2026 – Page 9 – Virtually Islamic News

Sun 5 Safar 1448AH 19-7-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, News

AI News Anchor

Arab News, Lebanese media group Annahar launches AI-powered journalist ‘Nahar’, 18 Jul 2026 “According to the media group, Nahar reads thousands of sources in seconds, monitors global developments, compares...

Sat 4 Safar 1448AH 18-7-2026AD
Academia, Research

John Esposito

The widely respected scholar John Esposito has passed away. His work has influenced generations of academics/students, especially works such as ‘The Straight Path‘, alongside his editorship of the Oxford...

Thu 2 Safar 1448AH 16-7-2026AD
al-Qaeda,, crypto, Cryptocurrencies

Crypto Advisor to Al-Qaeda Jailed

Wed 1 Safar 1448AH 15-7-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, UAE, UAE Digital

UAE AI Chips

Wed 1 Safar 1448AH 15-7-2026AD
crypto, Cryptocurrencies, Fatwas, Islamic finance, Islamic Fintech, Pakistan, Pakistan Internet,

Pakistan Crypto Issues

An interesting discussion point, which I will be exploring further in due course: “The Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi seminary, whose rulings carry wide influence among Muslims well beyond Pakistan,...

Wed 1 Safar 1448AH 15-7-2026AD
Arabic, Artificial Intelligence, Bahasa Indonesia, Research

Talking to Claude

“”When Claude speaks in English, it emphasizes different values than when it speaks in Portuguese, Indonesian, or Chinese,” company researchers said in a blog post. “The largest variation is in...

Wed 1 Safar 1448AH 15-7-2026AD
Twitter, X

How Twitter Changed

I recall the earlier days of Twitter with some nostalgia. Now I am reluctant to use it (for multiple reasons). Should I return to proactive use?

Tue 29 Muharram 1448AH 14-7-2026AD
Iran, Iran internet

Iran cellphone track hack

Tue 29 Muharram 1448AH 14-7-2026AD
Iran, Iran internet

IRGC Proscribed

There might be implications here in relation to online activities as well, especially in relation to ‘influencing’ action: “Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been labelled a threat...

Sat 26 Muharram 1448AH 11-7-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, Indonesia, Indonesia Internet, prosecutions, Relationships, TikTok,

TikTok Kiss Punishment (updated)

Updated: SCMP, At Indonesia’s sharia frontier, 21 lashes for a TikTok kiss ‘is our right’, 11 Jul 2026 “Footage of the punishment quickly went viral: an unmarried couple each...

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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