2026 – Page 23 – Virtually Islamic News

Tue 22 Shaban 1447AH 10-2-2026AD
UAE, UAE Digital

Epstein

Alleged UAE linkage here: Is this the torture video? 2009 "The American citizen is a former business partner of Sheikh Issa, and claims he, too, was tortured in the...

Thu 17 Shaban 1447AH 5-2-2026AD
Environment, Malaysia

e-Waste Malaysia

"Environmental group Basel Action Network in a report last year estimated that the United States alone exported about 32,947 metric tons of e-waste per month with Malaysia being the...

Thu 17 Shaban 1447AH 5-2-2026AD
Egypt Internet, Egypt,, Gaming

Egypt blocks Roblox

The New Arab, Egypt blocks popular game-creator Roblox over child safety concerns, 5 Feb 2026 “Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulation announced the ban soon after several senators called...

Thu 17 Shaban 1447AH 5-2-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence

RentAHuman

Considering Islamic implications of this … DigitalTrends, This bizarre job site lets AI agents hire humans and pay them for tasks, 5 Feb 2026 “The website, called RentAHuman, was...

Thu 17 Shaban 1447AH 5-2-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, Research

Geoffrey Hinton

Elton Jones, Tom’s Guide, Why the ‘Godfather of AI’s’ warnings about AI are getting serious attention now, 5 Feb 2026 “Geoffrey Hinton’s work on artificial neural networks made him...

Thu 17 Shaban 1447AH 5-2-2026AD
Academia, Poland internet,, Research

Islamic Religious Guidance in Eastern Europe

Reading List: Journal of Muslims in Europe, Volume 15 (2026): Issue 1 (Feb 2026): Special Issue: Islamic Religious Guidance in Eastern Europe I’m enjoying taking a closer look at...

Tue 15 Shaban 1447AH 3-2-2026AD
Bitcoin,, Iran, Iran internet, Iranian internet, Iranian Social Media

Iran Protests 2026 (updated)

As with earlier protests in Iran, I will be logging and writing about this, including its social media implications, in due course. The focus here is on internet-related issues,...

Tue 15 Shaban 1447AH 3-2-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, UAE, UAE Digital

AI UAE

UAE’s digital push intensifies: "Mohammed Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and chairman of the World Governments Summit Organisation, on Tuesday said AI was one of the four...

Tue 15 Shaban 1447AH 3-2-2026AD
crypto, Cryptocurrencies, Yemen, Yemen Internet

“Yemen’s economic crisis, banking restrictions on money transfers, and growing digital financial literacy have fuelled the adoption of cryptocurrencies.” #Yemen "Yemen's economic crisis, banking restrictions on money transfers, and...

Tue 15 Shaban 1447AH 3-2-2026AD
KSA, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Internet

Saudi Fintech

Interesting KSA digital developments in fintech and savings "Saudi fintech Hakbah is pushing to formalize one of the region’s oldest financial habits, jameya savings circle, as the kingdom prepares...

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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