Observers of Iraqi social media accounts say that these accounts have been excessively used on the political level by parties and their supporters; one may find a page backing Abadi, and another supporting former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Also, bloggers created a page to support the Popular Mobilization Units, which are fighting IS alongside the Iraqi army. Other activists created a page titled “Iraq’s Sunnis,” in which they accuse the Popular Mobilization Units of killing residents in the Sunni areas where the fighting is ongoing, such as Tikrit and Diyala province.
In light of this media conflict, Iraqis organized on social media a campaign called “No to sectarianism,” which calls for unity and rejects conflicts and mutual accusations.
In an interview with Al-Monitor, blogger and social media activist Shabib al-Medhati pointed to the presence of several fake accounts on social networking sites that stir hatred and sectarianism by spreading rumors and instigating religious disputes.
On Feb. 7, an Iraqi court issued a first-of-its-kind sentence against an Iraqi blogger on charges of defamation and slander on Facebook. Consequently, questions arise as to whether bloggers and media activists are able to overcome the attempts to stop them from influencing the political situation, by restricting freedom of expression.
However, journalist and Facebook activist Tarek Hussein told Al-Monitor, “Iraqis will make sure social networking sites remain an open window for expression and mobilization of the public opinion against political events and decisions.”
(Social media image via Shutterstock)
Comments are closed.