How Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood lost hold of the social conversation

Since their fall in 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood have failed to dominate the online narrative despite their repeated calls for protest. (Reuters/File Photo)
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Updated 29 September 2021
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How Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood lost hold of the social conversation

  • Although around half of Egyptians are active on social media, they lean toward trends far from those of the Muslim Brotherhood’s

CAIRO: There once was a time when an Egyptian would open Facebook or Instagram and most of the content they saw would be Muslim Brotherhood-related. Today, however, this is far from the reality.

Since their fall in 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood have failed to dominate the online narrative despite their repeated calls for protest. A decade on from the Arab Spring that saw social media networks act as mobilization mechanisms, why is social media in general, and Facebook in particular, now no longer a potential trigger for revolution in Egypt?

Although around half of Egyptians are active on social media, they lean toward trends far from those of the Muslim Brotherhood’s and in contrast to what was dominating social networks in 2011.

Since then, Muslim Brotherhood loyalists have made significant efforts to take advantage of Egyptians’ heavy use of social media. They take advantage of any local crisis and use it as a Trojan horse for their demands, and as has been seen many times in the fake videos aired by Al Jazeera and other pro-Muslim Brotherhood bias as recent as Sept. 2020.

At the outset, it can be claimed that the Muslim Brotherhood are suffering their deepest crisis since their establishment in 1928 due to their fall in June 2013. 

This crisis is incarnated in the popular political fall of the brotherhood, with both Tunisia and Egypt having thwarted their efforts to have any political or social role in the future. Popular opinion and secular forces have shown little sympathy for them.

Similar to Tunisia was the Egyptian case. Despite their massive media machine, sleeper cells, and media platforms and outlets that work in support of their agenda, the Muslim Brotherhood did not succeed in regaining their presence or maintaining their influence on Egyptian society. In addition, they lost their power to mobilize masses or stir up uprisings as they used to in the past at the height of the Arab Spring.

According to political expert and Egypt’s former consul general in Riyadh, Fawzi Ashmawy, the main space for action and expression for Egyptians, which is social media, has expanded. He notes that this is due to the decline of party and political mobility and performance on the one hand and the partial lifting of civil society restrictions and other laws as part of the country’s official National Human Rights Strategy which launched earlier this month.

In Jan. 2021, Egypt’s population amounted to approximately 103.3 million, an increase of 1.9 million people over January of last year. The number of internet users, however, reached 59.9 million with an increase of 4.9 million more than in Jan. 2020 — a rise that exceeded the increase in the population, according to a number of official sources.

Among these internet users, 49 million are regular consumers of social media as of Jan. 2021, an increase of 7 million over 2020, or 17 percent over the previous year, highlighting how the increase in social media users is rapidly higher than that of the population.

Social media is a real, albeit virtual, avenue where Egyptian public opinion develops. It is a major platform that allows people to express critical views, pains and interactions not only locally but also on regional and international events directly and indirectly affecting them.

For the first time in history, the Muslim Brotherhood had come to power in free elections in 2012 through Mohammed Morsi, the group’s first president, complete with dominance over the country’s Parliament and civil unions.

Instead of implementing their alleged 100-day program — known as the Muslim Brotherhood’s Nahda presidential program — that tackled everyday issues of fuel, food, security and traffic, the group usurped all authorities to solidify its grip on power in Egypt which led him to be late in forming a cabinet.

This discredited the principles of the group and fuelled public resentment against it. Both the Muslim Brotherhood’s discourse and their two-faced strategy in addressing citizens’ demands have led to a rise in public fury against them. Thus, these are the reasons why the Muslim Brotherhood have lost their power on social media:

First: Egypt’s nationwide stability

Egyptians’ stances on social media are balanced between supporting and being critical of their government, especially with regard to the cost of living through basic services such as groceries, fuel and electricity. However, Egyptians do not hesitate to praise and support what they see as positive steps in building and attracting investment.

According to a Reuters survey, Egypt’s economy is predicted to grow 5 percent in the fiscal year that ends in June next year, unchanged from analysts’ expectations in a similar poll six months ago and slightly below the government's target of 5.4 percent. In addition to that, the gross domestic product of the Arab world's most populous country was seen growing 5.5 percent in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023.

Second: A distinction between Islam and Islamists

While Egyptians are widely known for their religious and conservative nature that includes reservations about any online confrontation to what they see as sacred or religious, they mostly differentiate between Islam and Islamists as well as religion and extremism.

Although myriad Islamist groups attempt to implement any call to renew religious discourse and skew any critique of the religious history to their favor, they could not achieve their goals due to Egyptians’ reluctance to repeat their previous experience under Morsi’s rule.

Such an experiment intimidated everyday civil peace and destabilized the well-established Egyptian identity, an identity that finds no discrepancy between religion and race. It is the same identity that is averse to relegating the homeland “Egypt” and promoting the concept of an Islamic nation or the Islamic caliphate over it. This is clear every September, when the Muslim Brotherhood’s media platforms call for protest and demonstrations but always fail to attract a significant following.

In addition to that, the counter and critical discourse against Islamist groups’ ideology, arguments and foundational notions has been active, heated and alive, thanks to the information revolution and digital outlets. Egyptians are now able to read and become aware of the critique of fundamentalism and the differentiation between Islam, Islamists and Islamic history.

Third: The stagnation and hostility of the discourse

By continuously classifying the Egyptian state as takfiri (apostate) and maintaining a discriminatory tone against Christian minorities and secular civil society groups, the Muslim Brotherhood’s narrative has become dormant and stagnant in communicating with current changes occurring within the evolving Egyptian society.

The clearest example of this comes from Wagdy Ghoneim, a Muslim Brotherhood preacher who was barred from entering Tunisia in 2019 after his description of Tunisian former President Beji Caid Essebsi as an “apostate” who had been fighting against god and Islam.

In many Egyptians’ understanding, the experience under the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 remains the biggest reason for citizens’ fear of their return, or of responding to their call for mobilization and demonstrations once again.

Fourth: The weight of experience: Egypt from a Pan-Arab perspective

Security, order and stability are the three basic demands of Egyptians and are at the core of their conversations on social media platforms. Critical voices are expressed through the framework of the state that maintains order and security, and Egyptians take into serious consideration next-door models of failed states along with the rise Islamist groups in neighboring countries or other countries in the region.

Also playing an important role is Egypt’s diplomatic role in the region as citizens praise their government because of its regional active role in the conflict between Palestine and Israel, in Iraq and toward Libya, in its strong ties with the Gulf countries, and in their strategic efforts to halt any chance for a return of extremists to the country. This would not have been possible through a Muslim Brotherhood-led government or through an online narrative dominated by the group.


Investigation finds Meta profiting from ads promoting Israeli settlements in West Bank

Updated 04 April 2025
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Investigation finds Meta profiting from ads promoting Israeli settlements in West Bank

  • Ads included listings for property developments, calls for demolition of Palestinian homes, schools, playgrounds, appeals for donations for military equipment to be used in Gaza, Al Jazeera found
  • Allowing such ads might violate international law, legal experts claim

LONDON: Meta has profited from more than 100 advertisements promoting illegal Israeli settlements and far-right settler activity in the occupied West Bank, an investigation by Al Jazeera revealed earlier this week.

The ads include listings for property developments in settlements such as Ariel, located 20 km east of the Green Line, as well as calls for the demolition of Palestinian homes, schools, and playgrounds. Some also solicit donations for Israeli military units operating in Gaza.

One of the most prominent advertisers is a Facebook page called Ramat Aderet, promoting luxury apartments with amenities such as saunas, jacuzzis, and cold plunges. The company, valued at $300 million according to financial data firm PitchBook, has received funding from the First International Bank of Israel.

Another 48 ads were posted by Gabai Real Estate, marketing homes in the West Bank settlements of Ma’ale Adumim and Efrat.

At least 52 of the ads were placed by Israeli real estate firms targeting buyers in Israel, the UK, and the US. Many remain active on Facebook after being published in March 2024, Al Jazeera reported.

Meta defended its ad policies, stating: “We have robust processes and teams to review ads, and our ad review system is designed to review ads before they go live. This system relies primarily on automated technology to apply our advertising standards to the millions of ads that run across our apps, while relying on our teams to build and train these systems and, in some cases, to manually review ads.”

Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.

Legal experts argue that by failing to take down and profiting from these ads, Meta “becomes complicit in their criminal activity” and could face legal consequences. They also warn that allowing ads soliciting donations for military equipment in Gaza may violate international humanitarian law, as well as Meta’s own policy prohibiting the promotion of “the sale or use of weapons, ammunition, or explosives.”


Report finds Israel’s war on Gaza ‘worst ever conflict’ for journalists

Updated 03 April 2025
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Report finds Israel’s war on Gaza ‘worst ever conflict’ for journalists

  • The Costs of War project at the Watson Institute for International Studies found that since Oct. 7, 2023, the Gaza war has killed more journalists than all major US wars combined
  • Report warns that increasing threats against journalists not only endanger individuals but also undermine global news coverage, facilitate the creation of ‘news graveyards’

LONDON: A report released Tuesday by the Costs of War project at the Watson Institute for International Studies in the US has found that Israel’s war on Gaza is the “worst ever conflict” for journalists, with at least 208 Palestinian media workers killed since October 2023.

Titled “News Graveyards: How Dangers to War Reporters Endanger the World,” the study examines the toll of war on journalists, as well as broader trends in the US news industry that have weakened international coverage. It highlights how Gaza has seen an unprecedented death toll among journalists, far exceeding that of other conflicts in history.

“Attacks on journalists have exacerbated long term socio-economic shifts that have crippled the global news industry over decades and led to the de-prioritization of international news coverage and the closure of foreign news bureaus,” noted the report.

“Across the globe, the economics of the industry, the violence of war, and coordinated censorship campaigns threaten to turn an increasing number of conflict zones into news graveyards, with Gaza being the most extreme example.”

The Brown University-based nonpartisan research project, which analyzes the human, financial, and political costs of post-9/11 wars, found that “since Oct. 7, 2023, the war in Gaza has killed more journalists than the US Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan combined.”

The report also revealed that in 2024, a media worker was killed or murdered every three days worldwide — an increase from 2023’s rate of one every four days—attributed largely to the war in Gaza.

“Most reporters harmed or killed, as is the case in Gaza, are local journalists,” it added.

Late in March, Palestinian journalists Mohammad Mansour, a correspondent for Palestine Today, and Hossam Shabat, a journalist for Al-Jazeera Mubasher, became the latest media workers to be killed in Gaza in Israeli attacks. The Israeli military admitted to killing Shabat, accusing him of being “a terrorist” it had “eliminated.”

The report accuses Israel of mounting “a full-spectrum effort to undermine the free flow of information,” citing the “near-total destruction” of media infrastructure, internet blackouts, misinformation campaigns, and restrictions preventing local journalists from leaving Gaza while barring foreign reporters from entering.

It also underscores the vital role local journalists play in conflict zones, describing them as bearing witness to “the realities and horrors of wars.

“Journalists serve as the eyes and ears of the world, seeking out solid, verifiable information amid a vortex of violence and a welter of rumor, manipulation, misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda,” the report continued.

The study also references Syria’s civil war, where hundreds of journalists were killed by government forces and armed groups. The Syrian Network for Human Rights estimates that 700 journalists and media activists have been killed since the conflict began in 2011.

The Watson Institute report warns that increasing threats against journalists not only endanger individuals but also undermine global news coverage and the “worldwide information ecosystem.”

“The decreasing number of experienced foreign correspondents in conflict zones, due to long term shifts in the global news industry that have led to the de-prioritization of international news coverage and the closure of foreign news bureaus, has likewise crippled critical knowledge and helped facilitate the creation of news graveyards,” said the report.


Israel’s military faces backlash over AI ‘Ghibli-style’ social media posts

Updated 04 April 2025
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Israel’s military faces backlash over AI ‘Ghibli-style’ social media posts

  • Attempt to jump on trend of posting AI-generated images in style of famed Japanese animation studio

LONDON: An attempt by the Israeli military to jump on the bandwagon of a social media trend that uses AI-generated images in the style of a legendary Japanese animation studio has spectacularly backfired.

The internet has been flooded by images in the style of Studio Ghibli after ChatGPT maker OpenAI launched a new image generator last week.

The craze has intensified debate over the extent to which artificial intelligence models breach copyright of artists. It also contrasts the painstaking work that goes into meticulously crafting the beautiful hand-drawn films produced by Studio Ghibli with the instant gratification culture fed by social media and the emergence of AI models.

Not wanting to be left out, the Israel Defense Forces on Sunday posted four images depicting different branches of its military in the Ghibli style on its social media accounts.

“We thought we’d also hop on the trend,” the post said.

 

 

What followed was a barrage of responses, many angry, many humorous, denouncing and mocking the post.

The images were shared as Israel intensified the bombing of Gaza where it has already killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and forced the population to flee their homes in an action it began in October 2023.

Many responded with AI-generated images in the Ghibli style on X that depicted Israeli brutality in the Palestinian territory.

The counter-images depicted Israeli soldiers mocking a blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinian child, and IDF troops pointing rifles at women and children against a backdrop of devastation.

“Colonizing art too,” read one reply in reference to Israel’s building of illegal settlements and its occupation of Palestinian land.

Other users pointed out that Hayao Miyazaki, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, is a staunch pacifist and that many of his films contain strong anti-war messages.

He famously refused to travel to the US in 2003 to attend the Academy Awards where his work “Spirited Away” won an Oscar.

A video from 2016 appears to show Miyazaki’s disdain for AI-generated imagery. A clip from a documentary shows Miyazaki saying he was “utterly disgusted” after seeing an AI demo.


Netflix expands language support on TV in accessibility push

Updated 02 April 2025
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Netflix expands language support on TV in accessibility push

  • Users are now able to access all available dubbing and subtitle options for any title, Netflix told Arab News ahead of the launch
  • “Update responds to thousands of language availability requests per month,” Netflix said

LONDON: Netflix is expanding its language support on TV, allowing users to access all available dubbing and subtitle options for any title, the company told Arab News exclusively ahead of the official announcement on Tuesday.

“As more of our members enjoy shows and films from around the world — nearly a third of all viewing on Netflix is for non-English stories — subtitles and dubbing are more important than ever,” the company said in a statement shared with Arab News ahead of the official announcement.

“That’s why starting today, you’ll be able to pick from the full list of available languages for any title when watching Netflix on your TV.”

Previously, users were limited to five to seven languages based on their settings and location. The update — which make dubbing available in 36 languages and subtitles in 33, depending on the title — responds to “thousands of language availability requests per month,” Netflix said, adding that it also benefits users learning a new language by giving them more control over their viewing experience.

“We offer several additional features to support language learning, including the ability to customize subtitles, and the ‘browse by language’ feature on PC computers. These helpful features enhance the accessibility of our shows and movies, while supporting those set on being multilingual,” the statement said.

A 2020 study commissioned by Netflix in partnership with the UN World Commission found that 36 percent of people who watched Spanish-language content were interested in learning the language, compared to 15 percent of non-viewers.

In recent years, Netflix has expanded its non-English content strategy, investing in films and series from various countries and languages. Korean and Spanish content together accounted for 16 percent of global viewership in the first half of 2024, with “Squid Game” and “Money Heist” (“La Casa de Papel”) serving as standout examples.

Netflix is set to release four Arabic-language original series and films this year, following the success of “The Exchange,” “Al-Rawabi School for Girls,” “Honeymoonish,” “From the Ashes” and “Dubai Bling.”


US State Department orders enhanced social media screening for student and visa applicants

Updated 02 April 2025
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US State Department orders enhanced social media screening for student and visa applicants

DUBAI: The US State Department has ordered overseas officials to scour the social media accounts of some student and exchange visitor visa applicants in a bid to stop critics of the US and Israel from entering the country, say media reports.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent out a 1,700-word cable on March 25 titled “Action Request: Enhanced Screening and Social Media Vetting for Visa Applicants.” It described the process foreign service officers abroad must follow when reviewing student and exchange visitor visa applications.

Independent news site The Handbasket, which broke the story, said the cable asked consular officers to refer certain applicants to the Fraud Prevention Unit for a mandatory social media check. The enhanced vetting applies to those suspected of having terrorist ties or sympathies, those who held a student or exchange visa between Oct. 7, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024, and those who have had a visa terminated since Oct. 7, 2023.

A State Department employee told the media outlet it was “pretty clear the immediate target is anyone who participated in pro-Palestinian protests — one of the triggers for social media screening is having been in the US on one of these visas between Oct. 7 and the end of last August.”

The cable states that, during the screening, officers “MUST ADDRESS any derogatory information indicating that a visa applicant may be subject to the terrorism-related ineligibility grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act,” which includes “advocating for, sympathizing with, or persuading others to endorse or espouse terrorist activities or support a DESIGNATED FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”

It also contains some broader guidance. One section suggests a student visa applicant does not necessarily need to express explicit support for terrorist activity in order to be denied as long as they demonstrate “a degree of public approval or public advocacy for terrorist activity or a terrorist organization.” 

This could be evident in “conduct that bears a hostile attitude toward US citizens or US culture” or in “advocacy or sympathy for foreign terrorist organizations.”

“All of these matters may open lines of inquiry regarding the applicant’s credibility and purpose of travel,” the cable states.

Some directives are somewhat vague — perhaps intentionally, so they can be applied in whichever way is required, the State Department employee told The Handbasket.

The cable also cites a quote from Rubio’s interview with CBS on March 16: “We don’t want people in our country that are going to be committing crimes and undermining our national security or the public safety. It’s that simple. Especially people that are here as guests. That is what a visa is ...  It is a visitor into our country. And if you violate the terms of your visitation, you are going to leave.”

Since taking up his role in January, Rubio has revoked at least 300 visas awarded to students, visitors and others. Last Thursday, he told the media he had signed letters on a daily basis. He refused to comment on how the cases came before him, but said he reviewed each one personally.

“If they’re taking activities that are counter to our national interest, to our foreign policy, we’ll revoke the visa,” he said.

Rubio added that a visa holder charged with a crime while in the US should automatically lose their permission to be in the US. Permanent residents, or green card holders, are not exempt from additional scrutiny and could also lose their status.

Last month, Rubio signed off on revoking the PR status of Syrian-born Mahmoud Khalil and Yunseo Chung, of South Korea, both of whom were involved in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University.

Khalil, who is married to a US citizen, was seized from his home by immigration agents and taken to a detention center in Louisiana. Chung has been in the US since the age of seven.