January 2026 – Page 2 – Virtually Islamic News

Mon 7 Shaban 1447AH 26-1-2026AD
KSA, Saudi Arabia

Ghanem al-Masarir v KSA

Haroon Siddique & Stephanie Kirchgaessner, The Guardian, Saudi Arabia ordered to pay £3m to London dissident over Pegasus spying, 26 Jan 2026. “In a judgment handed down on Monday, Judge Pushpinder Saini...

Mon 7 Shaban 1447AH 26-1-2026AD
Books, Gary R. Bunt, Research

Islamic Algorithms Review

Mohamed Taher, Middle Eastern Librarians Association, Islamic Algorithms: Online Influence in the Muslim Metaverse: Book Review, 26 Jan 2026 “Islamic Algorithms provides a timely and thoughtful examination of how Islam,...

Thu 3 Shaban 1447AH 22-1-2026AD
Elon Musk, Grok, Research

Grok & Chemical Weapons

Scared? Perhaps you should be … Grok instructs users how to make chemical weapons – as LBC investigation uncovers the dark side of Elon Musk's xAI www.lbc.co.uk/article/grok…...

Tue 1 Shaban 1447AH 20-1-2026AD
Hacking, KSA, Research, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Internet

Hedayah Thon

Hedayah Thon …...

Thu 26 Rajab 1447AH 15-1-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, KSA, UAE, UAE Digital

UAE-KSA Issues

Analysis and opinion here (AI is in the mix): Analysis from @cinziabianco.bsky.social on KSA-UAE issues, which refers briefly to AI...

Thu 26 Rajab 1447AH 15-1-2026AD
Afghanistan, Afghanistan Internet, Taliban

Taliban Net(s)

Exemplary BBC report: “The Taliban’s supreme leader [Hibatullah Akhundzada] is a man with a deep distrust of the internet; he believes its content to be against Islamic teachings, and...

Thu 26 Rajab 1447AH 15-1-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, Elon Musk, Grok, Indonesia, Indonesia Internet, Malaysia, Malaysia Internet, X

Grok Image Creation Issues (updated)

Multiple Islamic issues surround Grok and its ‘appropriate‘ use. I’ve not used Grok myself (no plans to either): [image or embed] — Gary R. Bunt (@garyrbunt.bsky.social) 15 January 2026...

Wed 25 Rajab 1447AH 14-1-2026AD
Research

AI Energy Needs

Forbes, ‘Artificial’ Intelligence Craves ‘Actual’ Energy, Says Masdar Chairman, 13 Jan 2026 “The global economy is undergoing profound shifts driven by artificial intelligence but this engine would need reliable...

Tue 24 Rajab 1447AH 13-1-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, MENA

MENA AI

Overview...

Tue 24 Rajab 1447AH 13-1-2026AD
Influencers, Research, UAE, UAE Digital

UAE Licensed to Influence

Licensed to Influence #UAE...

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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