Facebook your love for Pakistan
If a Facebook photograph can make or break your day, why can’t it make a difference in the real world? That’s the question one group of activists sought to answer when they launched their global campaign.
2013 began ominously with the massacres of the Hazara in Quetta, the Abbas town blast and Badami Bagh incident, making international headlines.
However on a daily basis individuals are being attacked due to their beliefs; the murder of Dr. Syed Ali Haider, Professor Sibte Jaffar and the routine harassment of Ahmedis passes by with barely a whimper from civil society. And with elections looming overhead one can’t help feeling anxiety, fear and trepidation for what lays ahead in Pakistan’s future.
But not everyone is willing to suffer in silence. In response to the systematic degradation of diversity in Pakistan, the team of BOLO Pakistan has taken to social media, setting up a Facebook page where like-minded supporters can send pictures of themselves while holding signs with messages of love, unity and support.
BOLO Pakistan, is a global Facebook campaign encouraging Pakistanis to speak up against the sectarian massacre and the wholesale oppression of minorities. It provides a platform to engage socially conscious Pakistanis to stand up and be counted in the struggle to protect our diversity.
One may wonder about the substance of a mere Facebook group in the face of such grim and tragic events but the aim is to engage Pakistanis to drown out the fanaticism by speaking out and expressing respect for all religions, sects, races and people.
“There is a real fear of talking about religion and ethnicities out in the open. And as a result, we stand by and watch the killings of innocent people,” says Nida Alvi, a BOLO Pakistan participant. “You would be surprised at how many people are scared to put a face to their beliefs and own up to their ideas in public. Even if those ideas are positive.”
“Speaking out amongst like-minded individuals is easy, but we need to be brave, project this message to society at large and actively counter bigotry,” says Iftikhar Nazir, a supporter of BOLO Pakistan. “Hate-mongers have a constituency in Pakistan and are pandered to by political parties. Where is OUR constituency? In Pakistan, the ones that shout louder win and we are losing.
As our online lives are becoming inextricably linked with our offline ones, despite the skepticism surrounding ”online-activism”, there maybe scope for social networks to create real change. When a group, such as this, receives submissions and support it starts a much-needed conversation and creates a sense of a larger community around the issues. In today’s social media world, where all your ‘activities’ are visible to the public and the government, even a photograph of yourself as a sign of support becomes meaningful.
