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Is Facebook a virtual public sphere? Understanding, confusions and contest among Religious and Liberals in Pakistan through the lens of the Facebook

!ummar"

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This study examines the Facebook role as an emerging virtual public sphere of Pakistan. A sphere in which, contest and deliberations of ideas occur among two very segments of the population: religious and liberals. ven though they pole apart at opposite extremes but still their coexistence and pursuit of consensus is achievable through a rational, critical discussion in an autonomous public sphere. The current study contribute in two!folds: first it present an argument in favor of Facebook as an emerging virtual public sphere, and second highlights the Facebook significance to understand contest of ideas among socio!religious segmented population of Pakistan. The polari"ation and segmentation of Pakistani public has historical importance and it is rooted in the ideology of Pakistan. After the proliferation of #nternet and social media, the magnitude and visibility of these contests have extended directly into the lives of the masses. xposing to and involving them in these contemporary debates. #nvolvement of ordinary public is redefining the $ualities and changing the boundaries of this virtual public sphere. # attempt to analy"e the degree of participation and impact of this debate on ordinary public. At the same time, try to examine, how public participation effect on two segments and on the discourse% &oth folds are intertwined with each other and their mutual connectivity support to pave the ground for this study. 'sing Facebook as an ob(ect and lens for this study not only expands and increase the richness of the study but also offers a methodological approach to grasp firsthand knowledge on other contemporary issues of Pakistan)s public sphere. *ew millennium brought several challenges for the country. +espite various internal and external issues, first time Pakistan)s public witnessed blessing of, free electronic media, #ncreasing urbani"ation, and most importantly, involvement of vast public in the consumption of global information through #nternet. The low!cost of hardware, ease of web -.. and seamless access has allowed the rise of internet and social media use in private and public life of masses. #nternet contributes in the public awareness on common issues and intensifies free debate and discussion, helps in the creation of an emerging public sphere. The recent online discussion on Facebook among two segments of population on the contemporary political!#slamic issues, dealing with local Taliban, blasphemy law and role of religion in politics, demonstrates the significance and importance of the virtual public sphere. The impact and penetration of this virtual sphere in life!world and system!world is self evident, amplification of public voice, participation of women, students in politics and public opinion reshaping are some of many. The

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dominance of orthodox religious clergy in public space, inade$uacy of political sphere to engage public in a critical rationale debate and commerciali"e composition of the electronic media exemplify the weakness of the Pakistan)s public sphere and public discourse in it. /onsidering these factors in mind, my claim about virtual public sphere is more relevant and (ustified. 0nly online environment is best place to examine an autonomous public sphere, which offers an open space, transgressing from the religious and political authoritarian boundaries. #t includes and facilitates marginali"ed public for rational, democratic and sometime agonistic discussion to form an opinion on contemporary issues. #n spite of the fact that, this virtual public sphere is a locus of rational debate on the common good, but at the same time, these rationales create confusion and contest among participants on the basis of their socio!religious background, information, ideas and doctrines.

Key words:
1irtual Public 2phere, Polari"ation, 2egment, #slam, Pakistan, Facebook, 3eligious, 4iberal

/ontent list

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1. Introduction555555555555555555555555555.6 6.6. &ackground55555555555555555555555555....6.-. 7istorical and Theoretical Point of +eparture5555555555555...8 6.9. 3esearch 0b(ectives55555555555555555..555555.: 6.8. 3esearch ;uestions55555555555555555555555....6. 2. Theoretical Background5555555555555555555555.69 -.6. The Public 2phere From &ourgeois /offee 7ouse to 1irtual /af<55555...68 -.-. Functions and /haracteristics of Public 2phere5555555555555.6= -.9. 3eligion in Public 2phere555555555555555555555...6> -.8. Private and Public 2phere555555555555555555555...6: -.=. nlightenment, ?odernity, 2ecularism and Post 2ecularism..5555555...-. 3. LiteratureReview555555555555555555555555. 9.6. Previous 3esearch on #nternet and Public 2phere555555555555. 9.-. Previous 3esearch on Pakistani Public 2phere5555555555555.. 4. ra!ing ace"ook as #irtual $u"lic %&here55555555555555 8.6. Facebook, *etwork of Friends to Transnational Public 2phere5555555. 8.-. Alternative Public 2pheres555555555555555555555.. 8.9. #nternet as Public 2phere55555555555555555555555 -= 8.8. @eb -.. and Facebook55555555555555555555555... -A 8.=. 0ptimisticB Pessimistic 1iews55555555555555555555.... -> 8.=.6. Access55555555555555555555555555555.. 9. 8.=.-. /onfidentiality5555555555.5555555555555555 98.=.9. Freedom5555555555555555.555555555555.. 98 8.A. /haracteristics of the 1irtual Public 2phere555.555555555555.. 9A '. (nderstanding Li"eral and Religious $olari)ation 555555555555....9> =.6. #slam and Pakistan5555555555555555555555555. =.-. +ebate on 2eparation of 3eligion and Politics55555555555555. =.9. Politics of 3eligion5555555555555555555555555.. =.8. 3eligious classes C?oderatesD, C xtremistsD and 2ilent population5555555 =.=. 4iberals as 3adicals vi" vs55555555555555555555555. =.A. 3eligious Tolerance55555555555555555555555555. *. Research +ethods5555555555555555555555555555.. A.6 ?ethodology.........................................................................................................................

Introduction

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The aim of this study is to examine the segmentation of the Pakistan)s public sphere from the perspective of the Ccommon goodD debate on two Facebook pages Roshni and Khudi. # am trying to investigate virtual public sphere within the domain of politics and religion from the angle of contesting ideas. 7owever, my special emphasis is being placed on the analysis of socio! religious segmentation and polari"ation of the participants in public sphere. As studied by Ali &, E F-.6-G CThe public sphere in Pakistan has been faced with a virulent socio!religious polari"ation!! two segments of the population, one apparently HradicalH and HreligiousH and the other presumably HliberalH and HsecularH. 2uch rivalry has created contentious divisions along numerous, cross!cutting cleavages in which HreligionH has again and again proven to be the primary fault lineD. # am trying to use Facebook as an ob(ect and lens of this study to understand polari"ation and concerning debate in virtual public sphere among religious and liberals of Pakistan. /hapter 6 is about general introduction including, research $uestions and research ob(ectives. The introduction chapter also highlights the current and historical importance of this study. /hapter and 9 sketch the theoretical and historical grounds from previous studies and theories respectively on C'nderstanding Pakistani Public 2phereD and CFraming of Facebook as Public 2phereD. The next two chapters deal with research methodology, data gathering, results, discussion and last but not the least conclusion. # try to approach the problem by primary data gathering, and by analy"ing the content and through $uantitative demographic data. #n last chapter # discuss 2ince its independence in 6:8I from the &ritish colonial system, Pakistan has been facing various ideological and contemporary challenges, along with lack of democracy and religious extremism F7a$$ani, and 7aider, -.6., Abbas, -..=G. The ongoing debate over the issues of blasphemy law, interpretation of religious issues like, holly war J Jihad and religion role in politics have been highlighting the polari"ation of the Pakistan)s public, political and media spheres. The pertaining discussion and debate on Facebook regarding above issues brings forth the possible role of Facebook as an emerging virtual public sphere of Pakistan. That offers and facilitates virtual space beyond imagination to think, critici"e and discuss on the issues of the common good. #t attributes a surprising amount of agency and superlative autonomy, which unshackles an individual from conventional pressures and at the same time liberate mass public from the restrictions imposed by religious elite and authoritarian regime in a physical space.

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Background
The idea of this study is to take diversity of Pakistani public as a departure point. @hat ;adeer, A F-..=G
noted as difference among population in regard of life style, linguistic, ethnic and cultural orientation.

# am further

extending his argument that these differences create diversity of socio!religious classes and thinking. 3oy, 0. F6::AG defines this as Cthe birth of new social classes, and the advent of contemporary ideologiesD. #n an optimistic perspective, these differences built rich and beautiful mosaic of the population but from the other perspective, these differences create agonistic confrontation among socio!religiously divided classes. For now, # conceptuali"e Pakistani public sphereKsL as consisting of multiple
variations and counter public spheres involving several issues.

7abermas F6::-G defines in his later work

on the public sphere CA different picture emerges if from the very beginning one admits the coexistence of competing public spheres and takes account of the dynamics of those processes of communication!! That are excluded from the dominant public sphereD. 7owever, Pakistani public is
more homocentric on the religion thus religion is overlapped on all spheres of life and system!world. 3eligion is always the central and most important topic which governs the debate and discussion in public sphere. 3eligion has an enormous

influence on all discourses in the public sphere. # am not designating this virtual ickelman and Mon @.

public sphere as a C?uslim public sphereD in a sense, as +ale F.

Anderson F-..9G identified, but there scholarly work has provided stand point to understand about notion of an emerging public sphere. C2ituated outside formal state control, this!! public sphere exists at the intersections of religious, political and social life. Facilitated by the proliferation of media in the modern world, the ?uslim public can challenge or limit the state and conventional religious authorities and contribute to the creation of a civil societyD. The official religion of #slamic 3epublic of Pakistan is #slam. About :I percent of population is ?uslim. ?ore than half of the population lives in rural areas with higher poverty percentage. #slam provided the basis for creation of an independent country to the scattered ?uslims in &ritish!#ndia. According to CTwo nation theoryD ?uslims and 7indus are two different nations who have had their own culture, traditions, customs, language and life style different from each other. Mohn 4. sposito F-..6G explains, Pakistan movement leaders endorsed the #slamic nationalism call for separate ?uslim homeland. C#slamic nationalism was supposed to unite!! ?uslims in a county that was in fact!a composite of diverse linguistic, ethnic and regional

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cultural identities B communities and whose two wings F@est and ast PakistanG were separated by more than a thousand miles of #ndian Territory. PakistanHs ?uslim nationalism was rooted in an appeal to a common ?uslim heritage and call for a ?uslim homeland, its meaning Fthe relationship of #slam to the stateG has been as diverse as its populationD. #slam might prove as combining force in the case of the creation of Pakistan but after the secession of ast Pakistan as an independent country &angladesh proved this ideology false. Fsee /oakley, -..9, &hargava 3, -..=G. The embeddedness and symbolic presence of #slam in public life, political space, at town s$uare, rallies,
public gatherings and on the national, local and now in social media landscape make it more visible.

#slam

influences every sphere of private and public life. According to arnst Nellner F6::6G modern industrial and scientific society erodes religious beliefs!! the political and psychological impact of religion has diminished. #slam!! is a very striking and total exception to this.!! the hold of #slam over itsH believers is as strong, and in some ways stronger, now than it was hundred years ago. The rise of #nternet and ease of web -.. blurs the boundaries between private and public. 2imilarly, #n case of
Facebook, formerly launched by college students, for internal communication now have more then billion users around the globe. As mentioned in its mission statement C Facebook)s

mission is to give people the power

to share and make the world more open and connected. People!! discover what)s going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.D The involvement of vast population of the globe
emerged the Facebook into an arena of debate and contest for seeking common good. The concept of public sphere is being extended and penetrated deep in our personal and private life since emergence of social media. 2ocial media sites are no more considered as personal social networks but providing and facilitating, platforms to communicate, promote campaigns and coordinate actions. As

4ance &ennett F-.6-G discuss about digitally mediated

public issues CThey share stories about their activities by posting videos on OouTube and photos on Flickr or on *N0 websites. They move together or apart on and off line, sometimes reaching consensus on common issues, and sometimes debating the best issue frame or political strategyD.

,i! o- the %tudy

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idea of functional public sphere. #n Pakistan)s political history, there are only some (unctures where public opinion has truly altered the political landscape, one of them is former chief (ustice of Pakistan restoration through nonviolent campaign and civic activism. According to Ahmed, E. and 2tephan, ?. F-.6.G CPoor governance, fear of regime repression and terrorist violence are barriers to effective civic activism inside Pakistan. Oet!! a massive grassroots campaign led by lawyers!! whose insistence on the rule of law and embrace of nonviolent struggle captured the hearts and minds of millions of Pakistanis, helped transform the countryHs political landscape in unexpected ways!! the lawyersH movement highlights the steadily growing strength of Pakistani civil society have a potential to influence democratic change in the countryD. Political consciousness of civil society is being growing in the country but Pakistan)s public sphere was never been considered as functional and influential in regard of participation and e$uality among public. @hat * Fraser F6::.G called in her post bourgeois public sphere work Cweak and strong public spheresD. The lack of public participation in Ccommon goodD debate is due to several reasons, one of them is, prohibiting freedom of speech and expression in larger public, imposed by authoritarian rulers and by their eternal ally Creligious eliteD that not only reassures but extends this to sub(ugate the freedom of thinking. 3obert Talisse F-.66G more specifically talks about Cliberty of consciousnessD in his study on faith and democracy. The religious elite alliance with military has transformed Pakistan from possible democratic social state to security state and it is the irony of today)s Pakistan. The same religious elite and clergies are biggest stack holders now in the politics of country that never supported the idea of Pakistan. Perhaps they consider entire #ndian region as ?uslim heritage. Nha"ali F6::AG defines CPakistan struggle leadership came almost entirely from the @estern!educated ?uslim professionals. The 'lema remained, by and large, hostile to the idea of a ?uslim national stateD 7ere, # would add and explain *igel /rook F-.6.G notion of knowledge channeling Celites seek to control and channel knowledge, but also manipulate the ability of people to reason and criti$ueD. 0n one side, weak and paraly"ed civilian governments, fre$uent interventions from military and civil establishment in politics resulting week democratic institutions, feudalism and ine$uality in political process created an environment where, freedom of expression and speech has been excluded from the public sphere. Further, restrictions on free press, state control electronic media, long life prisons and torture to labor union leaders, opinion makers, politicians,

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public intellectuals, (ournalists and poets had created almost suffocating degree of restriction for citi"ens to explicitly participate in public sphere. 0n the other side, domination of religious elite and clergy in public space, radical religious imprints on socio!cultural public life, symboli"ing religion as universal solution to all contemporary issues abandon the process of critical!thinking and reasoning from larger public. As study by +ietrich Mung F-.66G CThe ?uslim religion is represented as a holistic unity of social, political, cultural and economic institutions. #slam, according to their reading, is more than (ust a religion, #slam is a comprehensive, uni$ue and unifying way of lifeD. Above mentioned issues are prime reason for the week public sphere and its lack of influence on the public and as well on the authority in Pakistan. Taking above mentioned problems in mind, # argue that Although Facebook, is in infancy in Pakistan but still capable of, and facilitates virtual space beyond imagination to think, critici"e and discuss on the issues of the common good. #t attributes a surprising amount of agency far superlative, which unshackles an individual from conventional family and peer pressure and at the same time liberate mass public from restrictions imposed by religious elite and authoritarian regime in a physical space.

The en$uiry about ace"ook role as virtual &u"lic s&here is one of the "asic goal of this study. #t is important to consider and contrast the o&ti!istic and &essi!istic views about #nternet role in the perspective of the public sphere, Firstly, on the $uestion of, #nternet and social media, Facebook, Twitter and OouTube as public sphere% 2econdly, $uestion about its definition and placing in or outside the public sphere% As T 0blak F-..9G observes CThese ideas could be broadly divided into two parts on the one side there are arguments that the new electronic public 2phere is merely a supplement to the conventional public sphere F&uchstein 6::I, 7ague and 4oader 6:::, @ilhelm -...G. @hile on the other hand it was argued that this was a radically new and different version of the public sphere F3oster and Pnapp 6::IG.D # start with a short overview of discussions with pessimistic views about role of #/T and #nternet in political public life. According to +ean, M F-..-, -..9G claims in his study on democracy under the conditions of JTechnoculture), Cthe notion of the public sphere is not only inapplicable to the #nternet, but also and more importantly, it damages the practices of democracy under conditions of contemporary technocultureQan extension of capitalismD. +ean further

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$uestioned about #nternet present drift from its earlier days rhetoric of free information, universal access and virtual democracy but also he support the ?anuel /astells) theory of capitalism in the networked society. 7e refers it as Ccommunicative capitalismD. For some extent, # am in agreement with +ean on ?anuell capitalism of network theory. 3ecent *2A Mohn 2nodon case highlights the level of vigillence and supervision by authorities on every Csome how media connected humanD but for #nternet promises # believe internet is proving more than what was anticipated in early days of the internet. 2econdly, $uestion about its definition and placing in or outside the public sphere% #t is crucial to know and define the characteristics and functions of public sphere. The ideal 7abermas) public sphere and its continuous transformation must be taken into consideration. 0nce, the characteristics and function of #deal public sphere are defined than # try to compare and contrast with what # am arguing about Facebook as virtual sphere. # open my argument with the seamless hori"ontal access character of the #nternet among Clife worldD or public, one of the most important characteristic of effective public sphere. #nternet provides opportunity and fulfills the demand of hori"ontal function of the public sphere to communicate and interact in not only to national but transnational public. Cthe arrival of unlimited bandwidth in which the roles of sender and receiver blur, in which we would be able to communicate with unprecedented freedom along both hori"ontal and vertical axes Fciti"en!to!citi"en and citi"en!to!institutionG F7abermas democracy and public sphereG.0n one hand vertical characteristics of the public sphere challenge the absolutism of Csystem!worldD the authority to confine its powers within provided limit. 0n the other hand, hori"ontal characteristics facilitating space for contest of ideas among the public. Public push and pull each other to form an opinion on common good for the society. According to K2alvatore R 4e 1ine ch.6, this volumeL The public sphere is the site where contests take place over the definition of the obligations, rights and especially notions of (ustice that members of society re$uire for the common good to be reali"edD.

Interweaving Two olds

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&efore proceeding deeper in the study, # feel it is necessary to discuss my selection of the topic and preference to Facebook as an ob(ect and lens to study Pakistan)s public sphere regarding religious and liberal divide. @hat is the mutual relation of the above two folds% First, my selection of the topic is not accidental. # am member of an extended family, living far from my home country, friends and family, but always have feeling of CconnectednessD with them by #nternet specially Facebook and 2kype. These sites provide facility to communicate and share information and media as well. #t is worth mention here, on my Facebook page where # suppose to see my family)s and friend)s personal information, pictures and videos beside that, they share news and information from popular sites about common issues concerning general public. 2econd, Niving preference to Facebook over other #nternet genres for example, blogs, video sharing, and other social media sites to study public sphere is not random. 7ere, # argue about my selection in briefly but later in a separate chapter. @here, # discuss in detail about framing Facebook as virtual public sphere. The level of social media penetration in personal and public life is enormous. #n terms of the number of active users, social networking sites have tremendous influence. Facebook alone has =.. million Fas of Muly -.6.G active users globally. #n Asia, it is fast becoming one of the region)s leading social networks. /urrently it has =:.A million users in the region. Pakistan has 6,>.9,>A. Facebook users.