Muslims discuss issues on Facebook

Muslims are using Facebook to protest stereotypes and government practices.

By Gretchen Mahan

Published Oct. 20, 2008

Amid tension in the Middle East, Muslims across the world are trying to dissolve stereotypes and promote tolerance through Facebook.

Earlier this year, Egyptian security forces arrested Esraa Abdel Fattah for creating a Facebook group that called for the organization of strikes in opposition to inflation on April 6.

In response, one of her friends, Mohamed Zaki Elsheemi, formed a group made of nearly 5,460 members demanding her release.

Three weeks later, after both domestic and international pressure, security forces released Fattah.

Elsheemi, who is now an engineer in Cairo, continues to use the Internet as a means of promoting his political and religious ideals.

Elsheemi is the administrator of the group "Yeah, We are Seculars and We are Proud," which is composed of mainly Egyptians but is open to everyone. Elsheemi estimated that about 70 percent of the members are under the age of 30.

According to a translation of the site from Arabic to English by Zaid Mahir, an MU graduate teaching assistant of Arabic, the site stated the group's members believe in the civil state, as opposed to a military state. The group believes in citizenship that, when translated literally to English, is a sense of belonging to a nation. The site stated the group also believes in equality, freedom and separation of religion and state.

The discussion topics on the site include topics such as "Secular Thought is the Solution" and "Oil Addiction."

The members realize that speaking out about their beliefs can be dangerous.

Mohammed Abd El Hai, another administrator of the group who lives in Cairo, said in an e-mail that he has been threatened on several occasions. One e-mail he received contained a threat that said if El Hai did not remove the group he created called "We Refuse the Muslim Brotherhood," he would be killed.

Elsheemi said members of the group have also been called infidels and non-believers.

MU geography professor Joseph Hobbs said public secular speech is not common in primarily Muslim nations.

The trend, he said, has been toward more conservative Islam, which means that social norms in those countries have tended to embrace more traditional values.

"There has been a very strong re-embracing of Islam on all levels of society," Hobbs said.

The site's administrators said the secular Web site does not censor conversation, regardless of religious stances of those who post to the site.

"If some are not tolerant, we mainly don't do anything as our message is to make them discuss and think," Elsheemi said; but if a serious threat is made, the administrators will discuss banning that member from the group.

The Muslim Student Organization at MU also uses Facebook as a means of communication to spread the word about their events.

"I think it is really good for interacting and speaking out, but you have to have the original conviction in your faith before the Internet does that much," MSO spokeswoman Hend El-Buri said.

Through these types of forums, Hobbs said, Muslims are able to dispel stereotypes and feel more comfortable with their beliefs.

"If you look at the Muslim women in Columbia, most of them proudly wear hijabs now," Hobbs said in reference to the head scarves worn by Muslim women.

El-Buri also said tolerance is an important part of her beliefs. While she may disagree with someone, that does not give her the right to judge, she said.

"Even in our holy book, the Koran, there is no coercion of religion," she said. "God is the only one who can judge anybody."

The MSO also sponsors events such as the Fast-a-thon and Islam Awareness Week in the spring semester, which provide forums for people to discuss their beliefs.