March 2023 – Page 6 – Virtually Islamic News

Wed 23 Shaban 1444AH 15-3-2023AD
Censorship, Cinema, Malaysia Internet, Streaming Media

‘Mentega Terbang’

Hadi Azmi, SCMP, Malaysia filmmakers face fury of religious conservatives as Mentega Terbang becomes latest cultural war target “A belated backlash against 2021 film ‘Mentega Terbang’ on charges of...

Wed 23 Shaban 1444AH 15-3-2023AD
British Muslims, e-commerce, Fatwas, Mecca, Ramadan, Wales

Kaaba Gold Bar

Holly Patrick, The Independent, Royal Mint launches gold bar so Muslims can ‘give the gift of gold during Eid’ The Royal Mint has created a gold bar ahead of...

Tue 22 Shaban 1444AH 14-3-2023AD
LGBTQ+, TikTok

TikTok Issues

Al Jazeera, Muslim TikTok comedian ‘attacked’ over Jeffrey Marsh criticism, 14 Mar 2023. “Shumirun Nessa says she has faced a backlash that has spilled into the real world after...

Tue 22 Shaban 1444AH 14-3-2023AD
'Islamic State'

Pro-ISIS Magazines

Counter Extremism Project, Extremist Content Online: White Supremacist Propaganda Video Amasses Nearly Quarter Million Views On Twitter ” … a group called Al Jauhar Media Center released a new...

Tue 22 Shaban 1444AH 14-3-2023AD
Gaming, Pakistan Internet, Scams

Pakistan Digital Economy ‘Scammed’

Zuha Siddiqui, Wired, Scams Are Ruining Pakistan’s Digital Economy, 14 Mar 2023 “Ecommerce is booming, but as one gaming group found out, there are few protections for buyers.”

Mon 21 Shaban 1444AH 13-3-2023AD
Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, Research

Building ChatGPT

As I’m writing about ChatGPT and AI, this is of particular interest: Will Douglas Heaven, MIT Technological Review, The inside story of how ChatGPT was built from the people...

Mon 21 Shaban 1444AH 13-3-2023AD
Migration, Politics, Racism, Tunisia

Tunisia and anti-migrant sentiments

These issues are also playing out online. Hopefully this is being captured by researchers. Nesrine Malik, Opinion Piece, The Guardian, As the disturbing scenes in Tunisia show, anti-migrant sentiments...

Mon 21 Shaban 1444AH 13-3-2023AD
Turkey Internet

Responses to ‘the new normal’ in Turkey

Social media responses to the post-earthquake contexts in Turkey are outlined in this article, which also discusses the popular Güldür Güldür Show: Arzu Geybullayeva, Global Voices, The new normal after...

Mon 21 Shaban 1444AH 13-3-2023AD
Artificial Intelligence, Religious Authority, Research, Technology

Rebooting ‘digital persona’

So, I was interested in this story in terms of its implications for Islamic interpretation and legal authority (it’s not very clear cut on AI issues). Edina Harbinja, Lilian...

Mon 21 Shaban 1444AH 13-3-2023AD
Research

Islamic Art Network

#IslamicMonumentsCairo#ComitéBulletinsIslamic Art NetworkCrucial resource that has been around since 2002 created to aid researchers and scholars in the field of Islamic art and architecture.the project undertaken by the Thesaurus...

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 ‘Fake Journalism‘ Fri 28 Rabi Al Thani 1448AH 9-10-2026AD

Starlink Test Implications Fri 28 Rabi Al Thani 1448AH 9-10-2026AD

Virtually Islamic on Substack Fri 28 Rabi Al Thani 1448AH 9-10-2026AD

Iran AI Fri 28 Rabi Al Thani 1448AH 9-10-2026AD

Indonesia Online Gambling Thu 27 Rabi Al Thani 1448AH 8-10-2026AD

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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