January 2025 – Virtually Islamic News

Wed 8 Rajab 1446AH 8-1-2025AD
e-commerce, Indonesia, Indonesia Internet, Southeast Asia,, TikTok

Off their trolleys

Michelle Anindya and Lam Le, Rest of World, YouTube Shopping wants to unseat TikTok Shop in Southeast Asia, 6 Jan 2025 “YouTube has partnered with Shopee to launch YouTube Shopping in...

Wed 8 Rajab 1446AH 8-1-2025AD
Research

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

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

Wed 8 Rajab 1446AH 8-1-2025AD
Disinformation, Facebook, Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg

No Filters

Meta’s decision to remove fact-checking from its products will have significant implications (not least in zones associated with Islam, Muslims, and the internet. Imagine thinking that X is the...

Wed 8 Rajab 1446AH 8-1-2025AD
Elon Musk, Far-right, prosecutions, UK politics

Toxic Politics

No paywall on Andrew Norfolk's original investigative report from 2011 in @thetimes.com [image or embed] — Gary R. Bunt (@garyrbunt.bsky.social) 8 January 2025 at 11:57 The toxic triad –...

Mon 6 Rajab 1446AH 6-1-2025AD
Gaza, Human Rights, Israel, Israel-Gaza Conflict 2024, Israel-Hamas Conflict 2024, Palestine, War crimes

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

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

Mon 6 Rajab 1446AH 6-1-2025AD
‘Islamic State', New Orleans Attack 2025

New Orleans Attack

This situation continues to be updated: This situation has online dimensions, which I will track in due course. Update on New Orleans attacker New Orleans attacker wore Meta smart...

Mon 6 Rajab 1446AH 6-1-2025AD
Blockchains, Malaysia, Malaysia Internet, Rohingya

Blockchain Rohingya

Aidan Jones and Hadi Azmi, SCMP, Rohingya in Malaysia turn to tech to fight erasure, ‘have an identity’, 5 Jan 2025, “The project aims to harness blockchain technology to...

Thu 2 Rajab 1446AH 2-1-2025AD
Apple, Google, Indonesia, Phones

Phone Components Indonesia

Aisyah Llewellyn, Al Jazeera, Indonesia’s Apple and Google bans frustrate country’s tech fans, 1 Jan 2025 “Indonesia, the fourth-most populous country with some 280 million people, is one of...

Thu 2 Rajab 1446AH 2-1-2025AD
Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Las Vegas Cybertruck Explosion

Las Vegas Cybertruck Explosion

Full details on the attacker and his motivation have yet to emerge (at the time of writing). Whether it should be included in Virtually Islamic News is open to...

Thu 2 Rajab 1446AH 2-1-2025AD
China,, Malaysia, Malaysia Internet, TikTok, WeChat

Reuters, Malaysia grants WeChat, TikTok licences to operate under new law, 2 Jan 2025 “Malaysia’s communications regulator said it granted Tencent’s WeChat and ByteDance’s TikTok licences to operate in...

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.

Gary R. Bunt, 2024

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

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