Why is satire taking over Egyptian cyberspace, asks Andalib Fahmy A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song," wrote American author Maya Angelou. This quotation may reflect the beliefs of the hundreds of Egyptians who are participating in satirical social and political groups on Facebook and other social networking sites, in order to make fun of the social and political situation in Egypt. Groups like the "Popular Dictatorship of Antica El-Mehalabya" and the "Republic of Koshry", together with sites like Werakak and Werkstan, have been appearing since 2006, and there has also been a proliferation of satirical literature. Whether just for fun or for more serious reasons, the sites have attracted hundreds of members worldwide. According to Radamis Hani, managing editor of the United Journalists Website, Facebook has become the main site for Egyptians to express their opinions without censorship. "It is logical that these groups should be present on the social networks, as Egyptians like to use jokes and sarcasm to express their problems, especially when it comes to politics. They also may not have other channels to express themselves," Hani said. Mohamed Ragaai, a member of werakak.com, says that the groups have pros and cons. "The groups have one advantage in that they present the problems of our political and social life. However, they also have a major disadvantage, which is that by presenting these problems in a satirical way they leave our leaders and decisions-makers with a smile on their faces, instead of making them change their way of thinking," Ragaai said. "A sense of humour is sometimes required to relieve the tension and stress we are living under, but in dealing with a problem that involves our daily lives two aspects must be presented. It is necessary to know something of the context of a given social problem, and the author should suggest some sort of solution. Otherwise, the satire will come to nothing and may just increase the burden on the audience, leaving people to think that it is impossible to produce constructive change." Ahmed Nabil, a Facebook user, says that many groups attract readers because of their titles rather than their content. "Facebook groups are effective tools of communication between young people, especially at a time when young people are attracted more to social networks than to books or newspapers." "However, the satirical groups, especially the political ones, could be dangerous because many of the creators and members of the groups do not have the political knowledge to make reasonable criticisms of the political situation. Instead, they are satisfied with irony, making jokes about politics and criticising politicians without finding constructive or informed criticisms," Nabil said. "Foreigners can easily join these groups as well, as their content is public. But as foreigners often do not know the true situation in Egypt and do not have a clue about our political paradoxes, they may form a wrong image of Egyptian society and entertain incorrect stereotypes. As a result, the sites could convey wrong messages to their audience and also affect the country's image worldwide." However, the creator of the "Popular Dictatorship of Antica El-Mehalabya" site disagrees. He states that the group is not designed to suggest solutions. Instead, it is designed to help release some of the pressure that any ordinary Egyptian citizen faces every day. "Not everything should have a complicated goal," he says. "Entertainment can be a goal in itself. I got the idea for the group from the comedy Takharif (Doddering), and I set it up in 2007 for fun. I believe that Facebook is a tool for people to express themselves. Anyway, the site is not the real entertainer. The real value of Facebook lies with its participants and their activities." "Activities in the group increased for a year, and then started to decrease, which is the usual trend. I don't think my group has negatively affected Egypt's image. We are living in an era of globalisation, and no one can control the spread of information or the construction of stereotypes." For their part, the creators of the Werakak website believe that their site's purpose is not only to poke fun. According to the site, entitled "Werkstan, the Home of Werakak", it is meant to function as a kind of virtual Utopia in which users can meet to share experiences, news and thoughts about the world. The site is supposed to constitute a kind of democratic society that enjoys complete freedom of expression. "We acknowledge the shortcomings of our system and our ways of doing things, and we try to highlight what needs to be changed in a fun, clear, and decent way. Our aim is to deliver this message to others, so that together we can change our lives for the better," the site states. "We are not only in favour of entertainment, though we have room to share whatever we want. We also try to highlight solutions to our problems and to point out mistakes while suggesting ways in which they can be avoided and ways of doing things improved," it concludes.
