence that
radical Islamic groups have not exploited the W3
successully. The study identifed a base network o
approximately 35,000 active blogs, and produced a
baseline assessment concluding that ...Arabic lan-
guage blogs are not to any signifcant degree used to
support extremism, preach hate, or organize terror-
ist activities. In act, support or terrorism or violent
conrontation with the West appears to be rare.
I we go beyond the blogosphere and examine
the most popular social media venues, and in par-
ticular the largest platorm - Facebook, we fnd
numerous political activist and advocacy groups
that employ web technology to call or change
change to a more open, more inclusive and even
democratic society.
Looking at the online Muslim populations at a na-tional level, we see a diverse geographic make up with
only two Arab countries in the top ten. Iran, Turkey,
and Indonesia have the largest online populations to-
day. While Facebook is censored in Iran, it is no coin-
cidence that Indonesia and Turkey also rank #3 and
#4 globally among top countries by number o active
Facebook users right behind the U.S. and U.K.
Source:
World Internet Usage
and Population Statistics
December 31, 2009; Global
Muslim Population, A Report
on the Size and Distribution
o the Worlds Muslim
Population October 2009
by Pew Research Center; U.S.
State Department Religious
Freedom Act; CIA World
Factbook; and Digital Daya
Intelligence Databases
REGION MUSLIMPOPULATION
ONLINE MUSLIMPOPULATION
Iran
Turkey
Indonesia
Pakistan
Egypt
Nigeria
India
Malaysia
Saudi Arabia
China
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
73,777,000
73,619,000
202,867,000
174,082,000
78,513,000
78,056,000
160,945,000
16,581,000
24,949,000
21,667,000
35,781,845
25,398,555
25,358,375
18,452,692
16,566,243
12,567,016
11,266,150
10,893,717
6,761,179
6,218,429
On Facebook, we fnd numerous
political activist and advocacy groupsthat employ web technology to call or
change change to a more open, more
inclusive and even democratic society.
Top 10 Nations By Muslim Population Online
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Here are a ew potent examples across the Mus-
lim world o political advocacy leaders, groups,
and campaigns that employ web-based assets:
NATIONAL UNITY PROGRAMS
An innovative government program ini-
tiated by the Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk
Najib Razak, the 1Malaysia Program, has a
goal to preserve and enhance racial unity in the
predominantly Muslim nation o Malaysia among
the ethnic Malay, Chinese, and Indian groups that
make up its population. The 1Malaysia website is
intended ...to initiate an open and vital dialogue
exploring our Malaysian identity, purpose, and di-
rection. The 1Malaysia Facebook profle has at-
tracted over 50,000 ans.
In the atermath o the terrorist attacks on two
luxury hotels in Jakarta, the global online com-
munity and especially Indonesians united to show
their support to fght against terrorism through
the #IndonesiaUnite Movement. By using
Twitter, people expressed themselves by twitter-
ing the word #indonesiaunite with their personal
messages to pass on their support that everyone
is united against terrorism. The #indonesiaunite
hash tag became the TOP TRENDING TOPIC in
Twitter at the time and the movement continues
on Facebook through IndonesiaUnite! page with
a whopping 480,000 ans!
THEOCRATIC ADVOCACY
Theocracy is a orm o government in which
a state is governed by ofcials who are regarded as
divinely guided or where prevailing state laws are
based on religious laws. Iran is considered a Muslimtheocracy and the Vatican a Christian theocracy as
both are ruled by religious laws and fgures, the
Grand Ayatollah and the Pope, respectully. Some
critics point to Israel as a Jewish theocracy as some
o its state laws are based on Jewish law albeit that
their leaders are chosen through a democratic
process. Egypts largest theocratic advocacy group,
The Muslim Brotherhood, in on Facebook. Though
ofcially banned by the Egyptian government, the
Muslim Brotherhood still garners substantial
popular support.
According to the Brotherhoods web site, located
at http://www.ikhwanweb.com/, the mission o
the Muslim Brotherhood Egypt is: to in-
stall Islamic governments in the Muslim world
through the establishment o Sharia as the legal
system o these new governments and are also
interested in human rights. With branches in sev-
eral Arab and Muslim countries, the Brotherhood
portrays itsel as a more authentic alternative to
secular authoritarian rulers and religious extrem-
ists o the al-Qaida variety. The main mission o
ikwanweb is to present the Muslim Brotherhood
vision right rom the source and rebut miscon-
ceptions about the movement in Western na-
tions. The two Ikhwan profles on Facebookhave
approximately 1,700 ans in total.
PLIGHT OF ETHNIC MINORITIES
Advocacy groups use the W3 to put orth
an agenda o sel-determination such as the Muslim
Uyghurs in Central Asia, in an area known as East
Turkestan or Xinjiang, an autonomous region in the
Peoples Republic o China.. The groups public ace,
Rebiya Kadeer, remains the most eective civil
rights leader among the Uyghurs seeking more ree-
dom rom the Chinese government. Ater deadly
ethnic riots in this region, Chinese authorities have
shut o the Internet there, local residents are still
barred rom sending text messages and getting on-
line. The organizations web site is located at http://
www.uhrp.org/ and Rabiya Kadeer maintains a Face-
book account with about 1,000 ans.
The Indian and Pakistani governments both
lay claim to Kashmir and, on at least two occa-
sions, the world stood on the brink o nuclear
war between those enemy states. As the Indian
government tightens control o web usage, theKashmiri separatists have taken their struggle
to the web, an eective tool or creating broad-
based support or the organizations goal o a
ree state o Kashmir, controlled not by India or
Pakistan, but rather a new state that may serve
to deuse the struggle or control o this region
between two nuclear powers. The All Parties
Hurriyat Conerence (APHC) now on Facebook
is positioned as a political ront ...ormed as an
alliance o 26 political, social and religious orga-
nizations in Kashmir to achieve the right o sel-determination according to United Nations Se-
curity Council Resolution 47. Hurriyat in Urdu
means reedom.
Facebook: A Platorm or 21st Century PoliticsWinning Hearts and Minds on the World Wide Web
http://www.1malaysia.com.my/index.php?option=com_myblog&Itemid=1&lang=enhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=166361410463&v=infohttp://www.facebook.com/indonesiaunite?v=wall#!/indonesiaunite?v=wallhttp://www.ikhwanweb.com/http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ikhwanwebcom-The-Official-English-website-for-Muslim-Brotherhood/494060555081?v=wallhttp://www.uhrp.org/http://www.uhrp.org/http://www.facebook.com/RebiyaKadeer?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/RebiyaKadeer?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Mirwaiz-Muhammad-Omar-Farooq/26638257972?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Mirwaiz-Muhammad-Omar-Farooq/26638257972?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Mirwaiz-Muhammad-Omar-Farooq/26638257972?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Mirwaiz-Muhammad-Omar-Farooq/26638257972?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/RebiyaKadeer?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/RebiyaKadeer?v=wallhttp://www.uhrp.org/http://www.uhrp.org/http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ikhwanwebcom-The-Official-English-website-for-Muslim-Brotherhood/494060555081?v=wallhttp://www.ikhwanweb.com/http://www.facebook.com/indonesiaunite?v=wall#!/indonesiaunite?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=166361410463&v=infohttp://www.1malaysia.com.my/index.php?option=com_myblog&Itemid=1&lang=en8/9/2019 Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics
12/2012 www.digitaldaya.com
MUSLIM WOMEN AS POLITICAL ADVO-
CATES
Married to King Abdullah II o Jordan,
Queen Rania is a strong online advocate sup-
porting many programs to improve the liveli-hoods o Jordans citizens and the nations pros-
pects. Queen Ranias Facebook account enjoys
over 170,000 ans and is a platorm or her 1Goal
campaign to make education a reality or the mil-
lions o boys and girls who remain out o school
across the world.
Dubbed by the local press as the Iranian Mi-
chelle Obama, Zahra Rahnavard, is married
to Mir Hossein Mousavi, who was President Ah-
madinejads strongest challenger in Irans recentpresidential election. The 64-year-old diminutive
grandmother, a political scientist and sculptress
who heads a university, has been making a big
impact on Iranian politics. She is a key asset in
her husbands campaign or reorm and a strong
womens rights activists in Iran. Zahras Facebook
account is home to about 43,000 ardent ans.
The consort o the Emir o Qatar, HH Sheikha
Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, is the chairpersono the Qatar Foundation or Education, Science
and Community Development. She plays a leading
role in education and social reorms in Qatar, and
is oten a spokesperson showcasing Qatars am-
bitious development programs. She is also a ce-
lebrity advocate as UNESCOs Special Envoy or
Basic and Higher Education. HH Sheikha Mozahs
Facebook account has 26,000 ans.
POLITICAL CAMPAIGNINGA growing political movement on Face-
book with over 45,000 ans,We Want Imran Khan
To Be The Next Prime Minster O Pakistan!, is
organized to have Pakistans ormer cricket hero
Imran Khan elected into ofce. Imran Khan
maintains his own Facebook account with more
than 75,000 ans and strives to bridge the gap be-
tween Pakistan and the West - They (Western-
ers) do not understand Islam, and I think that is
one area where perhaps I hope one day I will play
a role in actually making people understand what
we perceive Islam to be.
The Fan page, Sai al-Islam al-Gaddaf, is devoted to
about 4,500 ollowers o the son o Libyan leader
Moammar Al Qadhaf who may one day play a part
in the Libyan government. About fve years ago,
the Libyan government surprised the world whenit was announced it would dismantle its nuclear,
chemical and ballistic missile programs. Since that
time, according to U.S. Congressional records,
American, British, and international ofcials have
inspected and removed or destroyed key compo-
nents o those programs. The events leading up to
this dramatic change had taken place behind the
scenes. The man who initiated the contacts with
the U.S. was not the Libyan leader himsel but his
son, Sai al-Islam al-Qadhaf. U.S. Congressio-
nal records showed that Saiul Islam met in Lon-don with American House Representatives. Saiul
Islam at the time was attending school in London,
working on his Ph.D. in Economics. This was but
another example o how western-educated lead-
ers were reaching out to the U.S.
A secular Shiite, Ayad Allawi, has returned to
the center o Iraqi politics ater receiving millions
o votes rom Sunni Arabs, a minority that has elt
marginalized since Sunni dictator Saddam Husseinwas toppled in 2003. Former prime minister Ayad
Allawis political bloc recently won the most seats
in Iraqs parliamentary election. Allawi and Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki are now vying to get a
majority o parliamentarians on their side in order
to be appointed prime minister or the next our
years.Ayad Allawi is on Facebookwith over 6,000
ans running on a secular campaign o Our Future
Together and Iraq or every Iraqi.
The Green Movement is a series o actionsater the 2009 Iranian presidential election, in
which protesters have demanded the removal
o Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rom ofce. Green
was frst the symbol oMir Hossein Mousavis
campaign but ater the election, it became the
symbol o unity and hope or those asking or
annulment o what they regarded as a raudulent
election. Supporters used Twitter and Facebook
to spread the word. Moussavi campaign managers
organized supporters, planned gatherings and
garnered support o 126,000 ans through
Mossavis Facebook pages dedicated to the
Reormist candidate.
Facebook: A Platorm or 21st Century PoliticsWinning Hearts and Minds on the World Wide Web
http://www.facebook.com/QueenRania?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/zrahnavard?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/zrahnavard?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/HH-Sheikha-Mozah-Bint-Nasser-Al-Missned/10208116846http://www.facebook.com/pages/HH-Sheikha-Mozah-Bint-Nasser-Al-Missned/10208116846http://www.facebook.com/pages/HH-Sheikha-Mozah-Bint-Nasser-Al-Missned/10208116846http://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Want-Imran-Khan-To-Be-The-Next-Prime-Minster-Of-Pakistan-/63078243382http://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Want-Imran-Khan-To-Be-The-Next-Prime-Minster-Of-Pakistan-/63078243382http://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Want-Imran-Khan-To-Be-The-Next-Prime-Minster-Of-Pakistan-/63078243382http://www.facebook.com/1mran.Khan.PTI?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/1mran.Khan.PTI?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Saif-al-Islam-al-Gaddafi/10917256698?v=infohttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Ayad-Allawi/186377731761?http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ayad-Allawi/186377731761?http://www.facebook.com/mousavihttp://www.facebook.com/mousavihttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Ayad-Allawi/186377731761?http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saif-al-Islam-al-Gaddafi/10917256698?v=infohttp://www.facebook.com/1mran.Khan.PTI?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/1mran.Khan.PTI?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Want-Imran-Khan-To-Be-The-Next-Prime-Minster-Of-Pakistan-/63078243382http://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Want-Imran-Khan-To-Be-The-Next-Prime-Minster-Of-Pakistan-/63078243382http://www.facebook.com/pages/HH-Sheikha-Mozah-Bint-Nasser-Al-Missned/10208116846http://www.facebook.com/pages/HH-Sheikha-Mozah-Bint-Nasser-Al-Missned/10208116846http://www.facebook.com/zrahnavard?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/zrahnavard?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/QueenRania?v=wall8/9/2019 Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics
13/2013 www.digitaldaya.com
Turkey is entering a new battle between the re-
ligiously conservative government (the ruling
Justice and Development Party or AKP) and the
strictly secular opposition party (the Republi-
can Peoples Party, or CHP). As the governmentplans or a constitutional overhaul, the reorm is
aimed according to Prime Minister Recep Tayy-
ip Erdogan ...at strengthening democracy and
bringing Turkey closer to standards o the Euro-
pean Union (which the country wants to join).
The fght is about who gets to decide important
changes in the country rom civilian oversight o
the military, strengthening o womans right, and
level o separation o religion and state. Kemal
Kldaroglu, the deputy president o the CHP
opposition party, plays a key role in the debateand is a popular fgure in Turkey evidenced by a
gathering o 190,000 ans on Kemals Facebook
page.
YOUTH MOVEMENTS
An independent media outlet that is youth-
orientated and Jordanian-based, 7iber.com, is a
place or citizen-generated content to our-
ish, ostering a critical and inormed civil societythrough an independent and participatory new
media. The organization oers a model or ree
speech in Jordan and successully launched a viral
Gaza conict campaign. Their website and 7ibers
Facebook page with 1,400 ans was the place
where a donation drive or Gaza was announced,
as well as new volunteer opportunities and ac-complishments; pictures and video rom the cam-
paign disseminating these on other platorms.
The above fndings clearly indicate that the world
wide web is not a tool that osters extremism. Instead,
the broad and diverse activity today makes a compel-
ling case that the W3 is more eective as a tool that
promotes moderation, reorm and increased connec-
tivity among Muslims across the globe.
Greater interaction among Muslim cultures andnation states will augment and increase the role
o moderate and progressive Islam, creating bonds
among believers in aith and cultural values. Indeed,
Muslim radicals will continue to utilize the web as
a tool o recruitment but the web is a reection o
the people who utilize it. Within the global Mus-
lim population, the vast majority o adherents hold
moderate views which will only be re-enorced
through engagement o like-minded people on a
global scale. The web reafrms moderation amongMuslim populations and poses limited danger as a
tool or recruitment or extremist groups.
The W3 is more eective as a
tool that promotes moderation,reorm and increased
connectivity among Muslims
across the globe.
Facebook: A Platorm or 21st Century PoliticsWinning Hearts and Minds on the World Wide Web
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kemal-Kilicdaroglu/76599755300http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kemal-Kilicdaroglu/76599755300http://www.facebook.com/7iberhttp://www.facebook.com/7iberhttp://www.facebook.com/7iberhttp://www.facebook.com/7iberhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Kemal-Kilicdaroglu/76599755300http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kemal-Kilicdaroglu/765997553008/9/2019 Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics
14/2014 www.digitaldaya.com
Digital Policy or the World
Wide Web
I the W3 is, indeed, a blank slate, it will assuredly
be written upon by political groups such as thosehighlighted attempting to aect change.
These Walls on Facebook are, in essence, re-
cruitment centers, requented by citizenry who
believe that engagement and debate is inevitable
and benefcial.
Wise, enlightened government leaders recognize
the importance o keeping Facebook and otherpolitical sites open to the population, thus shining
the light o rational thought on diering agendas.
Were governments to shut down or ban web-
sites, several negative outcomes would occur:
Web sites o radical organiza-tions would be elevated in impor-tance.
The government would showear that extremists and/or advocatesmight create turmoil within the coun-try.
The messages put orth on
some o these web sites would gaincredence, though the inormationcontained on these sites serves thesole purpose o any propaganda toconvert believers to a cause, be it re-ligious, political or a combination othe two.
Moderate Muslims would bedenied access to the views put orth
on web sites and, would thereore, beless aware o the dangers extremistspresent, and the opportunities pro-gressive advocates aord.
Moderate Muslims would beless likely to turn to their legitimatenational and local governmentleaders to dis-band groups that spreadhateul rhetoric in the name o Islam.Moderate Muslims realize that parto their religion has been hijackedby political extremists and exploitedin regional conicts.
An open exchange o views isnot a threat to an open government
with a stable economic base. Citi-zens will turn to legitimate govern-ment outlets to address extremismin any orm.
The majority tends to bemoderate and orward-thinking inits views, a positive or the mainte-
nance o a stable government andan expanding economic base.
For numerous reasons, it is wise to enable access
to a variety o views and philosophies, religious
tenets and political intentions. In this way, peoplerecognize the options beore them.
Muslim radicalism and advocacy on the web
serves many positive purposes or progressive
governments in this region o the world.
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15/2015 www.digitaldaya.com
The Role o the U.S. InCreating Open Web Access
It is clearly in the best interests o Western dem-
ocratic states to encourage uncensored, unet-
tered access to the world wide web among Mus-
lim nations. And indeed, America recognizes that
it is in their countrys best interests to encourage
and acilitate uncensored access to the web as a
tool o engagement a means o reaching out to
Muslims in a non-military ashion or the benefto all parties and equally or Muslim citizenry to
engage their own governments.
The Western world must provide assistance in
spreading web use as a tool to support political
leaders and political advocacy groups exercising
open engagement. Oten these groups put orth
moderate platorms. They are supported by the
moderate middle class within Muslim countries
the very people the West must engage. However,
the U.S. and Western nations have only recently
recognized the value o providing the technology
blogging sotware, orum sotware, email clients,
VoIP services and other means o social interac-
tion to build support or moderate Muslim opin-
ion and, more importantly, engagement.
The West would be well advised to take a closer
look at the so-called radical agendas put orth
by some Muslim groups. The leaders o the West
will quickly discover that, by liting the sanctionson the export o web technology, these Western
states help themselves by aiding in the creation o
a moderate Islamic community opposed to the
radicalism o religious and quasi-military groupsthat also populate the web with their anti-West-
ern sentiment.
To this end, the U.S. Department o the Treasurys
Ofce o Foreign Assets Control, the OFAC,
amended licenses to acilitate web access in
countries deemed as hostile states to America.
The document addresses the Iranian Transaction
Regulations, the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations
and the long-established Cuban Assets Control
Regulations to strengthen access to web-based
assets within these countries, and to encourage
reedom o speech and dissemination o inorma-
tion to the widest audience world wide.
A spokesperson or the Treasury Department,
Deputy Secretary Neal Wolin, on the easing o
licensing restrictions in these three countries
stated:
Consistent with the Administrations deep com-
mitment to the universal rights o all the worlds
citizens, the issuance o these general licenses will
make it easier or individuals in Iran, Sudan and
Cuba to use the Internet to communicate with
each other and with the outside world. Todays
actions will enable Iranian, Sudanese and Cuban
citizens to exercise their most basic rights.
The essence o this easing o restrictions is in-
tended to authorize U.S. companies to exportto Iran, the Sudan and Cuba both services and
sotware to encourage the growth o personal
The Western world must provide
assistance in spreading web use as a
tool to support political leaders and
political advocacy groups exercising
open engagement.
8/9/2019 Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics
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communications using web resources including
browser sotware, blogging applications, email cli-
ents, instant messaging technology and chat unc-
tions that are routinely a part o Western busi-
ness and personal activities.
Deputy Secretary Wolin explained urther, As re-
cent events in Iran have shown, personal Internet-
based communications like email, instant messag-
ing and social networking are powerul tools. This
sotware will oster and support the ree ow o
inormation a basic human right or all Iranians.
At the same time, as we take these steps, the
[Obama] Administration will continue aggres-
sively to enorce existing sanctions and to work
with our international partners to increase thepressure on the Government o Iran to meet its
international obligations.
This news, while encouraging, still places the
implementation o web access squarely on the
shoulders o national leaders. Indeed, the U.S. has
reed up both the technology and methodology
to increase web access among all peoples. But to
go urther in attempting to orce national leaders
to grant access to web communications would be
seen as attempting to inuence internal activities
within sovereign nations.
While the easing o sanctions is certainly a posi-
tive step, the hard truth is that it does not go ar
enough. The West benefts through the exporta-
tion o web-based assets the tools needed to
engage moderate Muslims seeking a more en-
lightened approach to governance. And while the
liting o sanctions against Iran, the Sudan and Cu-
ban indicates a change in U.S. policy, more mustbe done.
The U.S., the de acto leader in the West (despite
its recent fnancial declines) must issue clear, un-
ambiguous statements presenting qualifed argu-
ments against censorship o web access among,
not just Muslims, but o all world communities.
Indeed, search engine powerhouse, Google, has
withdrawn rom engagement with China because
o perceived censorship on the part o the Chi-
nese government. The results o this pull-out will
be known in the uture, but at this stage we have
no frm data on the impact o Googles retreat.
However, Google is a public company, not a gov-
ernment agency and, thereore acts with dierent
motives and objectives than the national govern-
ments o Western nations. Google is a or-proft
company. It has shareholders to whom it must
answer. It must remain proftable while establish-ing policies that beneft the company and its own-
ership the millions o individuals, mutual unds,
pension plans and other fnancial entities that in-
vest in Google stock. The objectives o Google
may be seen as noble, advocating unettered ac-
cess to the web, but lets keep in mind that unet-
tered web access is the key to Googles success.
This is not necessarily the case with governments.
The U.S. government is not a or-proft entity. Its
objectives are dierent, and while pundits compareGoogles pull-out rom the Chinese search market
as evidence that the West wants open access to the
W3, its a alse analogy to compare the actions o
a publicly-held enterprise in the private sector and
the actions o state governments the U.S ederal
government, the governments that orm the EU and
other governments allied with Western belies.
The issue goes beyond censorship as political
opposition websites are becoming a primary tar-
get o hackers. This new phenomenon o deac-
ing dissident and opposition websites seems to
be spreading across the world in attempts to
suppress political activism. Even though it is not
always clear who is behind these cyber attacks,
threatened governments are being accused o
organizing campaigns as new means o cracking
down on oppositional activities online.
I we examine the activities on the highlighted
websites we discover people using the Web toexpress religious belies radical or otherwise,
to join orums that engender debate on oppos-
ing views, to act as citizen journalists publicizing
their points o view, and to call or reorm or ex-
press dissent towards established governments
and their policies. Any attempts to curtail this
platorm whether by the withholding o enabling
technology, acts o censorship, or organized cy-
ber attacks is much akin to ...prohibiting the ree
exercise o religion; or abridging the reedom o
speech, or o the press; or the right o the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Gov-
ernment or a redress o grievances.
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What is the U.S. to do when the World Wide
Web is likened to a platorm used to exercise
the First Amendment to the United States Con-
stitution, part o the Bill o Rights guaranteeing
civil liberties? The U.S. government has yet to take
a clear, frm stand on the issue o open access othe Web as a matter o oreign policy.
Critics o Americas covert operations in A-
ghanistan were quick to point out that despite
the stunning military victories against the Sovi-
et Union, not enough was done to manage the
peace. The War let the countrys civil and central
governance inrastructure decimated. With noorthcoming unds rom the U.S. Congress to re-
build the country in a new image, the blank slate
was quickly painted over by the Taliban covering
the country with a radical theocratic orm o gov-
ernance and anti-Western sentiments.
With a current online population o a quarter o
a billion Muslims and anticipating another 750 mil-
lion brothers and sisters to join them over the
next fve years, the Web is a tabula rasa that the
U.S. and the West can ill-aord to leave unattended.
People using the Web to express religious
belies radical or otherwise, to join orums
that engender debate on opposing views,
to act as citizen journalists publicizing their
points o view
The Future o the Web in the
Muslim World
Looking orward, the question becomes, will cur-
rent leadership in Muslim countries, and their in-
cumbents in waiting, show the political courage
to provide clear access to the world wide web
and the promise it holds.
The wave o undamentalism that has taken hold
in the Muslim world places a genuine stumbling
block on the road to the democratization o the
Middle East and the ar-ung Muslim world that
extends into the Far East and northward into
Russia. And U.S. inuence is o ambiguous value
under current conditions.
However, by taking the position o loosening
sanctions and authorizing the exportation o
web-based communications sotware, America
assumes a more benign posture in the view o
moderate Muslims.
Instead, the U.S. and Western democracies must
make clear that access to the Internet by Mus-
lims serves the internal best interests o all na-
tions. The West recognizes that the web is a toolo unity and organization, with numerous stud-
ies to support this position. The Greens in Iran,
the movement toward racial harmony currently
underway in Malaysia and the growth o the op-
position movement, put orth by Saad ElBaradei
in Egypt, clearly indicate that web access has
the ability to uniy schools o thought, especially
among a growing moderate middle class.
The uture o web communications in the Middle
East, and within the entire Muslim world, relies
on government leaders to recognize that this ac-
cessibility is sel-serving. Web access builds unity
o purpose and view, national pride, reedom o
speech and thought and engagement with new
ideas and new views.
Prudent leaders o Muslim countries who see the
value o engagement in building a strong base o
political legitimacy and government stability also
recognize that this solid base osters economicgrowth that leads to an expanding middle class,
made up o moderates. These leaders also rec-
ognize that it is in their own best interests to
Facebook: A Platorm or 21st Century PoliticsWinning Hearts and Minds on the World Wide Web
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Facebook: A Platorm or 21st Century PoliticsWinning Hearts and Minds on the World Wide Web
encourage the use o the web to acilitate open
communication with the West. This will grow na-
tional economies. This will encourage innovation,
application o new technology and a more expan-
sive view o the place o Islam in a world that is
moving at the speed o digital.
Government leaders must recognize the impor-
tance o a thriving, growing middle class a large
group o merchants, educators, business leaders,
fnanciers and innovators. These people comprise
the center that holds against the extremes, who
will make use o the world wide web as a tool o
propaganda and recruitment.
The Western democracies must take a role in
changing attitudes o leaders in the Middle East.
However, the role these democracies take must
be one o proactive acilitation providing the
means to access the web. The recent liting o
sanctions against the export o web assets to Iran
serve as an example o non-intrusive engagement
in the Middle East. The U.S. and its allies must not
appear to be attempting to change the cultural
values o the region or o Islam.
Government leaders who continue to control
and/or censor access to the web must recognize
the disservice this leadership does to both the
growth o the countrys economy and in the de-
velopment o an increasing number o stakehold-
ers that make up a strong middle class. These are
the people with something to lose to extrem-
ists. These are also the people with much to gain
through engagement with countries and tribes
outside the Muslim sphere o inuence.
Finally, changes must come switly. They must be
broad-based changes o perspective, values and
attitudes. The W3 has, indeed, created a global
economy. Limiting access to this vital communi-cations resource will only cause these countries
to all urther and urther behind the technology
curve.
The role o the world wide web in growing econ-
omies and providing stability among the governed
can not be denied. Theres ample evidence that
services like email, instant messaging, payment
gateways and social networking serve, not only
the interests o the people, these web assets
serve the interests o the government leaderswho hold power throughout the Muslim world.
Only through engagement with other countries,
other people, businesses and investment capital
will the economies o the Middle East grow be-
yond revenues derived rom natural resources,
primarily oil and gas. The web oers the oppor-
tunity to oster entrepreneurship, technological
innovation and access to inormation available no
where else.
Indeed, the uture o the Middle East and the
world-wide Muslim community can be bright.
With prudent Muslim leaders and active acilita-
tion o the West, the upcoming gathering o a bil-
lion Muslims on the World Wide Web can usher
in a storm o undamental reorms that will pro-
pel the Middle East orward.
The genie is out o the bottle and wise leaders
recognize that theres no way to get that genieback into the bottle.
The upcoming gathering o a billion
Muslims on the World Wide Web can
usher in a storm o undamental reorms
that will propel the Middle East orward.
8/9/2019 Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics
19/2019 www.digitaldaya.com
Facebook: A Platorm or 21st Century PoliticsWinning Hearts and Minds on the World Wide Web
Source: Facebook.com, Digital Daya
Intelligence Databases
Note: Representative sample
rom approximately 125 indentifedFacebook accounts. Applied criteria
require active accounts in above
political categories and over 1,000
COUNTRY POLITICAL LEADER FAN BASE FACEBOOK URL
Nation Building
Malaysia
Indonesia
1Malaysia
#IndonesiaUnite! Movement
50,000
480,000
http://www.acebook.com/group.php?gid=166361410463&v=ino
http://www.acebook.com/indonesiaunite?v=wall#!/indonesiaunite?v=wall
National Unity Campaigns
Egypt Muslim Brotherhood 1,700*http://www.acebook.com/pages/IkhwanWiki/245113582082
Theocratic Advocacy
China
India
Uyghur civil rights in China
Kashmiri separatists
1,000
1,100*
http://www.acebook.com/RebiyaKadeer#!/RebiyaKadeer?v=wall
Plight o Ethnic Minorities
Jordan
Iran
Qatar
Quen Rania
Zahra Rahnavard
HH Sheikha Mozah
175,000
43,000
26,000
http://www.acebook.com/QueenRania?v=wall
Muslim Women as Political
EgyptEgypt
UAE
Lebanon
Oman
Campaign or Mohamed ElBaradei
Campaign or Gamal Mubarak
HH Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Saad Hariri's March 14 Alliance
His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos Bin Said
225,000
18,000*
159,000
7,000
13,000http://www.acebook.com/pages/His-Majesty-Sultan-
Qaboos-Bin-Said-Al-Said/10537412805?v=wall
http://www.acebook.com/Sharek.eg#!/Sharek.eg?v=wall
http://www.acebook.com/HHSheikhMohammed
http://www.acebook.com/14march.org
http://www.acebook.com/group.
php?gid=123551066565&re=n
http://www.acebook.com/pages/Mirwaiz-Muhammad-Omar-Farooq/26638257972?v=ino
Zahras Facebook account
http://www.acebook.com/pages/HH-Sheikha-Mozah-Bint-Nasser-Al-Missned/10208116846
Political Campaigning
Pakistan
Libya
TurkeyIran
Iraq
Imran Khan or Next Prime Minister o Pakistan
Campaign or Sai al-Islam al-Qadhaf
Kemal Kldaroglu CHP
Iran's Green Movement
Ayad Allawi's "Iraq or every Iraqi"
77,000
4,500
190,000
127,000
6,300
http://www.acebook.com/mousavi
http://www.acebook.com/pages/Sai-al-Islam-al-
Gaddaf/10917256698?v=wall
http://www.acebook.com/pages/Imran-Khan/22596907359#!/pages/
Imran-Khan/22596907359?v=wall
http://www.acebook.com/pages/Kemal-
Kilicdaroglu/76599755300
http://www.acebook.com/pages/Ayad-
Allawi/186377731761?
Jordan 7iber Youth Movement 1,400 http://www.acebook.com/7iber
Youth Movements
ans. Additional major categories o
online activism include Human Rights
Advocacy not outlined here.
*Fan base totals rom multipleaccounts. Fan base is non-unique and
total may overstate size o an base.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=166361410463&v=infohttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=166361410463&v=infohttp://www.facebook.com/indonesiaunite?v=wall#!/indonesiaunite?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/indonesiaunite?v=wall#!/indonesiaunite?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/IkhwanWiki/245113582082http://www.facebook.com/pages/IkhwanWiki/245113582082http://www.facebook.com/RebiyaKadeer#!/RebiyaKadeer?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/RebiyaKadeer#!/RebiyaKadeer?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/QueenRania?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/Sharek.eg#!/Sharek.eg?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/Sharek.eg#!/Sharek.eg?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/14march.orghttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123551066565&ref=nfhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123551066565&ref=nfhttp://www.facebook.com/RebiyaKadeer#!/RebiyaKadeer?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/RebiyaKadeer#!/RebiyaKadeer?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/HH-Sheikha-Mozah-Bint-Nasser-Al-Missned/10208116846http://www.facebook.com/pages/HH-Sheikha-Mozah-Bint-Nasser-Al-Missned/10208116846http://www.facebook.com/mousavihttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Saif-al-Islam-al-Gaddafi/10917256698?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Saif-al-Islam-al-Gaddafi/10917256698?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Imran-Khan/22596907359#!/pages/Imran-Khan/22596907359?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Imran-Khan/22596907359#!/pages/Imran-Khan/22596907359?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Ayad-Allawi/186377731761?http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ayad-Allawi/186377731761?http://www.facebook.com/7iberhttp://www.facebook.com/7iberhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Ayad-Allawi/186377731761?http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ayad-Allawi/186377731761?http://www.facebook.com/pages/Imran-Khan/22596907359#!/pages/Imran-Khan/22596907359?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Imran-Khan/22596907359#!/pages/Imran-Khan/22596907359?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Saif-al-Islam-al-Gaddafi/10917256698?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Saif-al-Islam-al-Gaddafi/10917256698?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/mousavihttp://www.facebook.com/pages/HH-Sheikha-Mozah-Bint-Nasser-Al-Missned/10208116846http://www.facebook.com/pages/HH-Sheikha-Mozah-Bint-Nasser-Al-Missned/10208116846http://www.facebook.com/RebiyaKadeer#!/RebiyaKadeer?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/RebiyaKadeer#!/RebiyaKadeer?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123551066565&ref=nfhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123551066565&ref=nfhttp://www.facebook.com/14march.orghttp://www.facebook.com/Sharek.eg#!/Sharek.eg?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/Sharek.eg#!/Sharek.eg?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/QueenRania?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/QueenRania?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/RebiyaKadeer#!/RebiyaKadeer?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/RebiyaKadeer#!/RebiyaKadeer?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/IkhwanWiki/245113582082http://www.facebook.com/pages/IkhwanWiki/245113582082http://www.facebook.com/indonesiaunite?v=wall#!/indonesiaunite?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/indonesiaunite?v=wall#!/indonesiaunite?v=wallhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=166361410463&v=infohttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=166361410463&v=info8/9/2019 Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics
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