November 2024 – Virtually Islamic News

Sat 28 Jumada Al Oula 1446AH 30-11-2024AD
Artificial Intelligence, LLMs, SLMs

Indigenous AI

This is a slight digression, but this subject is also relevant in discussions across LLM/SLM AI development in Muslim contexts. How Indigenous engineers are using AI to preserve their...

Sat 28 Jumada Al Oula 1446AH 30-11-2024AD
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Syria, Syria Internet

There’s plenty of online coverage associated with the Aleppo situation. Syrian rebels claim to have entered city of Aleppo www.bbc.com/news/article… [image or embed] — Gary R. Bunt (@garyrbunt.bsky.social) 29...

Sat 28 Jumada Al Oula 1446AH 30-11-2024AD
British Muslims, Food, History

‘Bangla Town‘ Documentary

BBC World Service, How ‘Bangla Town’ changed a nation’s food culture “Devina Gupta traces their history and flavours on Brick Lane in east London, where many people settled and...

Sat 28 Jumada Al Oula 1446AH 30-11-2024AD
Scotland

Young Muslims in Scotland

There’s an online dimension to this report on Young Muslims in Scotland. PDF available. It’ll be interesting to see how this correlates to the Digital British Islam project findings.

Sat 28 Jumada Al Oula 1446AH 30-11-2024AD
'Islamic State', Bahasa Indonesia, Indonesia, Indonesia Internet, Memes

‘CaliphateTok’

Jonathan Suseno Sarwono, GNet Research, CaliphateTok: How Islamic State (IS) Leverages Social Media in Indonesia and the Power of Counter-Narratives, 28 Nov 2024 “Propaganda by IS supporters in Indonesia...

Lebanon flag (Image by jorono from Pixabay)

Sat 28 Jumada Al Oula 1446AH 30-11-2024AD
Ali Khamenei, Artificial Intelligence, Disinformation, Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah, Houthi, Israel, Lebanon, Lebanon-Israel Crisis 2024

Lebanon-Israel Crisis (updated)

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

Sat 28 Jumada Al Oula 1446AH 30-11-2024AD
Iran, Iran internet, prosecutions

Daniel Khalife Case

Here’s a detailed read on the Daniel Khalife case: online elements to this case www.bbc.co.uk/news/article…...

Sat 28 Jumada Al Oula 1446AH 30-11-2024AD
Artificial Intelligence, Research

AI Research

This is an interesting thread on methodological/ethical issues associated with social media research. Here’s a really interesting thread, especially for researchers working on digital data … [image or embed]...

Wed 25 Jumada Al Oula 1446AH 27-11-2024AD
China,, Digital MENA, MENA, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Internet

KSA China Tech ‘boost‘

Alvin R. Cabral, The National, China Telecom could boost Saudi Arabia’s tech capacity at huge scale, 26 Nov 2024 “The Beijing operator is the fourth-largest telecom company globally in...

Wed 25 Jumada Al Oula 1446AH 27-11-2024AD
Abu Dhabi, Artificial Intelligence

Abu Dhabi AI Event

The National/Apple News, In Abu Dhabi, proponents of open-source AI development make their case, 27 Nov 2024 “Proponents of open-source AI models often say the open-source mentality democratises artificial...

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

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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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