Emerging Digital Technologies and the Future of Democracy in the Muslim World
Emerging Digital Technologies and the Future of Democracy in the Muslim World
About the Project
The Emerging Digital Technologies and the Future of Democracy in the Muslim World project, co-led by Shahram Akbarzadeh and Ihsan Yilmaz, is a three-year research initiative (2022-2025) funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation (AZ 01/TG/21). This project investigates the paradoxical impact of smart digital technologies on democracy within Muslim-majority countries, focusing on Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, and Egypt. While these technologies empower grassroots political activism, they also enable authoritarian regimes to enhance surveillance and control, posing significant challenges to democratic governance.
Project Team
Professor Shahram Akbarzadeh
Professor Ihsan Yilmaz
What is the current need or challenge?
The project addresses the dual challenges posed by digital technologies: their potential to promote democratic participation and their exploitation for digital authoritarianism. With widespread digital adoption across the Muslim world, there is an urgent need to understand how these technologies influence political communication, civil liberties, and state power. This research highlights the growing threat of AI-powered surveillance, digital censorship, and disinformation campaigns used to suppress dissent and manipulate public opinion.
What are the intended outcomes of the project?
The project aims to:
- Analyse how digital technologies affect democracy through case studies on protests like Iran’s Green Movement, Turkey’s Gezi Park protests, and Egypt’s Arab Spring.
- Examine the role of AI, social media, and big data in both empowering citizens and strengthening state control.
- Produce scholarly publications, including articles in Democratization, New Media & Society, and books on Digital Technologies and Activism in Authoritarian contexts.
- Organise workshops.
- Engage with policymakers, human rights organisations, and technology developers to provide research-based strategies for safeguarding democratic values in the digital age.
This project contributes to global debates on digital authoritarianism and democracy, offering essential insights into the Muslim world’s rapidly evolving digital landscape and proposing pathways for protecting civil liberties in the face of technological advancements.