Mark Zuckerberg expresses solidarity with Muslims

Though a post from Zuckerberg is not sufficient to alter national policy, the fact that Facebook is clearly standing in support of Muslims will play an important role in setting the tone of online discourse.

“As I always express on different platforms, Islam is a religion of peace”.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg manifested his support to the Muslim community through a post in his personal Facebook profile.

The US is facing a new wave of Islamophobia triggered by the recent attacks in Paris and California as well as the divisive rhetoric adopted by US presidential candidates in the wake of those attacks. He had blocked Twitter and YouTube before the elections. He explained that in a Jewish upbringing, his parents taught him to always “stand up against attacks on all communities”. In a Q&A conducted in January of this year, he stated that Facebook can be a tool for free communication, promoting people’s civil rights, even in areas where freedom of speech is limited. “Having a child has given us hope, but we hate seeing all of this hate”.

Facebook, with 1.44 billion monthly active users, is very much an worldwide marketplace of ideas. “As long as we stand together and see the good in each other, we can build a better world for all people”, the Facebook founder said.

Comments from the Facebook community have been largely supportive Zuckerberg’s statement. Mr. Zuckerberg’s post supporting Muslims got almost 250,000 Likes within an hour, with almost 30,000 shares. While some criticized the post for being a bit overdue, many praised Mr. Zuckerberg’s input.