May 2023 – Page 3 – Virtually Islamic News

Wed 4 Dhul Qidah 1444AH 24-5-2023AD
Games, Refugees, Syria, Turkey, Turkey Internet

Turkey Anti-Refugee Game

Wed 4 Dhul Qidah 1444AH 24-5-2023AD
Iran, Iran Protests 2023, Iranian internet, Iranian Social Media

Iran Cyber Capabilities

Borzou Daragahi, Atlantic Council, Iran is using its cyber capabilities to kidnap its foes in the real world, 24 May 2023 “Iran’s cyber efforts have been steadily broadening. They...

Tue 3 Dhul Qidah 1444AH 23-5-2023AD
Digital MENA, MENA, Podcasts

MENA Podcasts

Arab News, Swedish Acast partners with MidEast podcast networks Sowt and Kerning Cultures “Podcasts are an estimated $6 billion market opportunity in MENA and have largely gone untapped. We’re...

Tue 3 Dhul Qidah 1444AH 23-5-2023AD
Saudi Arabia, Sports

KSA ‘Sportswashing’ Allegations

This is an interesting Newsagents’ podcast on Saudi Arabian involvement in developing Newcastle United, containing opinion and analysis. There are many opinions on this. One perspective comes from the...

Tue 3 Dhul Qidah 1444AH 23-5-2023AD
LGBTQ+, Malaysia, Malaysia Internet

Malaysia: LGBTQ+ Issues

Hadi Azmi, SCMP, Malaysia calls time out on Swatch’s pride collection: ‘No one likes LGBT community’. 23 May 2023 ““As a society, we need to ask ourselves: what kind...

Tue 3 Dhul Qidah 1444AH 23-5-2023AD
'Red-pill', Andrew Tate, Gender, manosphere, Masculinity, Podcasts, Radio

‘Muslim Manosphere’ Radio Programme

BBC World Service, Heat and Soul, The emerging Muslim manosphere “Rahil Sheikh speaks to young Muslims about how social media has shaped their faith. He finds out why these...

Tue 3 Dhul Qidah 1444AH 23-5-2023AD
Iraq, Kurds, Mosul, Podcasts

Iraq: Generation Invasion

BBC World Service, The Documentary Podcast, Iraq: Generation Invasion I recommend this programme. It shows the (literal) impact of the invasion on different sectors of Iraq society and the...

Mon 2 Dhul Qidah 1444AH 22-5-2023AD
Afghanistan, Films, Gender, Taliban

Bread and Roses

BBC News, Jennifer Lawrence Bread and Roses documentary gives Afghan women a voice “”This documentary was born out of emotion and necessity,” says (Jennifer) Lawrence, who describes feeling helpless...

Sun 1 Dhul Qidah 1444AH 21-5-2023AD
Drugs,, Human Rights, Politics, Syria

Syria

Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera, How important is Captagon in al-Assad’s return to the Arab fold? “From changing regional dynamics to a desire to put an end to a refugee...

Sat 30 Shawwal 1444AH 20-5-2023AD
Shi'i Muslims

Shia Voice

Hussein Kesvani, Hyphen Online, Tears and jubilation at the final of The Shia Voice, 19 May 2023 “Since its inception in 2019, The Shia Voice has become one of...

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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