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Social Media, Arab Spring and its Implications for Pakistan

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European Journal of Scientific Research
ISSN 1450-216X / 1450-202X Vol. 123 No 4 June, 2014, pp.396-403
http://www.europeanjournalofscientificresearch.com

Social Media, Arab Spring and its Implications for Pakistan

Aqeela Asif
Assistant Professor Department of Humanities
COMSATS Institute of Information Technology Islamabad, Pakistan
E-mail: aasif@comsats.edu.pk
Tel: 0092 312 984 12 25

Musab Yousufi
International Islamic University Islamabad
Pakistan Faculty of Social Sciences
E-mail: musab_yousufi@live.com

Abstract

Social media and modern communication facilities has strong effect on the behavior
of people and plays important role in the construction and destruction of any society.
Therefore it also changes socio-political setup of the developing societies, such as political
transformations taken place in Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The research
discusses the role of social media for change in MENA and especially in Egypt or Arab
Spring. This research study focuses on the sociopolitical changes, taken place in Egypt
during the period June 2010 - June 2013 and its implications on Pakistan. A political move
such as one similar to Egypt was initiated in Pakistan but could not succeed. An analysis in
this research highlights the few similarities and several differences between the situations
in MENA countries particularly Egypt. The research study is qualitative and contains
analysis of existing literature and some practical issues occurred during the recent past era
in Middle East.

1. Introduction
Social media and modern communication facilities have changed the socio-political setup of the
developing societies, such as political transformations taken place in Middle East and North Africa
(MENA). Social media including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, email, internet, use of mobile phones
and SMS played key role in spreading troublesome news and material in unrestrained manner. The
impact of mass communication through cyber bears on social movements which transformed social
problems into political moves and they stimulated current socio-political changes in MENA. This
research study focuses on the socio-political changes, taken place in Egypt during the period June 2010
- June 2013 and its implications on Pakistan. A political move such as one similar to Egypt has been
initiated here but could not succeed. An analysis in this research highlights the few similarities and
several dissimilarities between the situations in MENA region, particularly Egypt. There is very large
number of mobile phone and social media users in Pakistan. Pakistan shares strong cultural, political,
religious and social ties with MENA region and sufficient facilities and access to social media.
According to Tirmizi1(2012):

1
Tirmizi, Farooq : “Young, urban, affluent: a profile of the average social media user,” 2012.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/441325/young-urban-affluent-a-profile-of-the-average-social-media-user/ : Accessed on
September 24, 2012
Social Media, Arab Spring and its Implications for Pakistan 397

“Facebook, which has 6.4 million users in the country out of a global total of
close to 900 million.There are 1.9 million and 1.2 million users of Twitter and LinkedIn
have in Pakistan respectively.”
In MENA uprisings took place very rapidly due to socio-political problems as expressed by
Murshed2 (2013) that:
“Where mass uprisings were characterized as the Arab Spring over the past one
year or so.Distinct factors have been dictatorial regimes, corruption, and lack of basic
freedoms in the Arab Spring countries”.

1.1. Arab Spring

On Dec 17, 2010, a 26 years old Muhammad Bouazizi3 set himself into fire in front of the office of
Governor in Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia. He had been selling fruits in a busy market where he
was forced to give bribe to police. M. Bouazizi protested and determined not to give him bribe.
Policeman slapped on his face and Bouazizi’s match stick blazed up the whole region of MENA.
Protests started in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria etc. The
protests remained at low scale in Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait whilst Bahrain, Yemen and
Syria have been largely affected in the Middle Eastern region.

1.2. Relation between Arab Spring and Pakistan

In Pakistan, public is facing the problems of poverty, unemployment, social discrimination, inflation,
load shedding, power issues and other hardships like developing countries of MENA region4.
Pakistan have traditional links with the MENA region, therefore, the recent Arab Spring has
considerable influence on Pakistan. However there are many other factors which are making Pakistan’s
case different from MENA such as Pakistan has a democracy in the country. The democracy in its form
is not an ideal but system is in place. The people have participated in the political procedures in the
past and have the right to choose their governments. Pakistan has also witnessed movements on a large
scale, such as the lawyer’s movement. In addition frequent strikes against electricity and gas shortage
including other issues, but nature and intensity was entirely incomparable with so called MENA Arab
Spring. What developed into the ‘Arab Spring’ led to the rapid downfall of the Ben Ali and Mubarak
regimes in Tunisia and Egypt and intensified mass opposition to the regimes in Libya, Bahrain, Syria
and Yemen. It also exposed the baseless social support behind longstanding authoritarian rulers, and
their trust on the use of force and the culture of threat. This study will cover MENA region in general
and scope of this research will limited to Egypt.
This study will look into the various aspects of rapid socio-political changes brought about by
the use of social media in MENA empirically; particularly Egypt and its comparison with Pakistan;
having common values and culture. The socio-political changes in MENA were not long lasting
therefore research shall explore the reasons and factors behind this phenomena. The study will
establish; the socio-political developments brought about by social media, termed by mass media
(especially western TV channels) as ‘Arab Spring’, are otherwise. But that cooperation and help of TV
channels was only up to revolution but when the Muslim Brotherhood came into power and in
government than the media and especially electronic media or TV channels supported pro American
agenda and still now which do not show the neutrality of electronic media or TV channels.
Study will focus on the problem that changes in MENA are really fulfilling the revolutionary’s
objective such as to establish democratic setups? It will also look into the developing societies where

2
Murshed, Zubair : “Egypt, Arab Spring and new politics”, 2013
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/07/12/comment/columns/egypt-arab-spring-and-new-politics/: Accessed on
Friday, July 12, 2013.
3
Wikipedia: “Mohamed Bouazizi”, 2010, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Bouazizi: Accessed on 21
September 2013.
4
Sayed, Maria, “Prospects of Arab Spring in Pakistan”, IPRI Journal XII, no.2 (Summer 2012), pp. 153-159
398 Aqeela Asif and Musab Yousufi

democratic systems are not perfectly in practice but social media is open for public. The research will
adapt a scientific comparative analysis on the effects of social media on MENA and Pakistan.
Following research questions have been formulated for the study:
1. Why the socio-political systems of developing societies have been eroded with the
advancement of cyber communication systems?
2. Why uncontrolled social media, print & electronic media, internet, and mobile phones
effecting socio-political set up of the developing societies?
3. Why the rise of Arab Spring challenges and weakens the local, regional and international
politics?
4. How this advancement in cyber and mass communication technology affects authoritarian
rule in developing and emerging democratic societies?

2. Theoretical Framework
Two theories applied on the research to understand the whole scenario, one is Youth Bulge Theory and
Theory of Social Change and other is Neo-Realism. The theories is briefly discuss below:

Youth Bulge Theory and Theory of Social Change

These theories reflects, Pro-US factor in MENA such as support of Saudi Arab and UAE and clash
between pro and anti US factor in MENA and Pakistan. Youth of MENA region and Pakistan in both
cases there are having few common and many different factors with the reference of cyber
advancement and use of modern communication systems. These are also responsible for socio-political
change among developing societies in general and among Muslim societies in particular.

Neo-Realism
Theory of neo-realism will be applied to understand the structure of current situation of the world
which is anarchic especially with the reference of Arab Spring. Secondly, there is no cooperation and
control in State’s institutions and socio-political setups therefore international organizations such as
OIC & regional organizations cannot play any positive role in MENA.

3. Methodology
This research will be based on content analysis. This research will be qualitative, descriptive and
analytical in nature. Deductive methodology will be used to organize the data. Data compiled from
secondary and tertiary sources will be analyzed and a correlation will be developed between the use of
social media and the organization of mass protests. There are lots of evidences to show that social
media tools directly helped with organization of protests and demonstrations that forced leaders to
either step down or start reforms. Social media tools spread news about these revolutions not only in
MENA region but also across the world; purpose to promote the activists which in turn assisted global
support for their cause. In Pakistan, difference of social and political setup, historical background and
available evidences are proving that Arab Spring’s effect is no match with the people of Pakistan.

4. Literature Review
4.1. Arab Spring and Response of World
It is very important to understand the background of MENA region for the explanation of the recent
socio-political developments and to comprehend the effect of social and cyber means of
Social Media, Arab Spring and its Implications for Pakistan 399

communications. Worth5 (2011) expressed that the protests which sparked the 2011 civil uprisings
originated in North Africa following the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia in
December 2010. In this regard Kareem6 (2011) writes “It was like we were colonized”. Moreover, it
exposed that the old, ‘authoritarian regimes’ manifest failure to manage or meet the demands of
younger generation in a rapidly changing global economy. Similarly, President of the European
Parliament, Buzek7 (2011) pointed out that:
"The historical events also remind us of our responsibilities, including the need
to support an emerging, young and vibrant civil society."
These foster the perception among youth that no meaningful change is possible within existing
political systems. Countries across North Africa and Middle East are passing through a period of
transition on the road to development and change. Jabbar8 (1999) described that:
“Information technology took the world further and deeper into the crisis more
quickly and more effectively than previous experience in history.”
Another aspect of this phenomenon is narrated by Philip, Howard and Hussain9 (2013) that it
has been 15 years since the last “wave” of democratization. Between 1989 and 1995, many remnants of
the Soviet Union and failed authoritarian regimes in other parts of the world turned themselves into
variously functional electoral democracies. Perception of Western Countries regarding Arab Spring
highlighted by Nasr10 (2013):
“The Obama administration has neither come up with a strategy for capitalizing
on the opportunity that the Arab Spring presented nor adequately prepared for potential
fallout in the form of regional rivalry, the explosion of sectarian tensions, and deep-
rooted economic crises.”
Youth of MENA requires new political and social vision to achieve their goals. In this regard,
role of quality leadership, institutions, civil society, public opinion and policy makers are very
important. Therefore, cooperation among countries in MENA region is vital at all levels with focus on
reforms progression, networking of policies, promotion of quality leadership and strategic planning.
The wave of ‘protest politics’ started which speeded up forces of global change and it played a
substantial role in rising and directing the fundamental drivers of political change. As Ulrichsen11
(2013) said that:
“The size and contagious overspill of the Arab Spring has distinguished the civil
uprisings from other expressions of discontent, and demonstrated the magnitude of the
socio-economic and political challenges facing the region.”

4.2. Arab Spring to Authoritarianism and Role of Social Media

These days’ authoritarian regimes in world take their Facebook and Twitter policies seriously. But
shortly, another wave of violent movement started in Egypt when President Mohamed Morsi was

5
Worth, Robert R, "How a Single Match Can Ignite a Revolution" New York Times, January 21, 2011.
6
Kareem, Fahim, “Slap to a Man’s Pride Set Off Tumult in Tunisia” New York Times, January 21, 2011.
7
Buzek, Jerzy, President, Speech in European Parliament at the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought Award
Ceremony 2011.
http://www.sitepres.europarl.europa.eu/president/en/press/speeches/sp-2011/sp-2011-December/speeches-2011-
December-3.html : Accessed on September 20, 2013.
8
Jabbar, Javeed, “The Global City: perspectives (1983-98) on how media and Communication have shaped our new
living space”, Royal book company, Pakistan, 1999. Pg.84
9
Philip, N. Howard , Muzammil M. Hussain, “Democracy's Fourth Wave?: Digital Media and the Arab Spring”,
Oxford University Press, USA, 2013
10
Nasr, Vali, “The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat”, New York, USA, 2013, pg.159
11
Ulrichsen, Kristian Coates. The World Financial Review: “The Political Transformation of the Middle East and North
Africa”, http://www.worldfinancialreview.com/?p=523, 2011, Accessed on September 14, 2013.
400 Aqeela Asif and Musab Yousufi

thrown from the power by military as: Egypt, Arab Spring and new politics as BBC 12 (2013) reported
that only after a year into presidency, the government of Egypt’s first elected President Mohamed
Morsi has been brought down by a popular uprising and the use of military power.
Now the question is what is America’s interest in the Middle East and North Africa? As it stated by
Nasr 13(2013):
“Obama’s June 2009 Cairo speech impressed Muslims with its call on Israel to
halt the building of settlements in the West Bank. In 2011, he made a similarly
provocative call on Israel to agree to return to its 1967 borders (with mutually agreed
swaps of territory with Palestinians). But the Muslim world was wrong to assume that
these exhortations signaled a readiness on Obama’s part to roll up his sleeves and help
fix problem. In fact, “nowhere in Obama’s foreign policy has the gap been wider
between promise and delivery”.
In the same book, the writer quotes the example of Egypt he writes14:
“America would have liked to see Egypt’s Facebook generation-young,
technologically savvy, and relatively liberal- inherits Egypt, but they have no
organization to sustain their political drive or charismatic leader to guide them.”
So, Arab Spring seems to be a wave of political wakefulness in MENA it is not ‘spring’ it is
actually ‘democratic phase of ‘autumn’ and it appears to be converted into burning summer of
bloodshed. There may be the coldness of winter in the shape of the lack of quality leadership and
strong democratic institutions in this region. Nasr 15(2013) has indicated and predicted the undesirable
outcomes of Arab Spring as:
“Arab Spring will produce illiberal new regimes, hybrid governments blending
surviving security forces with rising parties of various hues. There will be civil wars,
broken states, sectarian persecutions, humanitarian crises, faltering economies, and new
foreign policy challenges (ranging from warming of relations between Egypt and Iran to
new issues to fight over with Russia and China) – nothing resembling a resounding
march to democracy and economic prosperity, and no clear embrace of free institutions
and norms.”

4.3. Implications for Pakistan

These movements could be hijacked by other elements and used for the benefit of one political group
or another that as became apparent from the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia in 1968. In that case, the
Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its
domination by the Soviet Union after World War II. Williams16 (1997) described the Prague Spring
and its Aftermath: Czechoslovak Politics, 1968–1970. At that time, there were many stakeholders in
one state to incorporate them all within the state, was important for sustainment. In the MENA case,
social media has played an active role in the uprisings and initially no external element like USSR in
Progue Spring was involved. Pakistan have traditional links with the MENA region, therefore, the
recent Arab Spring which is taking place in that region have considerable influence on Pakistan. As,
Koster 17(2011) reported:

12
BBC News, November 4, 2013, “Profile: Egypt's Mohammed Morsi”, www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-
18371427 : Accessed on November 4, 2013
13
Nasr, Vali, “The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat”, New York, USA, 2013.pg. 160.
14
Ibid. pg. 161
15
Ibid. pg. 163
16
Williams, Kieran. “The Prague Spring and its Aftermath: Czechoslovak Politics, 1968-1970”,UK , Cambridge
University Press, 1997, pp. 29-39
17
Koster, Suzanna, “Pakistan's Arab Spring moment goes unnoticed”,GlobalPost.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asiapacific/pakistan/111104/pakistan-arab-spring-poverty-economy-
self-immolation, Accessed on September 20, 2013
Social Media, Arab Spring and its Implications for Pakistan 401

“There is an important distinction between Pakistan and the countries in the

Middle East and North Africa that have experienced mass uprisings. First and foremost
was the fact that Pakistan is a democracy; may be an imperfect and dysfunctional one at
times but a system is there; the people have participated in the political system in the
past and as far as democratic governments are concerned have had a say in who governs
them. Pakistan had also witnessed movements on a large scale, such as the lawyers’
movements, in addition to, the near daily strikes against electricity and gas shortages on
other issues. In Pakistan, the social media is active and provides an opportunity to the
educated masses to raise their voice against issues of concern to them.”
Similarly, Jabbar18 (1999) mentioned that:
“In Pakistan, people have access to electronic media sources other than Pakistani
radio and TV so it is now moral imperative for journalists to at least click and clank the
chains ever so often- and certainly during a crisis.”
Pakistan was somehow exempt from the kind of change sweeping the MENA. It was noted that
the uprisings in the Middle East had been truly on the basis of nationalism and religious elements were
not very pronounced and that was why the religious-political parties in Pakistan had not showed much
interest in the events of the Arab spring.
Behuria19 (2013) shared his opinion with the reference of Mulana Tahir ul Qadri’s long march
for political change as:
“I wouldn’t say that it is an Arab Spring, that it can be compared with the Arab
Spring because the Arab Spring, the way it happened in Tunisia, in Egypt, in Libya –
things were different, like they were working against the regimes, the people stood up
against the regimes. But here things are a little different. Here I think you are basically
referring to the long march that was orchestrated by one politician yesterday. I would
say that this is not comparable to the Arab Spring because there was about 5-10
thousand people and there was a lot of human cry raised about this particular march.”

5. Conclusion
There are massive sociopolitical transformations taking place in Middle East and North Africa
(MENA). One of the major factors in these transformations is the role of social media which includes
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube etc. The social media played a key role in propagating untoward
news and information in uncontrolled manner, mobilizing masses for social movements which
subsequently transformed into political moves. The sociopolitical changes as a result of these
movements brought more devastation in these societies than socioeconomic improvement, if any. The
term ‘Arab Spring’ being associated with this change by the World Media, particularly, Western Media
is misleading in this sense. Pakistan is a society having strong cultural, political, religious and social
ties with MENA region. Again, there is very large number of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube users in
Pakistan. One is tempted to foresee a similar sociopolitical change in Pakistan. However, Pakistani
society has gone through number of sociopolitical experiences and has much mature response
compared to its counterparts in MENA. The sociopolitical changes taken place in Egypt during the
period June 2010 - June 2013. Therefore Pakistan also saw great numbers of political move and many
political moves similar to Egypt were initiated in Pakistan but could not succeed. But here in Pakistan
things are a little different. In Pakistan there are basically referring to the long march that was
orchestrated by one politician that this is not comparable to the Arab Spring because there was about 5-
10 thousand people and there was a lot of human cry raised about this particular march.

18
Jabbar, Javeed, “The Global City: perspectives (1983-98) on how media and Communication have shaped our new
living space”, Royal book company, Pakistan, 1999. Pg.90.
19
Behuria, Ashok. Radio, a New Delhi defense analyst, Voice of Russia, “Is Pakistan in for an Arab Spring”:
http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_01_16/Is-Pakistan-in-for-an-Arab-Spring/. Accessed on September 22,2013
402 Aqeela Asif and Musab Yousufi

In Pakistan, democracy is taking formal routes and this is the first time in history that an elected
government completed its term in 2013 and gradually Western countries are enabling these democratic
forces in Pakistan. The long march can be looked at as a democratic expression of defend rather than
looking at it as another Tahrir Square or another Arab Spring. Sixty-six years after its formation,
Pakistan has arrived at the conclusion that it has to be a modern democratic country practicing the
parliamentary form of government, while also politician, political parties and Pakistani people is not
active to bring revolution in Pakistan. Here revolution means to eliminate corruption and bring
prosperity for his nation and also Pakistan is a democratic country while Egypt or other Arab countries
was a dictator or monarch states therefore the So-called spring work there. Even that Arab Spring did
not and do not working there in that Arab countries.

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 Social Media, Arab Spring and its Implications for Pakistan 403

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