Research
Beyond Banglatown
A trip to Brick Lane via an important report and video Discover More…
Beyond Banglatown
A trip to Brick Lane via an important report and video Discover More…
“Islamist terrorism” and “jihadis”
Terminology concerns apply to academic discussion as well … Discover More…
'IS'/COVID-19 Narratives
Chelsea Daymon, Meili Criezis, CTC Sentinel, Pandemic Narratives: Pro-Islamic State Media and the Coronavirus, June 2020, Vol. 13, Issue 6 [PDF] (one for the reading list - I haven't read it yet)
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Discover More…
Indonesian Cyber Islam
New and Noted: Moch. Syarif Hidayatullah, Mohammad Syairozi Dimyathi, Abdullah, Zubair, Rizqi Handayani. 'The Cyber Islam Contestation In Indonesia'. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology. Vol. 29, No. 7, (2020), pp. 34-44. Available as a PDF. I have yet to read this, but it looks interesting. Discover More…
'Missionaries of Jihad'
Aaron Zelin's book details are here Discover More…
Webinar
I will be providing a seminar for this webinar series in September. Check out the other speakers here: Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies (AVACGIS) at George Mason University, Covid-19 and Muslim Religiosity: an AVACGIS Webinar Series
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Manuscripts Online
Islamic manuscripts available to view here - some wonderful material: Discover More…
'Islamic State' 2020
Latest on ISIS Discover More…
The Online Public Sphere in the Gulf
Good to see this has been published: Review of Middle East Studies, 53(2) Special Focus: The Online Public Sphere in the Gulf
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New Book on Jihad
06 March 2020 12:40 Filed in: academia | Research | al-Qaeda | Afghanistan | Jihad | Radicalisation | Abdallah Azzam
Research: France, Muslims & Net
- Mohamed Sakho Jimbira, Sens Public, Mobiliser les réseaux socionumériques
KSA Bot Army
20 January 2020 14:26 Filed in: Qatar internet | Saudi Internet | Turkey Internet | Iran Internet | KSA | Analysis | Research
Salafi-Sufi online contestations
PhD research Discover More…
#Disinformation
17 December 2019 16:40 Filed in: Iraq Internet | Lebanon Internet | Iran Internet | Influencers | Research | Analysis
Cyber Islamic Environments
Here's a piece in Geotimes by Ahmad Munawwir which takes a retrospective look at some of my earlier research (in Indonesian)
Discover More…Iran Cable Leak
18 November 2019 16:40 Filed in: Iran Internet | Iran | 'Islamic State' | Iraq | Research | Journalism | Kurdistan | Kurds
Leaked Iran cables in focus here:
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AICIS2019 Round-up
05 October 2019 10:02 Filed in: Indonesia | Indonesia Internet | Conferences | Research | Gary R. Bunt Publications
Discover More…Conclusion of an interesting week in Jakarta at AICIS2019:
Hijab and Social Media
New and noted: R. Kauser, Exploring the self-presentation of female Muslims, who wear the hijab, on the social networking site 'Instagram.' (Manchester Metropolitan University, 2019) [PDF] Discover More…
Hajj 2019/1440
12 August 2019 12:49 Filed in: hajj | Research | umrah | Saudi Arabia | Saudi Internet | Gary R. Bunt Publications | British Muslims | academia
A collection of links and resources associated with Hajj 2019/1440 Discover More…
International Cyber Terrorism Regulation Project
07 August 2019 11:31 Filed in: Research | Radicalisation | 'Islamic State' | Israel | Far-right | Analysis | Opinion
UN on 'IS'
07 August 2019 11:22 Filed in: Research | Analysis | 'Islamic State' | United Nations | Security | al-Qaeda
Conference - AICIS 2019
21 June 2019 17:12 Filed in: Conferences | Indonesia Internet | academia | Research | Education | Gary R. Bunt Publications
Muslim Pilgrimage in the Modern World
New from UNC Press, Muslim Pilgrimage in the Modern World, Edited by Babak Rahimi, Peyman Eshaghi Discover More…
From Battlefront to Cyberspace
06 June 2019 17:52 Filed in: Research | Jihad | 'Islamic State' | Radicalisation | Reading List | academia
Questia: 'Hashtag Islam'
31 May 2019 14:04 Filed in: Gary R. Bunt Publications | Ebooks
'IS' Research
22 May 2019 12:07 Filed in: Research | 'Islamic State'
Muslim Millennials Online
18 May 2019 23:05 Filed in: Journalism | Research | UK | British Muslims | Relationships | Religious Authority
China Surveillance
10 May 2019 11:41 Filed in: Uighur | Uyghur | Research | China Internet | China | Turkey Internet | Turkey | Social Media | WhatsApp | Security | Surveillance
- Isobel Cockerell, Wired, Inside China's Massive Surveillance Operation [important article]
'Cyber Sufis'
This week two important books about Islam and the Internet have appeared. Hussein Kesvani's book on UK Muslims and the net (previously blogged) and this new one from Robert Rozehnal on Sufis and the net. I was able to preview this, which is a really interesting read. It focuses on Inayat Sufism. Discover More…
'IS' Activity Profile
27 March 2019 17:13 Filed in: 'Islamic State' | Research
'IS' profile
23 March 2019 17:05 Filed in: 'Islamic State' | Research
Pakistan book
New book on Pakistan's Shi'a population: Discover More…
New Muslim Public Digital Spheres
Bibliographical information for researchers on Islam and Muslims online: Discover More…
'The Dark Side of Social Media'
01 March 2019 13:40 Filed in: Social Media | Research
'State of Hate' Report
22 February 2019 12:54 Filed in: 'Islamophobia' | Reports
Counter-Islamophobia Kit
22 February 2019 12:17 Filed in: 'Islamophobia' | Anti-Muslim Prejudice
Religion as Critique
20 February 2019 11:17 Filed in: Publications | Research
Book Launch - Religion as Critique by Irfan Ahmad . Another book in the University of North Carolina Press Islamic Civilizations & Muslim Networks Series (of which I'm a part of), which has been published in India by OUP.
Discover More…'Communicating Religion' Conference
19 February 2019 11:43 Filed in: Conferences
Forthcoming conference activity: Discover More…
Product Placement
Blackwell's have a page for 'Hashtag Islam'. Discover More…
Updated: Leadership, Authority and Representation in British Muslim Communities
22 January 2019 15:16 Filed in: Conferences | Religious Authority
'IS' Ideological Origins
17 January 2019 15:47 Filed in: 'Islamic State'
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
Populism, Extremism and New Media
11 January 2019 16:19 Filed in: Conferences | Research
International Conference on Populism, Extremism and New Media. January 11-12, 2019. University of Padua, Italy. Discover More…
New book: 'A Critique of the Abrogation Theory'
My former student, Jasser Auda, has a new book out: Jasser Auda & Adil Salahi, A Critique of the Abrogation Theory in Islam (Goodreads page)
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Pew Research findings
03 January 2019 12:22 Filed in: Research
Abu Ali al-Anbari
18 December 2018 13:22 Filed in: 'Islamic State' | Research
Assessing Outcomes of Online Campaigns Countering Violent Extremism
12 December 2018 16:44 Filed in: Research
How Islamic is "Islamic Studies"?
YouTube, How Islamic is "Islamic Studies"? Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, Distinguished Lecture
I haven't seen this in fully yet. Discover More…
I haven't seen this in fully yet. Discover More…
IS 'History'
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, The Islamic State Research Office's Self-History
Long read, with lots of interesting detail. I haven't gone through it all yet. Discover More…
Long read, with lots of interesting detail. I haven't gone through it all yet. Discover More…
Matthew Hedges' Case
Matthew Hedges Case Discover More…
Building Resilience to Extremism and Exploitation
20 November 2018 12:36 Filed in: Conferences | Research
I'm participating in the 'Building Resilience to Extremism and Exploitation' event in Cardiff on 28 November Discover More…
Research on search data
19 November 2018 12:09 Filed in: Research | Methodology
'Using Internet search data to examine the relationship between anti-Muslim and pro-ISIS sentiment in U.S. counties' research paper
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Discover More…
UNC Press Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks 15th Anniversary
17 November 2018 18:04 Filed in: Research | Publications
UNC Press 15th Anniversary celebration
16 November 2018 12:02 Filed in: Research | Publications
UNC Press is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks series, which I have had the privilege of contributing to. Great team to work with.
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Discover More…
Asian Image, 'Criminalising thoughts': How Muslims are being targeted in new Counter-terrorism bill
09 November 2018 12:50 Filed in: Research
The Cost of Crying Victory: Policy Implications of the Islamic State’s Territorial Collapse
Liesbeth van der Heide, Charlie Winter and Shiraz Maher, The Cost of Crying Victory: Policy Implications of the Islamic State’s Territorial Collapse report "In light of the territorial demise of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, this report analyses the continued risks posed by IS. " Discover More…
Islam in Britain blog
05 November 2018 12:34 Filed in: British Muslims | Research
I continue to maintain my Islam in Britain blog. Some of the materials cross-over into the themes of this blog. Discover More…
UWTSD Academic focusses on Islam in cyberspace with new book release
02 November 2018 12:14 Filed in: Research
University of Wales Trinity Saint David, UWTSD Academic focusses on Islam in cyberspace with new book release
"An international publication focussing on how cyber-Islamic environments are transforming religious authority has been released by a UWTSD Lampeter based academic."
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"An international publication focussing on how cyber-Islamic environments are transforming religious authority has been released by a UWTSD Lampeter based academic."
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Trump and Far-Right
29 October 2018 16:25 Filed in: Research
Trump and the far-right article by JM Berger Discover More…
Digital Middle East
24 October 2018 12:58 Filed in: Research
New book 'Digital Middle East' looks very promising. Discover More…
Research Archive
17 October 2018 14:34 Filed in: Research
J.M. Berger has provided an archive of research materials, via archive.org. Check this thread for more details. His book is recommended. Part of the archive is here
Google Scholar issues
Benefits of Google scholar, and their implications Discover More…
Can We Finally Stop Terrorists From Exploiting Social Media?
10 October 2018 12:10 Filed in: Social Media
Kalev Leetaru, Forbes.com, Can We Finally Stop Terrorists From Exploiting Social Media?, 9 Oct 2018
" … for all their public discourse, the platforms have taken little concrete action, reflecting both the economic realities that they have little incentive to invest in content moderation and the real-world complication that deleting terrorist content requires understanding context, not blindly deleting any post with a given keyword."
" … for all their public discourse, the platforms have taken little concrete action, reflecting both the economic realities that they have little incentive to invest in content moderation and the real-world complication that deleting terrorist content requires understanding context, not blindly deleting any post with a given keyword."
Follow Me, Akhi.
09 October 2018 18:45 Filed in: Research | British Muslims
Forthcoming in 2019
Hussein Kesvani, Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims, Hurst & Co
"What does it mean to be Muslim in Britain today? If the media is anything to go by, it has something to do with mosques, community leaders, whether you wear a veil, and what your views on religious extremists are. But as all our lives become increasingly entwined with our online presence, British Muslims are taking to social media to carve their own narratives and tell their own stories, challenging stereotypes along the way."
Looking forward to seeing this.
Hussein Kesvani, Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims, Hurst & Co
"What does it mean to be Muslim in Britain today? If the media is anything to go by, it has something to do with mosques, community leaders, whether you wear a veil, and what your views on religious extremists are. But as all our lives become increasingly entwined with our online presence, British Muslims are taking to social media to carve their own narratives and tell their own stories, challenging stereotypes along the way."
Looking forward to seeing this.
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.
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.
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
FlockWatch
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.
Important research tool discussed by its developer, which allows for language flexibility in data capture. I haven't tried FlockWatch yet.
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.
Useful summary with links to reports.
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]
Debunking Myths on Gender and Extremism
Rachel Bryson, Debunking Myths on Gender and Extremism, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, "In this collection of papers, experts weigh in on assumptions about women’s roles in violent Islamist extremism that hold back informed policymaking."
Building Resilience for Terrorism Researchers
Peter King, Vox-Pol, Building Resilience for Terrorism Researchers, September 19, 2018
While this is not my immediate area, I appreciate many of the points made by Peter King in this article relating to methodology and subject related 'fatigue' and stress.
While this is not my immediate area, I appreciate many of the points made by Peter King in this article relating to methodology and subject related 'fatigue' and stress.
Memes and Madhabs
Faisal Ali, On Religion, Memes and Madhabs 15 September 2018
"The memes started a few weeks back by Zain Siddiqi, a young Muslim from Phoenix, Arizona.
“It began as a bit of fun” he told me. “I really enjoy making memes, but I also enjoy studying Islamic law and different aspects of the religion.”
“Initially I just thought I would tweet one out and it would get 10 likes or something, and I would just go back to making mundane political commentary on whatever was happening” he continues. “But all of a sudden people were saying how much they enjoyed them and how much they were learning from them.”
Diversity in Islam approached through memes.
"The memes started a few weeks back by Zain Siddiqi, a young Muslim from Phoenix, Arizona.
“It began as a bit of fun” he told me. “I really enjoy making memes, but I also enjoy studying Islamic law and different aspects of the religion.”
“Initially I just thought I would tweet one out and it would get 10 likes or something, and I would just go back to making mundane political commentary on whatever was happening” he continues. “But all of a sudden people were saying how much they enjoyed them and how much they were learning from them.”
Diversity in Islam approached through memes.
Contesting identities within cultural insecurity
Currently taking a look at this interesting thesis, which draws on a number of elements associated with the study of cyber Islamic Environments. Kathleen Woodhouse-Ledermann, Contesting identities within cultural insecurity: The case of Muslim women in contemporary France (Rutgers, 2018) [PDF download]
Lessons From ISIS: Using the Internet for Counter-Terrorism
08 September 2018 17:08 Filed in: Security | Radicalisation
The Quint, Lessons From ISIS: Using the Internet for Counter-Terrorism "Bloom and Daymon in their research paper titled ‘Assessing the Future Threat: ISIS’s Virtual Caliphate’ join a chorus of other researchers such as Charlie Winter and Haroro J Ingram from the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) at The Hague in highlighting how ISIS has, by design and impeccable execution, changed the way the internet can be used for radicalisation.."
I discuss similar themes in 'Hashtag Islam'.
Also see Mia Bloom and Chelsea Daymon, Assessing the Future Threat: ISIS's Virtual Caliphate
I discuss similar themes in 'Hashtag Islam'.
Also see Mia Bloom and Chelsea Daymon, Assessing the Future Threat: ISIS's Virtual Caliphate