June 2026 – Virtually Islamic News

Tue 15 Muharram 1448AH 30-6-2026AD
Indonesia, Indonesia Internet

Gojek Founder Jailed

This is a big story relating to digital Indonesia … “Nadiem Makarim, 41, was found guilty of corruption over a controversial laptop deal. He received a 10-year prison sentence,...

Mon 14 Muharram 1448AH 29-6-2026AD
Apps, Palestine

UpScrolled Profiled

“”I looked at the social media landscape, and I was seeing people’s voices being suppressed, silenced, and people getting deactivated from these platforms, only for speaking out about Palestine,...

Mon 14 Muharram 1448AH 29-6-2026AD
Conferences, Research

Islam and Digitality Conference

Details of a forthcoming conference “Islam & Digitality: Media, Materiality, and Hermeneutics” on July 10 and 11 at Goethe University. The programme has a QR Code for online observation....

Mon 14 Muharram 1448AH 29-6-2026AD
Afghanistan, Afghanistan Internet, Gender, Human Rights, Taliban

Also see: RFE/RL, Taliban Smashes Smartphones As Restrictions Deepen In Afghanistan, 21 Jun 2026 “The Taliban has begun restricting the use of smartphones by government employees, although the order...

Mon 14 Muharram 1448AH 29-6-2026AD
Cyber Security, Iran, Iran internet

Iran cyberattacks intensify

Mon 14 Muharram 1448AH 29-6-2026AD
Abu Dhabi, Artificial Intelligence

AI Abu Dhabi Strategies

Jenna Kleinwort, DW, How the Iran war has disrupted Abu Dhabi’s AI strategy, 26 Jun 2026 “”Despite massive investments, much of the region’s AI ecosystem continues to rely on...

Sat 12 Muharram 1448AH 27-6-2026AD
Indonesia, Indonesia Internet

Indonesia Social Media Deactivation

Fri 11 Muharram 1448AH 26-6-2026AD
Dubai Internet, UAE, UAE Digital

Dubai Online Concerns

Coverage of cases associated with Dubai (with online elements):

Fri 11 Muharram 1448AH 26-6-2026AD
Somalia internet

Somalia Online

Thu 10 Muharram 1448AH 25-6-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, Religious Authority, Research

AI and Islamic Jurisprudence

Looks interesting (haven’t read it yet). Free to download too. Muhammed Ameen Fazal, AI and Islamic Jurisprudence: Re-reading Contemporary Fatwās forEthical Possibilities in Techno-Social Forms of Life, Islamic Studies...

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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