23 September 2018

Virtually Islamic Blog | 30 September 2018 | 16 September 2018

Related Research

29 September 2018 11:19 Filed in: Religious Authority | Research

Richard A. Nielsen, Deadly Clerics: Blocked Ambition and the Paths to Jihad (Cambridge University Press, 2017)

I was interested to see information on this book, published in 2017. I haven't read it yet (just ordered a copy). Dr Richard Nielsen is also working on issues associated with religious authority and the internet. I will update on the book once I have read it.

Tags: Religious Authority, Research

Egypt: Social Media uproar on schools issue

29 September 2018 11:12 Filed in: Egypt Internet | Education | Social Media

BBC News, News from Elsewhere, Mickey Mouse expelled from Egypt schools, 28 Sep 2018 " ... Governor Marzouk's decree has come in for mockery on social media, with many users arguing that the authorities need to focus more on crammed classrooms and old-fashioned teaching methods."

Tags: Egyptian Internet, Education, Social media

'Islamophobic' tweet allegations

29 September 2018 11:07 Filed in: British Muslims | 'Islamophobia'

Independent, Conservative London Mayor candidate embroiled in new Sadiq Khan Islamophobia row refers to online centred row based on a tweet by candidate Shaun Bailey.

Tags: Sadiq Khan, 'Islamophobia'

Saudi Tech

29 September 2018 10:53 Filed in: Technology | Saudi Arabia

ArabNews.com, Saudi woman honored at technology conference "Sadeem Rashed Al-Marri was a winner in the Innovators Under 35 competition at the EmTech MENA emerging technology conference." Translates Arabic text into sign language.

Tags: Saudi Arabia, technology

The Muslim Undertakers of the East End

28 September 2018 12:51 Filed in: documentary | British Muslims

AlJazeera, Whitechapel, London: The Muslim undertakers of the East End, 26 Sep 2018 "A family of Muslim undertakers offers a glimpse into a vibrant community that the far right has tried to demonise." Digression from this blog, but a wonderful documentary.

Tags: London Muslims, Ritual, East End

Counter-Islamophobia Toolkit

28 September 2018 12:46 Filed in: 'Islamophobia' | anti-Muslim prejudice | European Parliament | academia | Research

Middle East Eye, Muslims in Europe facing 'hostility in everyday life', Islamophobia study finds "European academics and policy makers came together at the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday to launch what they describe as a "toolkit" to tackle Islamophobia across the continent." Toolkit link here: Counter-Islamophobia Toolkit – Prof. Ian Law, Dr Amina Easat-Daas and Prof. S. Sayyid

Tags: Research, 'Islamophobia'

Gender specific propaganda

28 September 2018 12:32 Filed in: Gender | 'Islamic State' | Tehreek-e-Taliban | Pakistan

Nikita Malik, Forbes.com, Why Do We Underestimate The Role Of Women In Terrorist Organizations?, 26 Sep 2018 "It is important to remember, moreover, that Islamic State was the first terrorist organization to spearhead a systematic campaign to reach out to women – using gender specific propaganda to do so. The group later inspired others, including the Pakistani Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban, or TTP) to follow suit and produce content tailored specifically for its ‘jihadi sisters’, and elaborate on their role in promoting the mujahideen (fighters)."

Tags: Gender , jihad, Radicalisation

Afaq - IT support for IS

28 September 2018 12:21 Filed in: 'Islamic State'

9News, The secretive IT unit helping Islamic State supporters hide in dark corners of Internet, 24 Sep 2018 "Afaq's purpose is to help Islamic State jihadists and supporters to remain safe and secure online, while they actively recruit would-be fighters and spread violent propaganda across the Internet."

Tags: 'Islamic State', technology

SalamBrowser in Malaysia

28 September 2018 12:17 Filed in: Malaysia internet | Software

I discuss Islam-friendly apps and browsers in 'Hashtag Islam', and here's a new option: The Star Online, Syariah compliant web browser aims to make the Internet a better place, Sep 28 2018 "… SalamBrowser, touted as the world’s first syariah-compliant web browser, which Salam Web claims will eliminate inappropriate content from the search results." There have been several attempts at this kind of browser product before, so it will be interesting to see how effective it is compared with mainstream products.

Tags: apps, browsers, Malaysia

FlockWatch

27 September 2018 13:16 Filed in: Research | Software

Sam Jackson, Vox-Pol, FlockWatch: Tracking Changes in Language in Text Datasets Over Time, 26 Sep 2018

Important research tool discussed by its developer, which allows for language flexibility in data capture. I haven't tried FlockWatch yet.

Tags: Software, Research

Prisons and Radicalisation

27 September 2018 13:12 Filed in: Radicalisation | Research

Independent, How British prisons became a breeding ground for Islamist extremism "Ian Acheson, a former prison governor who led the review, told The Independent that a “lethal combination of arrogance and ineptitude at the top meant that the scale of the problem was not remotely understood”."

Useful summary with links to reports.

Tags: Research, Radicalisation, Prisons

Mosul Eye

27 September 2018 13:06 Filed in: Iraq | Blogging | 'Islamic State'

Guardian, Lucy Lamble, Small Changes, The Mosul historian who risked his life to blog about life under Isis – podcast, 26 Sep 2018 "When his beloved city was occupied by Islamic State, Iraqi Omar Mohammed was determined to document every atrocity – as anonymous blogger Mosul Eye" Essential listening

Tags: 'Islamic State', blogging, Iraq

Facebook recruiters jailed

27 September 2018 13:03 Filed in: Spain internet | Social Media | Radicalisation

Agence France Presse, The Daily Star, Spain court gives Facebook Daesh recruiters prison sentences, 26 Sep 2018 "A Spanish court has sentenced four people to prison terms of up to seven years for recruiting and indoctrinating supporters, mainly young Muslim women, for Daesh (ISIS) via Facebook."

Tags: Radicalisation, Social media, Spain internet

'One Day in the Haram'

27 September 2018 12:53 Filed in: hajj | Pilgrimage | umrah

Review of 'One Day in the Haram':

Leslie Felperin, Guardian, One Day in the Haram review – a fascinating glimpse inside Islam's holiest site, 6 Sep 2018

"A trip to the mosque’s social media office offers an insight into how modern technology is used to service ancient traditions, and that tension between old and new is woven throughout the movie, which is in itself an artefact representative of that duality."

I discuss the issue of social media and pilgrimage in 'Hashtag Islam'.

I'm looking forward to seeing this. As it stands in the UK, it is only available on Amazon Prime at present. I'm hoping that a DVD release is imminent.

Tags: Pilgrimage, hajj, Films, umrah, Social media

Facebook recruiters jailed

27 September 2018 12:44 Filed in: Spain internet | Radicalisation

Agence France Presse/The Daily Star, Spain court gives Facebook Daesh recruiters prison sentences, 26 Sep 2018

"A Spanish court has sentenced four people to prison terms of up to seven years for recruiting and indoctrinating supporters, mainly young Muslim women, for Daesh (ISIS) via Facebook."

Tags: Radicalisation, Spain internet, Prosecutions

Countering Islamist Radicalisation in Germany

27 September 2018 12:41 Filed in: Germany | Radicalisation

New and noted: ICCT, Countering Islamist Radicalisation in Germany – A Guide to Germany’s Growing Prevention Infrastructure refers to Behnam T., Said and Hazim Fouad. “Countering Islamist Radicalisation in Germany – A Guide to Germany’s Growing Prevention Infrastructure.” The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague 9 (2018). [Haven't read this yet]

Tags: Radicalisation, Germany, Research

Does not translate

27 September 2018 12:39 Filed in: apps

BBC, How translation apps iron out embarrassing gaffes, 25 Sep 2018

Virtually Islamic Blog

Gary R. Bunt

Related Research

Egypt: Social Media uproar on schools issue

'Islamophobic' tweet allegations

Saudi Tech

The Muslim Undertakers of the East End

Counter-Islamophobia Toolkit

Gender specific propaganda

Afaq - IT support for IS

SalamBrowser in Malaysia

FlockWatch

Prisons and Radicalisation

Mosul Eye

Facebook recruiters jailed

'One Day in the Haram'

Facebook recruiters jailed

Countering Islamist Radicalisation in Germany

Does not translate

virtuallyislamic.com

Gary R. Bunt

'Hashtag Islam: How Cyber-Islamic Environments Are Transforming Religious Authority'

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