Human Rights – 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...

Wed 9 Shaban 1447AH 28-1-2026AD
Human Rights, Pakistan, Pakistan Internet

Pakistan Human Rights Issues

#Pakistan cyber elements to this widely-reported human rights case...

Mon 23 Rajab 1447AH 12-1-2026AD
al-Qaeda,, Human Rights, UK Government,

Abu Zubaydah

“The UK government has paid “substantial” compensation to a Guantanamo Bay detainee who was tortured by the CIA and has been imprisoned without charge or trial for two decades,...

Sun 1 Rajab 1447AH 21-12-2025AD
Human Rights, KSA, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Internet

KSA Human Rights

Rights groups condemn new record number of executions in Saudi Arabia www.bbc.co.uk/news/article…...

Sun 16 Jumada Al Akhira 1447AH 7-12-2025AD
Censorship, Human Rights, Indonesia, Indonesia Internet, Research

Indonesia and ‘digital freedom‘

Resty Woro Yuniar, SCMP, Jakarta vs the internet: Indonesia’s gamble with digital freedom, 6 Dec 2025 opinion/analyses “What happens when a democracy begins to fear its own internet? In Indonesia,...

Tue 13 Jumada Al Oula 1447AH 4-11-2025AD
Human Rights, Sudan, Sudan internet, TikTok, War crimes

RSF Sudan (updated)

Important report from Yousra Elbagir #Sudan @skynewsrss.bsky.social: “A Sky News joint investigation with Sudan War Monitor and Lighthouse Reports reveals the harrowing fate of civilians and soldiers who fled...

Mon 7 Rabi Al Thani 1447AH 29-9-2025AD
Afghanistan, Afghanistan Internet, Censorship, Human Rights, Taliban

Afghanistan Offline

The Taliban have turned off the internet: ⚠️ Update: #Afghanistan is now in the midst of a total internet blackout as Taliban authorities move to implement morality measures, with...

Sun 15 Rabi Al Awwal 1447AH 7-9-2025AD
Human Rights, Migration, News Media

Media Coverage Research

NEW: An Oxford report warns that misleading media coverage is shaping public debate on immigration and human rights. The study finds the ECHR is frequently misreported in deportation cases,...

Sun 25 Muharram 1447AH 20-7-2025AD
Gaza, Human Rights, Israel, Israel-Hamas Conflict 2025, Palestine, Pope Leo XIV, War crimes

Gaza in Crisis (cont/d)

Nick Maynard, a UK surgeon in Gaza, told BBC this morning he is seeing injuries cluster chronologically. Teenage boys are getting shot at the food distribution sites, but in...

Thu 9 Dhul Hijjah 1446AH 5-6-2025AD
Gaza, Human Rights, Israel, Palestine, War crimes

Gaza Under Siege (cont/d)

Multiple stories and issues are emerging associated with human rights, war crime allegations, and conflict, in which, in the absence of journalists, those on the ground are documenting digitally....

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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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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