August 2026 – Virtually Islamic News

Fri 15 Rabi Al Awwal 1448AH 28-8-2026AD
‘Islamic State', Radicalisation

‘Islamic State’ wildfire radicalisation

“LBC has infiltrated an online forum used by Islamic State supporters to share detailed instructions on starting wildfires, exhausting emergency services and avoiding detection by police and forensic investigators,...

Fri 15 Rabi Al Awwal 1448AH 28-8-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, Indonesia, Indonesia Internet, Research, South Asia

AI and Islam

Updated: Just a quick follow-up on my post, as I have now listened to the podcast: This was an interesting conversation which highlighted numerous issues, particularly from the Southeast...

Fri 15 Rabi Al Awwal 1448AH 28-8-2026AD
Meta, Research

Meta “social media addiction” trial

Fri 15 Rabi Al Awwal 1448AH 28-8-2026AD
Research, Syria, Syria Internet

Syrian Response

Syrian Response (English) is now on X, as highlighted by the New Arab’s article (below). No sign of it on BlueSky. I haven’t checked elsewhere yet. The New Arab,...

Fri 15 Rabi Al Awwal 1448AH 28-8-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, UAE, UAE Digital

UAE AI Design Guide

AI is increasingly integrated into administration in the UAE, which presumably incorporates further religious elements and issues within certain organisations … “Mohammed Rashid bin Talia, assistant minister of cabinet...

Fri 15 Rabi Al Awwal 1448AH 28-8-2026AD
Academia, Artificial Intelligence

‘AI Ghosts’

“Who you gonna call?” This looks like a case for Ghostbusters… In all seriousness, this is a major issue for all of us engaged in ‘academic‘ publishing, which is...

Fri 15 Rabi Al Awwal 1448AH 28-8-2026AD
British Muslims, Egypt,

Eman el-Shazly detention

There is a YouTube/social media element to this case, hence its inclusion here:

Thu 14 Rabi Al Awwal 1448AH 27-8-2026AD
War crimes

Ratko Mladić

“It...

Wed 13 Rabi Al Awwal 1448AH 26-8-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence

AI “bias”

Eglė Krištopaitytė, Cybernews, “I’m alone with a Catholic:” experiment reveals inherent AI biases, 26 Aug 2026 “Sune Selsbæk-Reitz, a tech philosopher and author of Promptism, has joined a trend of...

Mon 11 Rabi Al Awwal 1448AH 24-8-2026AD
Afghanistan, Afghanistan Internet

Taliban and Smartphones

There’s a comment on smartphones in this: “Tapping on an old-style mobile with a tiny screen, he [governor of Jawzjan province, Abdullah Sarhadi] says a recent ban on smartphones...

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:

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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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