Facebook: Kashmir solved?
By Ria Sharma

Social networking website Facebook has 300 million members and growing by the hour.  Even as Facebook become a critical element of a connected world, it will face challenges posed by historical disputes.  Israel controls Golan Heights which it won in war but Syria wants it back. Russia and Georgia have clashed over South Ossetia. Parts of Indian State Arunachal Pradesh are being eyed by out totalitarian neighbour. Perhaps the most critical dispute is about Kashmir.  Indians describe Pakistanis as controlling ‘Pakistan Occupied Kashmir’ and vice versa.

It is a historical fact that Israel captured the Syrian Golan Heights during the 1967 war.  Israel has made it clear that the Golan heights can be used to launch an attack on their country and so they would only return it when they are sure that Syria is no longer a threat. Israel wants a treaty like they have with Egypt.  And Facebook got caught in the middle.

Locals in Golan Heights who use Facebook want to be described as Syrian.  While Israelis settled in Golan Heights for the last few decades want their Facebook profile to show that they are living in Israel.  Venturebeat is now reporting that Facebook has extracted itself out of this political/military stalemate by allowing its members to choose whether they live in Israel controlled Golan Heights or Syrian owned Golan Heights

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Until a few weeks ago, if you lived in Katzrin (also called Qasrin), a larger town in the region, it meant you lived in Syria according to your Facebook profile.

Not so anymore. People in the same town can now say they live in Israel after users formed a 2,600-person strong group called “Facebook, Golan residents live in Israel, not Syria” to lobby for the change.

Already, Arab news agencies Al Quds al Arabi and Al Bawaba are reporting that Syria may demand a boycott of the social networking site. Facebook already uses this approach with The West Bank and will probably continue it with other disputed regions like Kashmir.
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India and Pakistan have an informal agreement that the Kashmiri Line of Control is our defacto borders.  Perhaps, Facebook can formalize this informal agreement.