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Social Media … F. Amirfarhangi and A. Ramezani / 31
religious hierarchies because is acquired, also both sides can
social media is controlled by find some commonalities to find
website owners as well as social out and follow the path to the
media users as publishers and truth and avoid any illusions and
critics. misconceptions about the other
For him, although the nature side.
of online communication lets In his view, certainty and
the users to distort information, truth are the ultimate goals of
social media can promote both of the interlocutors of a
interfaith dialogue; however, it dialogue; However it seems it
can be abused to promote is not true about all those who
prejudice while at the same participates in dialogues or all
time it can be used to combat those who use the social media.
prejudice and overcome In his opinion, the media of
ignorant biases. misinformation, distortion,
He asserts that “social media deception and sensationalism
should be integrated into interfaith corrupt the audience’s
dialogue so that it not only perception of the simple truth
contributes to positive political and as a result they are
change but also to furthering different from the purposive
interreligious understanding”. media that respect the ethics of
(Kessler, 2013: 1) those who quest for the truth as
According to Altwaijri, their first and foremost goal; in
dialogue is a medium and fact, both media and dialogue
media channels are used for have a common objective and
people’s interaction as readers that is to reveal the truth.
or listeners, for exchanging (Kessler, 2013: 1)
information and sharing So far the previous studies
experiences and viewpoints have discussed about the
between parties in a dialogue. problems both social media and
(Altwaijri, 2014: 14) interfaith dialogues have faced
In his view, through dialogue with; and they have focused on
the knowledge of the other party the positive role social media
