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Is Facebook an emerging virtual public sphere? Understanding, confusions and contest among Religious and Liberals in Pakistan through the lens of Facebook.

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Summary
This study examines the Facebook role as an emerging virtual public sphere of Pakistan. A sphere in which, contest and deliberations of ideas occur among two very segments of the population; religious and liberals, to take over the public opinion, using various issues and topics of public concern. They pole apart at opposite extremes but still their coexistence and pursuit of consensus is achievable through a rational, critical discussion in an autonomous public sphere. It is important to note, a large population of moderate-Muslims reside between these extremes. The current study contribute in two folds: first it present an argument in favor of Facebook as an emerging virtual public sphere, and second expose the contestation of ideas among socioreligious segmented population of Pakistan and Facebook significance to understand it. The polarization and segmentation of Pakistani public has historical importance and it is rooted in the ideology of Pakistan. After the proliferation of Internet and social media, the magnitude and visibility of these contests have extended to the lives of the masses. Exposing to and involving them in these contemporary debates. Involvement of ordinary public is redefining the quality of discourse and changing the boundaries of this virtual public sphere. I attempt to analyze the degree of participation and impact of this debate on ordinary public. At the same time, try to examine, how public participation affect above mentioned two segments in public sphere? Both folds are intertwined with each other and their mutual connectivity support to pave the ground for this study. Using Facebook as an object and lens for this study not only expands and increase the richness of the study but also offers a methodological approach to grasp firsthand knowledge on other contemporary issues of Pakistans public sphere. New millennium brought several challenges for the country. Despite various internal and external issues, first time Pakistans public witnessed blessings of; free electronic media, Increasing urbanization, and most importantly, involvement of vast public in the consumption of global information through Internet. The low-cost digital devices, ease of web 2.0 and seamless access has allowed the rise of internet and social media use in private and public life of public. Internet contributes to the public awareness on common issues and intensifies free debate and discussion, helping in the creation of an emerging public sphere. The Internet has been proven as

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an open and flexible space that makes possible direct contact of public around the world, creating new forms of community in which social conflicts, opportunities and most concern are discussed. The recent online discussion on Facebook among two segments of population on the contemporary political-Islamic issues; dealing with local Taliban, blasphemy law, authority and role of religion in politics, demonstrates the significance and importance of the virtual public sphere. The impact and penetration of this virtual sphere in life-world and system-world is self evident; amplification of public voice, participation of women, students in politics and public opinion reshaping are some of many. The dominance of orthodox religious clergy in public space, inadequacy of political sphere to engage public in a critical rationale debate and commercialize composition of the electronic media exemplify the weakness of the Pakistans public sphere and public discourse in it. Considering these factors in mind, my claim about virtual public sphere is more relevant and justified. Only online environment is best place to examine an autonomous public sphere, which offers an open space, transgressing from the religious and political authoritarian boundaries. A space which offers ordinary public to express condemnation and approval of right and wrong, display solidarity and differences, celebrate similarities, remember and reinforce shared history and values. It includes and facilitates marginalized public for rational, democratic and sometime agonistic discussion to form an opinion on contemporary issues. In spite of the fact that; this virtual public sphere is a locus of rational debate on the common good, but at the same time, these rationales create confusion and contest among participants on the basis of their socio-religious background, information, ideas and doctrines.

Key words:
Virtual, Sphere, Polarization, Segmentation, Islam, Pakistan, Facebook, Religion, Liberal, Private, Public, Contest, Consensus

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Glossary
Jihad Tajdeed The Laaltain Ghaddar Mughal India Ulema Effort, Holy war Reforms Light (Facebook Page) Traitor (Facebook Page) Indian region under the rule of Mughal emperors Religious Islamic Scholars

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Content list
1. Introduction.6 1.1. Background....9 1.3. Aim of the Study...11 1.4. Interweaving Two Folds16 2. Historical and Theoretical Point of Departure.19 2.1. Theoretical Framework...21 2.3. Functions and Characteristics of the Public Sphere....24 2.4. The Public Sphere From Bourgeois Coffee House to Virtual Caf... 2.4. Pakistans Public Sphere... 2.5. Political Islam vs Popular Islam... 2.6. Enlightenment, Modernity, Secularism and Post Secularism..... 3. LiteratureReview. 3.1. Previous Research on Internet and Public Sphere. 3.2. Previous Research on Pakistani Public Sphere.. 4. Framing Facebook as Virtual Public Sphere 4.1. Optimistic vs Pessimistic views..

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Introduction
The aim of this study is to examine the segmentation of the Pakistans public sphere from the perspective of the common good debate on two Facebook pages The Laaltain and Roshni. I am trying to investigate virtual public sphere within the domain of politics and religion from the angle of contest and confrontation of ideas. However, my special emphasis is being placed on the analysis of socio-religious segmentation and polarization of the participants in Pakistans public sphere. As studied by Ali B, Z 2012) The public sphere in Pakistan has been faced with a virulent socio-religious polarization-- two segments of the population, one apparently 'radical' and 'religious' and the other presumably 'liberal' and 'secular'. Such rivalry has created contentious divisions along numerous, cross-cutting cleavages in which 'religion' has again and again proven to be the primary fault line. I am trying to use Facebook as an object and lens of this study to understand polarization and concerning debate in virtual public sphere among religious and liberals of Pakistan. At the same time, utilizing Facebook as an instrument for this study, Facebook has great potential for recruiting participants and primary data gathering. Facebook makes it easy for ordinary users, experts and for developers to create simple questionnaires, surveys, and applications (see http://developers.facebook.com). Over the years many researchers have taken advantage of this resource. Facebook has received considerable attention in a variety of research areas. Wilson, R, Gosling, and Graham, L (2012) identify research on Facebook emanate from a large range of fields; descriptive analysis of users, motivations for using Facebook, identity presentation, the role of Facebook in social interactions, and privacy and information disclosure. Number of problems and Uncertainties still exists about the efficient use of Facebook in social research; fluid nature of content and users, overly self portrayal (Zywica & Danowski, 2008), inappropriate content posting (Karl, Peluchette, & Schlaegel, 2010a, 2010b), research ethics (Solberg, 2010). Facebook constitutes a new domain for social research, so it is understandable that methods and protocols for research have yet to be developed.

7|Page Chapter 1 is about general introduction including, research questions and research objectives. The introduction chapter also highlights the background, current and historical importance of this study. Chapter 2 and 3 sketch the theoretical and historical grounds from previous studies and theories respectively on Understanding Pakistani Public Sphere and Framing of Facebook as Public Sphere. The next two chapters deal with research methodology, data gathering, results, discussion and last but not the least conclusion. I started my pre-study analysis of two Facebook fan pages about six month ago. Initially, I identified four Facebook fan pages and 6 open groups, specifically discussing religious-political issues. The number of active users, quantity and quality of posts and comments, force me to limit my study only for two Facebook fan pages; The Laaltain and Roshni. Now, for recruiting participants of the study and data gathering, I created my new Facebook page, so I dont want to put my influence on the participants of the study with my personal detail and personality. Since its independence in 1947 from the British colonial system, Pakistan has been facing various ideological and contemporary challenges; along with lack of democracy and religious extremism (Haqqani, and Haider, 2010; Abbas, 2005). The ongoing debate over the issues of blasphemy law, interpretation of religious issues like, Jihad and Tajdeed and religion role in politics have been highlighting the polarization of the Pakistans public, political and media spheres. The pertaining discussion and debate on Facebook regarding above issues brings forth the possible role of Facebook as an emerging virtual public sphere of Pakistan. That offers and facilitates virtual space beyond imagination to think, criticize and discuss on the collective interests and issues of common good. It attributes a surprising amount of agency and superlative autonomy, which unshackles an individual from conventional pressures and at the same time liberate mass public from restrictions imposed by the religious elite and authoritarian regime in a physical space.

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Statement of the problem:

Public sphere is a virtual or physical space, where contestation, rejection and acceptance of ideas occur by ordinary public on the basis of their rationality and critical reasoning; which is important to understand obligations and rights of an individual and for the society to realize common concerns and common good. This study examines the Facebook role as an emerging virtual public sphere of Pakistan. A sphere in which, contest and deliberations of ideas occur among two very segments of the population: religious and liberals. In spite of the fact that; this virtual public sphere is a locus of rational debate on the common good, but at the same time, these rationales create confusion and contest among participants on the basis of their socioreligious background, information, ideas and doctrines.

Research Questions:
How and if, Facebook is playing a role as an emerging virtual public sphere of Pakistan? Is it providing and facilitating alternative space (Virtual Cafe) for rationale debate and discussion to form public opinion? Is virtual public sphere emancipating public from traditional boundaries? How Facebook amplifying and extending contest and deliberations of ideas to the ordinary public, and how it create confusion, conflict and consensus? The impact of the debate on larger public and degree of participation by them, how public participation affects political and media spheres?

Research Objectives:
The objectives of this study are:

To understand the current and historical confrontation and contestation of liberal and radicals in Pakistani public sphere. To examine possible role of Facebook as it is providing and facilitating alternative space (Virtual Cafe) for rationale debate and discussion to form public opinion. To identify the level of participation from marginalized citizens like Students, women and rural community.

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Impact and influence of Virtual Public Sphere on National Public, Political and Media Spheres. To predict at least some future trends of Pakistani Public Sphere.

Significance and Limitations of the Study:

This study will identify the role of the Facebook as an emerging public sphere of Pakistan. This study would be significant to understand the current and historical contestation of ideas among socio-religious segmented population of Pakistan. Through this research one can understand root causes of current political and socio-religious crisis in the country. This study will help wider readers to know how a moderate-Muslim or common man perceives and distinguishes between religious and liberals. I am trying to find and answer questions of socioreligious differences among public and its affect on Pakistani public sphere. There is still plenty of work which can be included under the heading of public sphere. Limitation of resources and time never permit me to extend this study in real demographics of Pakistan to asses current state of public sphere and participation of larger public in it. Despite this problem, however, Facebook discussion on public issues offers a reflection of current social and political processes in the country. First of all, a digital medium such as The Facebook its contents and users are subject to rapid change. New users enter and leave, new content, stories and interests develop and abolish quickly. Therefore, studying and analyzing such fluid environment is much difficult then real world. A second problem is that studying the public sphere within Facebook environment makes it hard to define the research geographical boundaries. Likewise, problem of language, echoing and participants authenticity, fake accounts as in a study by Pew research center (2013) noticed single user has multiple Facebook accounts with fake identities and profiles. Therefore, this research will focus only on two Facebook pages and on users who actively participate in discussion.

http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/05/21/teens-social-media-and-privacy/

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Background:
The idea of this study is to take diversity of Pakistani public as a departure point. What Qadeer, M. A (2012) noted as difference among population in regard of life style, linguistic, ethnic and cultural orientation. I am further extending his argument that these differences create diversity of socio-religious classes and thinking. Roy, O (1996) defines this as the birth of new social classes, and the advent of contemporary ideologies. In an optimistic thinking, these diversities built rich and beautiful mosaic of the population but from the other perspective, these diversities create agonistic confrontation among socio-religiously divided classes. As Ramadan, T. (2008)) explains when you don't know how to manage diversity it ends with division and it creates problems. For now, I conceptualize Pakistani public sphere[s] as consisting of multiple variations and counter public spheres involving several issues. Habermas (1992) defines in his later work on the public sphere A different picture emerges if from the very beginning one admits the coexistence of competing public spheres and takes account of the dynamics of those processes of communication-- That are excluded from the dominant public sphere. However, Pakistani public is more homocentric on the religion hence religion is overlapped on all spheres of life and system-world. Religion is always the central and most important topic which governs the debate and discussion in public sphere. Religion has an overarching influence on all discourses in the public sphere. I am not designating this virtual public sphere as a Muslim public sphere in a sense, as Dale F. Eickelman and Jon W. Anderson (2003) identified, but there scholarly work has provided stand point to understand about notion of an emerging public sphere. Situated outside formal state control, this-- public sphere exists at the intersections of religious, political and social life. Facilitated by the proliferation of media in the modern world, the Muslim public can challenge or limit the state and conventional religious authorities and contribute to the creation of a civil society. The official religion of Islamic Republic of Pakistan is Islam. About 97 percent of population is Muslim. More than half of the population lives in rural areas with higher poverty percentage. Islam provided the basis for creation of an independent country to the scattered

11 | P a g e Muslims in British-India. According to Two nation theory Muslims and Hindus are two different nations who have had their own culture, traditions, customs, language and life style different from each other. John L. Esposito (2001) explains, Pakistan movement leaders endorsed the Islamic nationalism call for separate Muslim homeland. Islamic nationalism was supposed to unite-- Muslims in a county that was in fact-a composite of diverse linguistic, ethnic and regional cultural identities / communities and whose two wings (West and East Pakistan) were separated by more than a thousand miles of Indian Territory. Pakistan's Muslim nationalism was rooted in an appeal to a common Muslim heritage and call for a Muslim homeland, its meaning the relationship of Islam to the state) has been as diverse as its population. Islam might prove as combining force in the case of the creation of Pakistan but after the secession of East Pakistan as an independent country Bangladesh proved this ideology false. (see Ali T 2012; Coakley, 2003; Bhargava R, 2005). The embededness and embodiment of Islam in public life, political space, at town square, rallies, public gatherings and on the national, local and now in social media landscape make it more visible. Islam influences every sphere of private and public life. According to Gellner E (1991) modern industrial and scientific society erodes religious beliefs-- the political and psychological impact of religion has diminished. Islam-- is a very striking and total exception to this.-- the hold of Islam over its' believers is as strong, and in some ways stronger, now than it was hundred years ago. The rise of Internet and ease of web 2.0 blurs the boundaries between private and public. Similarly, In case of Facebook, formerly launched by college students, for internal communication now have more then billion users around the globe. As mentioned in its mission statement Facebooks mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected. People-- discover whats going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them. The involvement of vast population of the globe emerged the Facebook into an arena of debate and contest for seeking common good. The concept of public sphere is being extended and penetrated deep in our personal and private life since emergence of social media. Social media sites are not more considered as personal social networks but providing and facilitating, platforms to communicate, promote campaigns and coordinate actions. As Lance Bennett (2012) discuss about digitally mediated public issues They share stories about their

12 | P a g e activities by posting videos on YouTube and photos on Flickr or on NGO websites. They move together or apart on and off line, sometimes reaching consensus on common issues, and sometimes debating the best issue frame or political strategy.

Aim of the Study:

This study aims to address and analyze at least two major issues concerning Pakistani public sphere; Firstly, How to define historical and current status of Pakistani public sphere. This question covers my discussion (secondary data, literature and previous studies) from theoretical framework of public sphere to framing Facebook as an emerging public sphere of Pakistan. Secondly, identification of polarize and segmented public opinion and public. This part led the discussion to the main objective of the research (primary data, quantitative and qualitative) and it includes topics from the field of political Islam, modernity, secularism and post secularism. To answers these questions and other relevant problems. My aim is to conduct this study by using Facebook as an object and an instrument of research. This study combines various theories and approaches of sociology and communication studies. For information gathering, this research use both quantitative and qualitative methods. In the beginning of the introduction; I mentioned, Pakistan is being facing and trying to coup with the problem of religious extremism and lack of democracy, which contradict with the core idea of functional public sphere. In Pakistans political history, there are only some junctures where public opinion has truly altered the political landscape; one of them is former chief justice of Pakistan restoration through nonviolent campaign and civic activism. According to Ahmed, Z. and Stephan, M. 2010) Poor governance, fear of regime repression and terrorist violence are barriers to effective civic activism inside Pakistan. Yet-- a massive grassroots campaign led by lawyers-- whose insistence on the rule of law and embrace of nonviolent struggle captured the hearts and minds of millions of Pakistanis, helped transform the country's political landscape in unexpected ways-- the lawyers' movement highlights the steadily growing strength of Pakistani civil society have a potential to influence democratic change in the country. Political consciousness of civil society is being growing in the country but Pakistans public sphere was never been considered as functional and influential in regard of participation

13 | P a g e and equality among public. What N Fraser (1990) called in her post bourgeois public sphere work weak and strong public spheres. The lack of public participation in common good debate is due to several reasons; one of them is, prohibiting freedom of speech and expression in larger public, imposed by authoritarian rulers and by their eternal ally religious elite that not only reassures but extends this to subjugate the freedom of thinking. Talisse R 2011) more specifically talks about liberty of consciousness in his study on faith and democracy. The religious elite alliance with military has transformed Pakistan from possible democratic social state to security state. It is the irony of todays Pakistan. The same religious elite and clergies are biggest stack holders now in the politics of country that never supported the idea of Pakistan, perhaps they consider entire Indian region as Muslim heritage. Ghazali 1996) defines Pakistan struggle leadership came almost entirely from the Western-educated Muslim professionals. The Ulema remained, by and large, hostile to the idea of a Muslim national state. In spite of above mentioned Pakistani perspective, historically the rapport among religious scholars/jurists and government never had been considered as accommodating. Early scholars of Islam went through all sorts of persecution and torture. Issah H. Tikumah (2008) argues one will hardly find anyone of the pioneer Islamic scholars who did not face public torture and ignominy, prison or exile. Here, I would add and explain Nigel Crook (2010) notion of knowledge channeling elites seek to control and channel knowledge, but also manipulate the ability of people to reason and critique. On one side, weak and paralyzed civilian governments, frequent interventions from military and civil establishment in politics resulting week democratic institutions, feudalism and inequality in political process created an environment where, freedom of expression and speech has been excluded from the public sphere. Further, Niazi Z (1994) examines the effects of governmental coercion on the press, including the self-censorship most newspapers had to resort to, in order to survive. State control electronic media, long life prisons and torture to labor union leaders, opinion makers, politicians, public intellectuals, journalists and poets had created almost suffocating degree of restriction for citizens to explicitly participate in public sphere. On the other side, domination of religious elite and clergy in public space and in politics (Islamism). Radical religious imprints on socio-cultural public life, symbolizing religion as universal solution to all contemporary issues abandon the process of critical-thinking and reasoning from larger

14 | P a g e public. As study by Dietrich Jung 2011) The Muslim religion is represented as a holistic unity of social, political, cultural and economic institutions. Islam, according to their reading, is more than just a religion; Islam is a comprehensive, unique and unifying way of life. Above mentioned issues are prime reason for the week public sphere and its lack of influence on the public and as well on the authority in Pakistan. Taking above mentioned problems in mind, I argue that Although Facebook, is in its infancy in Pakistan but still capable of, and facilitates virtual space beyond imagination to think, criticize and discuss on the issues of the common good. It attributes a surprising amount of agency far superlative, which unshackles an individual from conventional family and peer pressure and at the same time liberate mass public from restrictions imposed by religious elite and authoritarian regime in a physical space. The enquiry about Facebook role as virtual public sphere is one of the basic goal of this study. It is important to consider and compare the optimistic and pessimistic views about Internet role in the context of the public sphere. Firstly, on the question of Internet particularly: Facebook as public sphere. Secondly, question about its definition and placing in or outside the public sphere As T Oblak 2003) observes These ideas could be broadly divided into two parts on the one side there are arguments that the new electronic public Sphere is merely a supplement to the conventional public sphere (Buchstein 1997; Hague and Loader 1999; Wilhelm 2000). While on the other hand it was argued that this was a radically new and different version of the public sphere Roster and Knapp 1997). I start with a short overview of discussions with pessimistic views about role of ICT and Internet in political public life. Dean, J (2002, 2003) claims in his study on democracy under the conditions of Technoculture, the notion of the public sphere is not only inapplicable to the Internet, but also and more importantly, it damages the practices of democracy under conditions of contemporary technoculturean extension of capitalism. Dean further questioned about Internet present drift from its earlier days rhetoric of free information, universal access and virtual democracy but also he support the Manuel Castells theory of capitalism in the networked society. He refers it as communicative capitalism. For early day Internet promises, the rapid growth of internet around the world and mass participation of public is an evidence of internet promise of universal access. After growth of mobile Internet devices and emergence of Web 2.0 Internet has proved to deliver more than of what was anticipated in early days of the Internet.

15 | P a g e I am in partial agreement with Dean on Castells capitalism of network theory. Internet is driving the profitability for corporate companies, Facebook and other social media outlets are generating billions of dollars in advertising revenue. According to Christian Fuchs (2014) they are part of the 1%. So why the 99% should trust them and trust that these companies will deal with their data in a responsible manner? Recent Edward Snowdens revelation of the PRISM surveillance system shows the dangers of the surveillance and vigilance. As in this case, National Security Agency (NSA) was accessing information on a total of between 18,000 and 19,000 user accounts in collaboration with Facebook1. Christian Fuchs (2014) mentions corporate and state control of social media as, feudalization and colonization of electronic public spheres. Block of Internet services, censuring and filtering of content and law suits against cyber activists are some of many. The second question is about its definition and placing in or outside the public sphere. It is crucial to know and define characteristics and functions of public sphere. The ideal Habermas public sphere and its continuous transformation must be taken into consideration. Once, the characteristics and function of Ideal public sphere are defined than I try to compare and contrast with what I am arguing about Facebook as virtual sphere. I open my argument with the seamless horizontal access character of the Internet among life world or public, one of the most important characteristic of effective public sphere. Internet provides opportunity and fulfills the demand of horizontal function of the public sphere to communicate and interact not only to national but transnational public. B. Connery (1997) argues on the basis of analog and digital media characteristics that digital networks would transcend both the limitations and the antidemocratic implications of analogue technologies. He further adds the arrival of unlimited bandwidth in which the roles of sender and receiver blur, in which we would be able to communicate with unprecedented freedom along both horizontal and vertical axes (citizen-tocitizen and citizen-to-institution). On one hand vertical characteristics of the public sphere challenge the absolutism of the authority to confine its powers within provided limit. On the other hand, horizontal characteristics facilitating space for contest of ideas among the public. In Habermas terms, one

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/14/facebook-government-data- requests_n_3445174.html

16 | P a g e can say that Facebook has a potential to be a public sphere and life-world of communicative action. Public push and pull each other to form an opinion on common good for the society. According to Salvatore & Le Vine (2005) public sphere is a site of contests among and within public, authorities and institutions, to define obligations and rights of each entity within well defined limits.

Interweaving Two Folds

Before proceeding deeper in the study, I feel it is necessary to discuss my selection of the topic and preference to Facebook as an object and lens to study Pakistans public sphere regarding religious and liberal divide. What is the mutual relation of the above two folds? I open my argument by quoting Porta and Caiani (2010) concept of emerging European public sphere contestation is a crucial precondition for the emergence of public sphere rather than an indication of its absence. Figure-1 explains how ideas float from one layer of the virtual public sphere to another and from contest to consensus.

consensus

contestation of ideas acceptance/rejection on the rationality of ideas

Fig-1: Emerging Virtual Public Sphere concept

First, my selection of the topic is not accidental. I am member of an extended family, living far from my home country, friends and family, but always have feeling of connectedness with them by Internet specially Facebook and Skype. These sites provide facility to communicate and share information and media as well. It is worth mention here, on my Facebook page where I suppose to see my families and friends personal updates, post messages and share life events,

17 | P a g e pictures, and videos. However beside that, they share news stories and information from popular sites about common issues concerning general public. The social use of Facebook among large population of Pakistan is from appealing for blood donations and advertising for lost child to protesting drone attacks, these are the cyber equivalents of traditional handouts, wall chocking and public protests. Facebook is now a predominant medium for mobilization around political and social issues in the country. Second, Giving preference to Facebook over other Internet genre for example, blogs, video sharing, and other social media sites to study public sphere is not random. Here, I argue about my selection in briefly but later in a separate chapter. Where, I discuss in detail about framing Facebook as virtual public sphere. The level of social media penetration in personal and public life is enormous. Facebook use is currently ubiquitous in the country among young adults, who consider Facebook a default mode of communication. In terms of the number of active users, social networking sites have tremendous influence. Facebook alone has 1.1 billion (as of July 2014) active users globally. In Asia, it is fast becoming one of the regions leading social networks. Currently it has 59.6 million users in the region. In Pakistan, there are 29,128,970 Internet users as of December, 2013, 15.3% penetration, per ITU and 10,084,880 Facebook subscribers on Dec 2013, with 4.2% penetration among total Pakistani population. People who formerly considered as illiterate in sense of computer handling and use now can operate computer and use Facebook very easily, thanks to GUI and web 2.0 ease of use. Facebook came up as a multipurpose tool, having characteristics of all internet genre. Commenting, picture video sharing, gaming, virtual life, and more made Facebook converge junction of entertainment, education, and information on contemporary issues. Facebook poses an attraction for common man to professionals. Now let me turn to the other fold of the study, regarding religious and liberal divide. Environment of the Internet for religion and for religious is not new. The relationship of media and religion is historical, and complex in nature but worth to understand, on one hand from centuries, religion is using the media to communicate and propagate, its doctrine, ideology and message, to now living in a world where (Michael Ryan and Les Switzer, 2011) religion is
http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia.htm#pk

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represented and communicated, experienced and understood through the media-- According to Campbell H (2012) Internet never changed the religion but the way we see religion. She further examines about religious identities and shifting of religious authority as a concept from religious clerics and scholars to an individual. Huff, E Toby (2010) analyzes the historical perspectives of resistance by Muslims for new technologies In the case of Islam, from historical point of view Muslims have tradition of opposing new technologies-- prevented the use of the printing press, both in Ottoman lands and in Mughal India. But in case of Internet 2013) states Internet is contributing to Muslims what printing press did to Christianity in sixteen century. Esposito, John L, 2010) states As in Christianity, change in Islam is not limited to debates in theology and law but also involves struggles in politics and society, and at times violence and terror. Most of us have forgotten that Christianity struggled mightily over many centuries to bring about change. I am not opposing notion of reciprocal effect of religiosity on Internet use (Greg G. Armfield and R. Lance Holbert (2007) but New methods of communication have formed and utilized by Muslims around the world, for Islamic knowledge sharing and expression in the age of digital media what Sunier T (2010) noted traditional forms of religious knowledge and conveyance no longer match young peoples life and Jon W. Anderson 2003) addresses this as Pious middle classes are extending patterns of religious expression, seeking, and piety into new channel. Muslims feel, more than ever, the need to reflect on the religion and its education on contemporary issues and reconcile with their experience. The traditional knowledge and interpretation of Islamic text is insufficient to reach and guide believers. New technology provides opportunity to access diverse set of knowledge at local and at global level. Annelies Moors (2006) described this as bypassing of traditional religious authorities by highly educated and literate Muslim individuals who can access and read central Islamic text by themselves. Prior research by Ali B, Z 2012) has indicated that, these two contesting segments and their views are largely irrelevant to ordinary people and for lived Islam (popular Islam) which is very personalized, localized and contextualized phenomenon for individual believers. It is far different from and is neither representative by religious nor liberals. I claim, after the blend of

19 | P a g e private and public due to proliferation of Internet and social media, the magnitude and visibility of these contests have extended directly into the lives of the masses. Exposing and involving them in these contemporary debates. Involvement of ordinary public is redefining the qualities and boundaries of this virtual public sphere. Dale F. Eickelman and Jon W. Anderson (2003) explain it as a new sense of public is emerging throughout the Muslim-Majority states and Muslim communities elsewhere. It is shaped by increasingly open contests over the authoritative use of the symbolic language of Islam. New and Increasingly accessible modes of communication have made these contests increasingly global, even local disputes take transnational dimensions. These Increasingly open and accessible forms of communication play a 'significant role in fragmenting and contesting politics and religious authority.

Historical and Theoretical Point of Departure:

Theoretically my point of departure is taken from Habermas The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere (1989). In which, he typically idealized the public sphere with Western democracies of postmodern society and culture. Habermas theory is still a good reference for most scholarly work approaching the issue of public sphere. However, I am not using this classical model as a template for this study and at the same time the multi nature of this study requires numerous theories across the multidisciplinary fields. Simultaneously, these theories have strong ties with public sphere theory. As J Gerhards, and D Rucht (2002) describe more generally about link between theories of the public sphere and democratic theory. Accountability and responsiveness in the decision-making process is the core of the democratic theory; theories of the public sphere focus on the role of public discussion and debate in facilitating or hindering this process. This study contextualizes, Facebook role to facilitate larger public for debate and discussion on common good, by the help of the public sphere concept. Fuchs (2008, 2014c) elaborates The public sphere is just one way of achieving this aim, there are other social theory concepts (such as ideology, capitalism, power, democracy, participation, control, surveillance) that need to be used together with the notion of the public sphere in a theory of the Internet and society.

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The ever transforming and dynamic nature of public sphere always insist to redefine its meaning as Alan McKee 2005), explains The public sphere is not, of course, a sphere. Its a metaphorical term that is used to describe the virtual space where people can interact. The growth and developments of democracy and new communication technologies provides enough space to re-define meanings of the public sphere and employ it with contemporary democracy and culture. The public sphere challenges the absolutism and alters the structure of power. Public equipped with rights and know their responsibilities. As (Thompson 1995) defines [T]he transformation of the public sphere has to be examined in terms of the wider context of macrostructural transition processes. Thus, the history of the public sphere should not be treated as a free-floating development divorced from wider social processes; rather, it should be conceived of as integral to these processes. On-hand problem of concern is about compatibility of public sphere theory for this study. The phenomena of engaging and idealizing public sphere only with western democracy and culture, and its detachment from war and conflicts are noted by various scholars. As Z Gambetta 2004) observes, From a Habermass point of view, war and conflicts are the diametrical opposites of the process of deliberation that constitutes the ideal public sphere. However, my argument is different from this, contest and confrontation of ideas among public is essential to produce multiple solutions and methods on the basis of rational debate and critical reasoning. These solutions and methods are guide larger public for struggle against absolutism and traditional authority. As Eley 2002) defines in the absence of secularism, "The emergence of

a bourgeois public was never defined solely by the struggle against absolutism and traditional authority, but addressed the problem of popular containment as well. The public sphere was always constituted by conflict. Although, my argument is in favor of its western centric nature but it is not unique only to the western context. Eickelman D and Salvatore A (2010) discuss about later Islamic societies had witnessed the role of public engagement and participation in common good debate and it fluctuated by course of history. The concept and history of public sphere outside western democracy and culture is also well studied by Charles Taylor (1993), Calhoun C (1992) and Eisenstadt S (2002). They re-affirmed its traditional characterization and at the same time they

21 | P a g e also examine, from various angles, its comparability with long-term developments traceable in other civilizations like India and china.

Theoretical Frame Work

In this chapter first, I will try to discuss the basic theory and concept of public sphere, its ever evolving and transforming definition throughout the history in the context of expansion and development of democracy, social political milieu, public participation and advancement of technologies, particularly in media and communication. Habermas (1989: 60) explains it with reference to British public sphere development in early eighteen century with the development of press and its ability to confront with crown and state. A short overview is presented here and then in later part a brief discussion on the relation of public sphere, media, religion, modernity, secularism and conflict will be presented in theoretical way. The work of following authors is at the centre of my study; Jurgan Habermas, Charles Taylor, Casanova Jose, Abdolkarim Saroush and Talal Asad, to explain both the theoretical and the philosophical dimensions of the public sphere and role of socio-religiously divided actors in it. It is self evident that advancement of communication technologies has been altered the horizon of the public sphere. Its functions and qualities contract and expand accordingly. The ever transforming nature of the public sphere provides pliable approach to employ it in multidisciplinary studies. Scholar from diverse fields of studies conceptualized public sphere within their study and context. Public sphere as a concept has its own popular, philosophical and academic meanings. Floating from popular every day description as Furedi (2004) describes, information availability to the public: we say that its in the public sphere to pure philosophical links with enlightenment as quoted by Clemens (2005:374) at the core of the philosophical legacy of the enlightenment lies a vision of rational individuals governing themselves through collective deliberation. By means of critical discourse, self-interested or private individuals reflect on common concerns and discover the nature of the public good, justice, and truth.

22 | P a g e I am choosing meaning of public sphere between popular and pure academic definition as the nature and scope of my study rely on the analysis of the Internet discourse. For the Purposes of this study I adopted the definition of the public sphere put forward by Asad T (1993). He defines that The public sphere is not an empty space for carrying out the debates. It is constituted by the sensibilities memories and aspirations, fears and hopes of speakers and listeners. Also and by the manner in which they exist and are made to exist.

Studying public sphere within digital and boundless virtual environment of Internet offers entirely new meanings of the concept and makes its characteristics and meanings more fluid and vibrant rather than rigid. According to Alan McKee (2005) the concept of the public sphere is a metaphor that we use to think about the way that information and ideas circulate in large societies. Jrgen Habermas, An influential philosopher, sociologists and public intellectual. Habermas had long association with school of critical theory. Habermas's (1992a) conception of the public sphere promotes a rational theory of democracy. Specifically, Habermas (1973) is concerned with the legitimating, or "generalized willingness to 'comply'. His more than fifty years scholarly work explores connections between public sphere, democracy, reason, modernity and post secularism. He coined the concept of public sphere. He traced its roots in eighteenthcentury (post printing) Europes tea, coffee houses and saloons. Where, economically strong but politically marginalized citizens (bourgeois; lawyers, scholars, doctors, pastors, teachers, manufacturers, merchants) take part in conversation regarding the common good of society. His book was first published in 1962 and translated in English in 1989 The Transformation of the Public Sphere. An adequate amount of supportive and critical scholarly work has been presented after English translation of the book. The major criticism contributed by feminist writers on the exclusion of the women from bourgeois model of the public sphere. The nature and scale of my study never permit me to include these topics. According to the classical definition Public sphere is a realm of our social life in which such a thing as public opinion can be formed [and distributed]. Habermas idealized (over simplified) public sphere as autonomous, free from government and from other system-world institutions intervention with open access to all

23 | P a g e members of the society who form public opinion and act as public when they deal with matters of general interest. The structural transformation of the public sphere can be considered as a manifestation of the historically contingent nature of social order. Both the rise and the potential demise of the public sphere indicate that the transformative potential of public realms of intersubjectivity cannot be separated from the developmental nature of society. Put differently, the transformation of the public sphere has to be examined in terms of the wider context of macro- structural transition processes. Thus, the history of the public sphere should not be treated as a free-floating development divorced from wider social processes; rather, it should be conceived of as integral to these processes (see Thompson 1995: 71). Questions remain, however, as to what the main features of the structural transformation of the public sphere are and why they are sociologically significant. It is important to understand the relationship of media and Public sphere, as public opinion shapes and distributed by media.They are tightly interconnected and have very nature of both consensus and contestation at the same time.Then, try to see the link between public sphere and religion and in later part try to examine, how public sphere has evolved in Pakistan?

Functions and Characteristics of the Public Sphere:

24 | P a g e

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