What Pakistanis Are Missing on Facebook

A week after the Lahore High Court ordered the ban of Facebook, I finally got the opportunity to see firsthand what is on the site.  I arrived in Afghanistan early this morning in preparation for the country’s peace jirga, and what I discovered on Facebook surprised me.

Via http://www.facebook.com/fightfirewithbeauty (Callligrapher @ deviantART)

I did a detailed search for the various spellings of the Prophet’s name and found seven groups in support of the controversial page that encouraged users to draw Muhammad.  A total of nearly 5,000 people had “Liked” the various pages.  On the other hand, there were almost double the number of groups in protest with more than 34,000 supporters.

In the spirit of full disclosure:  I did not individually check to see if people had “Liked” multiple groups or if each supporter was in fact a real live person (if you are so inclined and have the time, be my guest).  But I think it’s interesting that in its efforts to block the so-called “objectionable” pages on Facebook, the Pakistani government actually is blocking more pages that sympathize with its position.

The day before leaving Islamabad, I interviewed several young Pakistanis in the market about a variety of issues, including the Internet restrictions.  They were all very supportive of the Facebook ban and wanted the website to restrict any material that they considered offensive to Muslims.  However, they disagreed that YouTube should be totally banned because they said it had some good material on it.

Authorities unblocked YouTube this evening in Pakistan.  My colleagues there say they spoke earlier in the day with Wahaj-us-Siraj, a representative with the Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan.  He said he was surprised with the dramatic increase during the past week in user complaints about the restrictions on YouTube.

The popular video-sharing site is a prime example of the double-edged sword of the Internet.  For instance, you can view Koranic lessons on YouTube that explain and promote Islam as a religion of peace, or you can view the videos of Anwar al-Awlaki, the Yemeni American who preaches violence against Americans in the name of Islam.  Both sides are present for the user to decide on whether to watch or not.

I discussed that double-edged sword analogy with the young Pakistanis in the market.  I applied it to Facebook by telling them about a Karachi-based non-governmental organization that solicits donations of blood to help alleviate hospital shortages.  A representative with the group told VOA that they collect at least 6,000 units of blood each month.  The group uses Facebook because it is popular in Pakistan, and it provides a cheap form of advertising.  In fact, the group faced criticism for speaking publicly against the Facebook ban, saying people can use Facebook for noble pursuits and that an advertising alternative would take a long time and people need blood now.  My interviewees for the most part still strongly supported the Facebook ban, and one even said that the NGO in Karachi should find other online means to promote its cause.

In my searching of Facebook, I discovered a group that takes a different approach against “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day.”  The group is called “Everybody Draw Mohammad Day – May 20th, 2010:  The Response!!!,” and it boasted 807 supporters at the time of this posting.  The group advocates drawing the Prophet’s name in calligraphy, and its page description had this to say:

…I have no intention of boycotting Facebook on May the 20th. Instead I intend to do exactly what the title of the page says, and draw the Prophet… The Prophet’s name has always been a favourite for Islamic artists of any era, and it is my suggestion that if these people want to draw the Prophet, then let us give them what they want, but on our terms, using our art. And I suggest we one up them; we will draw the Prophet indeed; we will sketch his teachings on the canvas of our lives; and paint his pursuit for justice with common sense, logic and rationality. We will show the world just a glimmer of his persona, because whilst it is perhaps true that nothing will ever aspire to the true splendour of his nature, there is certainly no harm in trying. Let us indulge the whims of the ignorant, and at the same time find joy in the creation of beauty.

A non-Muslim friend of mine in the United States said that as an outsider looking in, it looks like the Pakistani government acted prematurely in issuing its blanket ban on Facebook.  She said she believed the government didn’t give people enough credit to make their own response, and in the end, missed out on an opportunity to see freedom of expression in action.  What do you think?