Gathering Storm

18 www.digitaldaya.com Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics Winning Hearts and Minds on the World Wide Web encourage the use of the web to facilitate open communication with the West.This will grow na- tional economies.This will encourage innovation, application of new technology and a more expan- sive view of the place of Islam in a world that is moving at the speed of digital. Government leaders must recognize the impor- tance of a thriving, growing middle class – a large group of merchants, educators, business leaders, financiers and innovators.These people comprise the center that holds against the extremes, who will make use of the world wide web as a tool of propaganda and recruitment. The Western democracies must take a role in changing attitudes of leaders in the Middle East. However, the role these democracies take must be one of proactive facilitation – providing the means to access the web. The recent lifting of sanctions against the export of web assets to Iran serve as an example of non-intrusive engagement in the Middle East.The U.S. and its allies must not appear to be attempting to change the cultural values of the region or of Islam. Government leaders who continue to control and/or censor access to the web must recognize the disservice this leadership does to both the growth of the country’s economy and in the de- velopment of an increasing number of stakehold- ers that make up a strong middle class.These are the people with something to lose to extrem- ists.These are also the people with much to gain through engagement with countries and tribes outside the Muslim sphere of influence. Finally, changes must come swiftly.They must be broad-based changes of perspective, values and attitudes. The W3 has, indeed, created a global economy. Limiting access to this vital communi- cations resource will only cause these countries to fall further and further behind the technology curve. The role of the world wide web in growing econ- omies and providing stability among the governed can not be denied. There’s ample evidence that services like email, instant messaging, payment gateways and social networking serve, not only the interests of the people, these web assets serve the interests of the government leaders who hold power throughout the Muslim world. Only through engagement with other countries, other people, businesses and investment capital will the economies of the Middle East grow be- yond revenues derived from natural resources, primarily oil and gas.The web offers the oppor- tunity to foster entrepreneurship, technological innovation and access to information available no where else. Indeed, the future of the Middle East and the world-wide Muslim community can be bright. With prudent Muslim leaders and active facilita- tion of theWest, the upcoming gathering of a bil- lion Muslims on the World Wide Web can usher in a storm of fundamental reforms that will pro- pel the Middle East forward. The genie is out of the bottle and wise leaders recognize that there’s no way to get that genie back into the bottle. The upcoming gathering of a billion Muslims on theWorldWideWeb can usher in a storm of fundamental reforms that will propel the Middle East forward.