Dhul Qidah 1447AH – Virtually Islamic News

Fri 28 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 15-5-2026AD
Research

AI-generated Disinformation

Marianna Spring, BBC News, Anti-immigration AI videos traced to overseas fakers, BBC finds, 15 May 2026. “One expert told the BBC that research shows people are worse at detecting...

Wed 26 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 13-5-2026AD
Gaza, Germany, Palestine

Watermelon Ban

This, from Germany … Germany’s intelligence agency BfV also classified the slogan “from the river to the sea” as extremist...

Wed 26 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 13-5-2026AD
e-commerce, Gaza, Palestine, Research

Gaza e-wallets

In #Gaza, e-wallets become essential … "As cash shortages intensified, e-wallet applications rapidly spread through markets, grocery stores, transportation networks, and displacement camps."...

Wed 26 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 13-5-2026AD
UAE, UAE Digital

UAE Cyber Factory

#UAE Cyber Factory: "The programme was launched by the Cyber Security Council, in co-operation with its strategic partner CPX Holding, in an effort to help the country counter the...

Wed 26 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 13-5-2026AD
Hacking, Iraq, Iraq Internet

eBay Hacked

"The shadowy “Islamic Cyber Resistance in Iraq – 313 Team” claimed responsibility for the assault on eBay, which reportedly triggered widespread outages and left users unable to browse listings,...

Sun 23 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 10-5-2026AD
Research, Shi'i Muslims

Digital Shiʿi Islam Methodologies

Akif Tahiiev, Digital Shi’ism and ethical dilemmas in the study of religious minorities on Instagram: Methodological reflections from the field. Research Ethics, May 2026 https://doi.org/10.1177/17470161261440 “This paper explores the...

Thu 20 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 7-5-2026AD
ritual, robotics, robots

Robot Adhan

We Are the Robots (Part 97) … Important issues emerge here, which I will explore in my next book. What is the legitimacy of a robot’s adhan/salah? Actually, that...

Tue 18 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 5-5-2026AD
Academia, Artificial Intelligence

Lecture ‘Slopification’

Lecture “slopification” is the latest dumbing-down education model …...

Mon 17 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 4-5-2026AD
Elon Musk, Iran, Iran internet

Starlink Iran

This is a significant issue in contemporary Iranian contexts. While there has been substantial focus (quite rightly) on the Lego and Minecraft pro-Iran videos (and other AI-generated content), one...

Fri 14 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 1-5-2026AD
Research

‘Dark Fibre‘ Iraq

Indranil Ghost, RestofWorld, Big Tech is moving data out of the Gulf through Iraqi oil pipelines, 1 May 2026 “U.S. hyperscalers secure “dark fiber” capacity along Iraqi land route...

Islamic Algorithms – book cover

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

Explore the book

Paperback, hardback and ebook editions are available now.

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Prof. Gary R. Bunt, 2026

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

Review by Michael Dhanoya (University of Leicester) in LSE Blogs

“Islamic Algorithms is a great contribution to the topic of Digital Religion …”

Review in The Muslim World‘ by Dr Akif Tahiiev of Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt am Main

‘Gary R. Bunts Islamic Algorithms liefert detaillierte Einblicke in die digitalen Räume von AkteurInnen, die sich auf unterschiedliche Weise auf den Islam “

“Gary R. Bunt’s Islamic Algorithms provides detailed insights into the digital spaces of actors who relate to Islam in various ways.*

* Google Translation

Margareta Wetchy, Gary R. Bunts Islamic Algorithms unter der Lupe, Machine Against the Rage

“Overall, Islamic Algorithms: Online Influence in the Muslim Metaverse is crucial to contemporary Islamic studies. The book is highly recommended for researchers, academics, and practitioners interested in the interaction between
technology and religion.” Reza Adeputra Tohis and Zulkifli Mansyur, Religion & Theology, 32 (2025): Issue 1-2 (Jun 2025) [PDF]

” … Bunt’s volume is an important step forward in understanding the importance of digital discourse to contemporary Islamic traditions and Muslim communities.” James Riggan, Reading Religion (American Academy of Religion)

“Islamic Algorithms provides a timely and thoughtful examination of how Islam, algorithms, and digital culture intersect. It is a valuable resource for scholars and researchers interested in digital presence of Islam, and digital culture both in theory and practice.” Mohamed Taher, Middle Eastern Librarians Association

Book cover: Dijital Dünyada Müslüman Olmak: Mecra, Kimlik ve Otorite‘

Gary R. Bunt’s chapter ‘Şeyh Google’dan Yapay Zekâ İmama Mı?: Müslüman Dijital Mecralarda İslami Etki ve Otoritenin Dönüşümü‘?‘ (trans. Necmiye Durmuş) is available in ‘Dijital Dünyada Müslüman Olmak: Mecra, Kimlik ve Otorite‘ edited by Mehmet Ali Başak (Eskiyeni). The original version was in

Scharia im Wandel edited by Mahmud El-Wereny and Alexander-Kenneth Nagel. (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2024).

Available from:

AI-generated Disinformation Fri 28 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 15-5-2026AD

Watermelon Ban Wed 26 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 13-5-2026AD

Gaza e-wallets Wed 26 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 13-5-2026AD

UAE Cyber Factory Wed 26 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 13-5-2026AD

eBay Hacked Wed 26 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 13-5-2026AD

Scharia im Wandel book cover. Showing figures reading, a stack of books, and the background of a minaret and mosque dome.

My chapter, “From Sheikh Google to ImamAI? Evolving Islamic Influence and Authority in Muslim Digital Worlds,” is published in “Scharia im Wandel. Beiträge zur Transformation islamischer Autorität im Spannungsfeld von Kodifikation, Migration und Digitalisierung,” edited by Mahmud El-Wereny and Alexander-Kenneth Nagel. (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2024). Studies on Islamic Cultural and Intellectual History, Noorhaidi Hasan et al.

The book is the result of a 2022 conference at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

A Turkish version of the chapter is in preparation for publication in 2026.

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