Gender – Virtually Islamic News

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

Taliban Clampdown

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...

Thu 11 Dhul Hijjah 1447AH 28-5-2026AD
'Red-pill', ‘influencers', Gender

‘Manosphere Messiahs‘

Some important, detailed coverage across the BBC World Service on this issue, including this documentary; it’s relevant here because of its online element. The subject is explored in my...

Mon 28 Shaban 1447AH 16-2-2026AD
Gender, Influencers, Radio

‘Muslim Women and the Dawah Bros.‘

From Radio 4, Currently, Beyond the Feed: Muslim Women and the Dawah Bros. One for my Listening List: "As young Muslims navigate this online world and its offline aftermath,...

Wed 5 Jumada Al Akhira 1447AH 26-11-2025AD
Gender, Sport, YouTube

From YouTube to the Ring

From YouTube to the boxing ring – impressive! 'They told me to choose between my hijab and boxing' www.bbc.com/sport/boxing…...

Tue 15 Rabi Al Thani 1447AH 7-10-2025AD
Gender, Radicalisation

Gender and Violent Extremism

Recommended: interesting research from @crexuio.bsky.social...

Mon 3 Safar 1447AH 28-7-2025AD
Balouchistan, Gender, Pakistan, Pakistan Internet

Pakistan “Honour Killing” Video (updated)

update on the Baluchistan “honour killing” – which has an online dimension … [image or embed] — Gary R. Bunt (@garyrbunt.bsky.social) 28 July 2025 at 14:22 Widely reported: Deutsche...

Sun 2 Safar 1447AH 27-7-2025AD
Gender, Influencers, Pakistan, Pakistan Internet, TikTok

Influencer Targeted

Lekshmy Pavithran, Gulf News, Pakistani TikTok star Sumeera Rajput found dead at home, 26 Jul 2025 “TikTok influencer Sumeera Rajput was found dead at her home in Sindh’s Ghotki district, Geo...

Sun 11 Muharram 1447AH 6-7-2025AD
Gender, Relationships

‘Virgin Brides‘ website

Janet Eastman, Telegraph, Exposed: The Muslim matchmaking site advertising virgin brides, 5 Jul 2025 “A Muslim matchmaking site for men to find virgin brides and take multiple wives is...

Sat 10 Muharram 1447AH 5-7-2025AD
Digital Qur'an, Gender, Qur'an

Female Qur’an Reciters

BBC World Service, Heart and Soul, Verses for Women: Egypt’s Quran Reciters, 4 Jul 2025 “Salma El-Wardany meets young women in Egypt using their voices to amplify their faith...

Sat 10 Muharram 1447AH 5-7-2025AD
Gender, Relationships

NikkahGram

This, from the Daily Telegraph, highlights the NikkahGram website and some associated viewpoints:

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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