Virtually Islamic Blog

Gary R. Bunt

Religious Authority Online

Alexandre Caeiro, Daily Sabah, Cyber-muftis, digital fatwas - the ongoing transformation of religious authority

"The development of the Arabic internet in the 21st century has led to the proliferation of cyber-muftis and online fatwas. Although religious authorities were initially suspicious of the medium and slow to adapt, the most popular online fatwa sites today are connected to recognized Muslim scholars, institutions and state bodies. While this has reduced the potential for religious fragmentation that new media technology typically induces, it has also created new conditions and criteria for the performance of religious authority." Some familiar themes here.

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