Tech Titans, Right-Wing Agendas & Vilification of Pakistani Diaspora

Mon Jan 27 2025
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Faisal Ahmad

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In a world of change—where the powerful in Silicon Valley and the political elites are often manipulating narratives to suit their selfish needs, a disturbing trend has surfaced.

As right-wing authoritarianism grows in influence, most notably via digital spaces, such interactions with truth, fact-checking and for a lack of a better word, public discourse are taking on this new and increasingly central role with their own agendas.

The voices of the wave are Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Donald Trump, each using their power to spread a divisive and often false narrative that harms the Pakistani diaspora in the UK.

Considering the Muslims, the latest moves from these tech moguls show a clear double standard in how they address the rallies on controversial matters in the circles.

Of course, the Pakistani diaspora in the UK, as a minority group making up no more than 2 percent of the population, is unfairly targeted and blamed for problems that aren’t actually reflective of the wider population.

What is stunningly overlooked in discussions about grooming gangs is that the vast majority of the people involved in these crimes are not Pakistanis but predominantly white, with over 85% of the perpetrators.

Arguably for all of their good and bad, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are at the move side of this false narrative. They are allowing their tech platforms to be hotbeds for the amplification of misinformation while pushing narratives targeting Muslims and Pakistanis, in parallel with the facts.

These platforms are not only helping promote anti-Pakistani sentiment but also helping far-right groups ramp up, more so than they already are, by spreading Islamophobia and racial bias.

As these tech giants bend the knee and modify their policies to match political power and suit institutional interest, tacking away from any sense of accountability and factual accuracy, the less they will cater to the basic needs of all people.

Zuckerberg has exemplified how it’s very easy for platforms such as Meta to destroy the accountability measure of being fact-checked recently.

This sort of misinformation has very real consequences in the real world, amplifying bad stereotypes and dividing people into fictions that serve well to those who lean authoritarian.

Much like Musk’s takeover of X, Zuckerberg’s actions are not isolated — and while we thought Musk’s takeover of X was used to weaponize platforms against critics, they’ll be used to destabilize democratic systems as well.

Instead of being tools of free speech and truth, these platforms have become instruments of manipulation and control.

Clearly, the manipulations were felt on the Pakistani diaspora. But at the same time, we again see narratives of grooming gangs that are increasingly being given a Pakistani slant and we are seeing a deeply unfair vilification of the Pakistani community in the UK.

But their case bears out the overwhelming majority of grooming gang perpetrators are not from their backgrounds, but facts are ignored in favour of one that positions itself conveniently with political and racial agendas. It’s not merely media bias, but a bigger, more sinister stalking of the fracture lines inside our diaspora communities.

At a time when external forces would divide and weaken the community, it is more important than ever that the diaspora stands together and does not fall prey to divisive political agendas.

In addition, Western powers’ own double standards become even more in the open when we take into account the Pakistani vloggers and political analysts are housed in the US and criticizing Pakistan openly.

These diaspora figures demonstrate how certain Western nations will back some and attack others of the same people. And there’s this blatant hypocrisy that exposes these broader geopolitical tactics that often play or undermine the unity and reputation of the diaspora community.

At this moment of most challenging times, the Pakistani diaspora must resist the lure laid by divisive forces. They have the most powerful tool to counter the false narratives that want to destroy their reputation — unity.

In conclusion, right-wing authoritarianism is fostering its grip on the global media and technology platforms to destabilize democratic systems and distort truth.

The Pakistani diaspora must deal with two challenges at once: combating false narratives and maintaining its unity in this chaotic environment. They will withstand these divisive forces only by waging a collective strength, solidarity, and determination to truth.

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