Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics

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


2/202 www.digitaldaya.com

The Internet and specifcally the 100so millions who are connected onlinethrough social networks, is defning21st Century politics.



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

Facebook: A Platorm or 21st Century PoliticsWinning Hearts and Minds on the World Wide Web



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.


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



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



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.

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.Mubarak



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.

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=nf



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

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=EN



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=wall



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



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.

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=en



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.

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=wall



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.

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/76599755300



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.




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.



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.




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





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.




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=info


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Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics