Virtually Islamic News – Researching Islam, Muslims and the Internet

Lebanon flag (Image by jorono from Pixabay)

Tue 28 Rabi Al Awwal 1446AH 1-10-2024AD
Ali Khamenei, Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah, Houthi, Israel, Lebanon, Lebanon-Israel Crisis 2024

Lebanon-Israel Crisis (updated)

I’m focusing on social media/tech issues coverage of the crisis here. Check the earlier post on Exploding Pagers. Follow X @garybunt for updates on this shifting situation. Warning: sensitive...

Photo: Historic Palestine stamp showing mosque, and the word ‘Palestine‘ in Arabic, Hebrew and English. From Gary R. Bunt's collection.

Thu 23 Rabi Al Awwal 1446AH 26-9-2024AD
Gaza, Gaza Protests, Israel-Gaza Conflict 2024, Israel-Hamas Conflict 2024, Palestine

Social Media and Online Coverage: Israel-Hamas Conflict (Month Twelve) – updated

This is the twelfth month since the current Israel-Hamas conflict commenced. I have been keeping copies of selected online content since 7 October 2023. Many of these posts feature...

Thu 16 Rabi Al Awwal 1446AH 19-9-2024AD
Academia, Books, Gary R. Bunt

Review – ‘Islamic Algorithms’

Michael Dhanoya (University of Leicester) has written the first external review of ‘Islamic Algorithms’. It’s published on the LSE Religion and Global Society social media/website. Here’s a quote: ”Comprehensive...

Wed 29 Rabi Al Awwal 1446AH 2-10-2024AD
Gender, Influencers, TikTok, Turkey, Turkey Internet, Türkiye

Şulemsi TikTok

Kaya Genç, Rest of World, The Turkish TikToker teaching young women to be religious girlbosses, 1 Oct 2024 “With 2.3 million followers, Kayatürk, a makeup artist and entrepreneur, is...

Mon 27 Rabi Al Awwal 1446AH 30-9-2024AD
'Interfaith', Architecture, TikTok, Turkey

Istanbul’s shrines

Sun 26 Rabi Al Awwal 1446AH 29-9-2024AD
Anti-Muslim Hate, Anti-Muslim Prejudice, Politics, UK politics

Badenoch

Sat 25 Rabi Al Awwal 1446AH 28-9-2024AD
Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Internet

KSA e-payments

Nadin Hassan, Arab News, From cash to clicks: Saudi Arabia’s e-payments revolution, 28 Sep 2024 ” Imagine a bustling Riyadh souk where every transaction is just a tap away —...

Fri 24 Rabi Al Awwal 1446AH 27-9-2024AD
Arabic, Artificial Intelligence, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Internet, translation

Arabic AI ++

Nada Hameed, How an AI-driven platform is bridging linguistic and cultural gaps in content creation, 26 Sep 2024 “But what truly sets STUCK? apart is its ability to handle...

Thu 23 Rabi Al Awwal 1446AH 26-9-2024AD
Artificial Intelligence, Hezbollah, Podcasts

Podcast on pagers

The use of AI to create a fictional podcast about the pager explosions (!) … While interested in the tech, I haven’t heard it yet.

Screenshot: presentation by Gary R. Bunt showing an imam embedded with digital circuits. AI generated. Co-Pilot.

Thu 23 Rabi Al Awwal 1446AH 26-9-2024AD
Conferences, Digital British Islam, Digital Islam, Digital Islam Across Europe, Gary R. Bunt, Germany

“Islam online – offline – and beyond”

Last week, I participated in a fruitful two-day workshop on online Islam organised by Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Forschungszentrum für Islam und Recht in Europa – FAU EZIRE in Erlangen. The workshop...

Tue 21 Rabi Al Awwal 1446AH 24-9-2024AD
Hacking, Iran, Iran internet, Qur'an, Research, Sweden, Sweden internet,

Iran hack allegation

Reuters, Sweden accuses Iran of hacking messaging service after Koran burnings, 24 Sep 2024 “Swedish authorities said on Tuesday that Iran hacked into a text messaging service last year...

Islamic Algorithms – book cover

Gary R. Bunt, Islamic Algorithms: Online Influence in the Muslim Metaverse (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2024)

Explore the book

Hardcover and ebook editions are available now; the paperback edition’s publication date is to be confirmed.

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

First Comments

“Gary Bunt’s Islamic Algorithms explores the dynamic relationship between technology shifts and the evolving engagement of Muslims online. Bunt emphasises the unchanging core of Islam, adapting its expression to developing technology. A testament to Bunt’s brilliance in the ever-changing Cyber Islamic Environments, this is a must-read for those interested in Islamic studies, digital Islam and Muslim metaverses.” ―Eva Nisa, Senior Lecturer of Anthropology, The Australian National University, Australia

“A timely and insightful exploration, the book offers a concise yet comprehensive glimpse into the evolving landscape of Cyber Islamic Environments. From the serene halls of Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque to the potential realms of Muslim metaverses, this book takes readers on a journey to unveil the dynamic relationship between Islam and technology. In a world where smartphones guide prayers and iPads connect elders in study groups, Bunt shares a compelling and timely perspective on the evolving relationship between Islam, technology and the digital age.” ―Umar Ryad, Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Leuven, Belgium

Bibliography and Glossary