Online communities versus offline communities in the Arab/Muslim world
| Published date | 29 February 2004 |
| Pages | 41-54 |
| Date | 29 February 2004 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14779960480000242 |
| Author | Yeslam Al‐Saggaf,Mohamed M Begg |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Online Communities versus Offline Communities
in the Arab/Muslim World
1. INTRODUCTION: INTERNET
IN SAUDI ARABIA
The Internet was introduced in Saudi
Arabia1in late January 1999 after a long
period of discussion and consultation with-
in the Saudi authorities. These resulted in a
tailored version being made available to the
Saudi public. To enable this, a huge filter
system was set up in Riyadh in conjunction
with an American company. The reason for
having such a filter system was that the
Saudi authorities had serious concerns
about the arrival of undesirable material
(including pornography) on home computer
screens. Other cultural, religious and politi-
cal reasons also lay behind the decision.
Currently there are 1.9 million Internet
users in the country (Alriyadh, 2003), which
is about 10% of the total population.
According to a recent study, of this 1.9 mil-
lion, 51% participate in asynchronous
online communities (JeddahNews.net,
2004). The use of online communities, in a
country where Islam acts as a primary force
in determining social norms, values and
practices, is disrupting long-established tra-
ditions, enabling the mixing of the genders,
and making people aware of different ways
of living.
Info, Comm & Ethics in Society (2004) 2: 41–54
©2004 Troubador Publishing Ltd.
KEYWORDS
Online
Communities
Web-based
forums
Asynchronous
communication
Saudi Arabia
Ye slam Al-Saggaf
School of Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, Australia
Mohamed M Begg
Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility, De Montfort Univerisity, Leicester, UK
There is a major transformation taking place in the Arab and Muslim worlds. People in these nations are
poised on the edge of a significant new social landscape. Called the Internet, this new frontier not only
includes the creation of new forms of private communication, like electronic mail and chat, but also web-
based forums, which for the first time enables public discussion between males and females in conserva-
tive societies. This paper has been written as a result of an ethnographic study conducted in Saudi Arabia
during the period 2001–2002. The purpose of the study was to understand how online communities in
Saudi Arabia are affecting people. The results of the study indicate that while participants to a large
extent used online communities in accordance with their cultural values, norms and traditions, the com-
munication medium and the features associated with it, such as the anonymity and lack of social cues,
have affected them considerably. For example, many participants became more flexible in their thinking,
more aware of the diverse nature of people within their society, less inhibited about the opposite gender,
and more self-confident. On the other hand, participants neglected their family commitments, became less
shy and some became confused about some aspects of their culture and religion. These findings and their
implications for the Arab and Muslim worlds will be highlighted in this paper.
ABSTRACT CCOOVVEERRAAGGEE
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