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8 December 2010

Digital Hijra

- to FB or not FB, is that the question?

Written 6 December 2010 - (64 lines)

*

NOTE:
Hijra is Arabic for migration but generally used to refer to
the migration of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) from Mecca to
Medina in 622 CE, which therefore corresponds to 1 Hijra.

*

To FB or not FB -
Is that the question facing us?
The real issue, it seems to me:
Can we leave without any loss?

Many Muslims do probably give
Serious thought to whether there is
A viable alternative
To Mark Zuckerberg's services

Remember certain initiatives
Like that silly "Draw Muhammad Day"?
We all know that a Muslim forgives
Many insults but not that - NO WAY!

But apart from that I like FaceBook
It is a wonderful social tool
Yet does it not increasingly look
A case of the master and the fool?

Five hundred million users now
And half a million join every day!
Call me a cynic but could this be how
A creeping monopoly corners its prey?

Now, far be it from me to suggest
That young Mark Zuckerberg is a thug
But somebody might run a "special" test
And suddenly simply pull the plug...

DISCONNECTED! Then what would we do?
Where have all the friends now gone?
How would we ever again get through?
It may never happen - but it could be done...

Not to see it all negatively
But think of the problems it would bring
Too much inter-dependency
Is after all maybe not a good thing...

I am not really jealous but do confess
That I have no wish to boost the share
Or in any way further financially bless
The world's youngest multi-billionaire

Is a digital Hijra the way to go?
Of course it is easy to sit and talk
But if most agree (and time will show)
Let us boot our computers and walk

March out of here to some other place -
Any good ideas as to where
We could find a vacant open space
To camp and populate and share?

Move to MySpace? A homely name
But when you get there what awaits
Will make you run back the way you came
Before Billy MicroSoft shuts the gates!

But do not give up for all is not lost
Maybe this is a ticking bomb
We really could move at zero cost:
Have you heard of MillatFacebook dot com?

For such a migration to work and make sense
We should move more or less simultaneously
Some will no doubt get timid and tense
Fret about "living dangerously" -

"Better the devil you know" and so on
And find a good reason to hesitate
But critical mass needs more than one
So why not have an informed debate?

To FB or not FB?
The question is good but what to do
Is another matter entirely -
What do you think? Over to YOU!

*


Copyright © 2010 - IBRAHEEM (O.E.H.Johansen) - All Rights Reserved

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a tricky subject.
The offensive page was removed after Pakistan banned FaceBook. This shows boycotting worked. But then, thinking of the many people who had nothing to do with that offensive page, especially people from other religions who might have misconceptions about Islam and Muslims, and by communicating with them, I could correct their misconceptions, FaceBook has also its positives.

That was a wonderful poem.

Al Maha

Anonymous said...

i was fascinated like always by your poems but i think that boycotting facebook is not the problem because it's just a tool the real fact is that we have to change our selves by searching the straight path and being honest and sincere at least with our selves

NeoVerine said...

Very nice poem Ibraheem. Brings up some real serious issues regardless of how some air-headed individuals may take it. Thank you for putting into words what many of us have been thinking. A real community service through some inspired writing. Superb!

Shaikh Azizur Rahman said...

love it!

Halimah Ceesay said...

"Digigal Hijra"... I think about this subject a lot. FB is very interesting. I have learned so much since I joined. But I do think about how we could be manipulated by the owners and creators of FB. When I heard of them possibly charging members my immediate and consistent response is that I will not be conned like that. They can have it. Everyone wants to use us and take everything we have. So I suggest if we have good friends whom we would like to remain friends with, we need to get more contact info. on them. I know I'm not commenting on the mechanics, etc. of your poem, but only the message. Perhaps I will do better when my comment follows right after I read it. I'm responding to the essence of what I've read so far and not the particulars.

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