August 2025 – Virtually Islamic News

Thu 5 Rabi Al Awwal 1447AH 28-8-2025AD
Indonesia, Indonesia Internet, TikTok

Indonesia TikTok Issues

Reuters, Indonesia urges TikTok, Meta to act against harmful online content, 27 Aug 2025 “Indonesia has summoned representatives of Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), ByteDance’s TikTok and other social media platforms,...

Tue 3 Rabi Al Awwal 1447AH 26-8-2025AD
Arabic, Artificial Intelligence, KSA, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Internet

Humain AI KSA

Digital soft-power in action: The New Arab, Halal-GPT: Saudi company Humain enters AI race with ‘Islamic chatbot’, 26 Aug 2025 “The company says its Allam model has been trained...

Thu 27 Safar 1447AH 21-8-2025AD
Artificial Intelligence, Islamic finance

AI Finance

Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, ProSocial AI Meets Islamic Finance: Values-Driven Tech Revolution, 21 Aug 2025 ”In an era where artificial intelligence shapes our financial decisions and Islamic finance emerges...

Wed 26 Safar 1447AH 20-8-2025AD
Artificial Intelligence, Mental health,, Microsoft

AI Psychosis

Zoe Kleinman, BBC News, Microsoft boss troubled by rise in reports of ‘AI psychosis’, 20 Aug 2025 “There are increasing reports of people suffering “AI psychosis”, Microsoft’s head of...

Mon 24 Safar 1447AH 18-8-2025AD
Artificial Intelligence, Environment, Malaysia, Malaysia Internet

AI Malaysia

Here are a couple of related articles which caught my attention: Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, A Fourth Path: Malaysia’s Quiet AI Revolution, 14 Aug 2025 “The recently concluded ASEAN AI...

Wed 19 Safar 1447AH 13-8-2025AD
Artificial Intelligence, Digital Qur'an, LLMs, Malaysia, Malaysia Internet, Qur'an

NurAI

Zetrix, Zetrix AI Launches World’s First Shariah-Aligned Large Language Model “NurAI”, 12 Aug 2025. (press release) “Zetrix AI Berhad (“Zetrix AI”), formerly known as MY E.G. Services Berhad, today...

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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