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The Layalina Review

VOL. V NO. 12, May 22-June 04, 2009

Social Networking Sites as Vehicles for Political Change

Public access to Facebook, the popular social networking site, was restored on May 26 in Iran after three days of restricted access on the eve of the country’s national elections, reports BBC.

Reformists criticized the block as an attempt to undermine support for Mir Hossein Mousavi, the leading opposition candidate whose campaign relied heavily on Facebook as a tool to generate support, especially among young voters.

Supporters of Mousavi have used the candidate’s Facebook page as a way of organizing events and communicating ideas. Mousavi’s page has over 6,600 supporters, reports John Ribeiro of PC World.

BBC recounted that the blocks came “at a time when voters are turning to the internet as a source of information about election candidates and their positions.” Facebook, along with other social networking sites such as Twitter and YouTube, has become increasingly popular as a means of connecting with people near and far, and communicating online.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied having played any role in the shutdown, reports Borzou Daragahi in an article for The Los Angeles Times posted on IranQuest.

Ahmadinejad will face-off against Mousavi, along with two other opposition candidates, in presidential elections beginning on June twelfth.

The role of social networking sites extends beyond the realm of presidential elections, however. Queen Rania of Jordan has been outspoken about the positive impact such sites as Twitter and YouTube can have in promoting the cause of universal education, reports Asharq-Alawsat.

“I want to tell people more about Jordan, about my life and work, but also to campaign for quality, global education,” she said in a recent interview.

Rania praised the internet as a vehicle for generating support for important social and political issues, including the educational rights of young women. “It's about using social media for social change.”

Last year, Rania created her own YouTube channel, which was dedicated to confronting negative stereotypes among Middle Eastern youth. Rania praised the democratizing power of the internet as a means of uniting citizens worldwide.

“Social media are a catalyst for the advancement of everyone's rights. It's where we're reminded that we're all human and all equal.”

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