MENA – Virtually Islamic News

Wed 5 Rabi Al Thani 1448AH 16-9-2026AD
China,, MENA

‘Digital Silk Road’

This reads more like an advertorial, but it is still interesting:

Tue 24 Rajab 1447AH 13-1-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, MENA

MENA AI

Overview...

Sat 15 Jumada Al Akhira 1447AH 6-12-2025AD
Artificial Intelligence, Digital MENA, MENA, Nvidia, Research, UAE, UAE Digital

UAE ‘Factory of Intelligence‘

CNBC, UAE aims to be world’s “factory of intelligence”, says AI Minister, 5 Dec 2025 “The UAE’s Minister of AI Omar Al Olama tells CNBC’s Dan Murphy the country...

Wed 7 Jumada Al Oula 1447AH 29-10-2025AD
Digital MENA, Gary R. Bunt, MENA, Metaverse, Research

‘The Muslim Metaverse‘

Just found this interesting discussion: "The Pre-Upload Age: Welcome to the Muslim metaverse" by Raza Tariq in Dazed, May ‘25 (briefly referencing ‘Islamic Algorithms‘). www.dazed.me/opinion/the-…...

Mon 23 Rabi Al Awwal 1447AH 15-9-2025AD
‘influencers', Digital MENA, MENA, UAE, UAE Digital

UAE Influence

It’s interesting to determine the implications of this investment on influencers (however defined) in UAE and MENA. UAE influencer development...

Sun 15 Rabi Al Awwal 1447AH 7-9-2025AD
Digital MENA, MENA, Microsoft, Pakistan, Pakistan Internet, South Asia, Yemen

Azure Cloud Hit

An issue impacting MENA, South Asia, and beyond: Azure Cloud hit Microsoft cloud services disrupted by Red Sea cable cuts [image or embed] — Gary R. Bunt (@garyrbunt.bsky.social) 7...

Mon 13 Dhul Hijjah 1446AH 9-6-2025AD
Digital MENA, eSports, Games, Gaming, KSA, MENA, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Internet

KSA eSports Hub

Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, From fatwas to ‘Fortnite’: Saudi Arabia’s $38-billion play to rule esports, 9 Jun 2025 “Neom, the futuristic megacity on the Red Sea coast, intends...

Thu 9 Dhul Hijjah 1446AH 5-6-2025AD
Digital MENA, MENA, Saudi Arabia

KSA+UAE Tech Hub Developments(?)

Cathrin Schaer, Deutsche Welle, Saudi Arabia to become high-tech manufacturing hub?, 28 May 2025 “Saudi Arabia and the UAE avoided high tariffs imposed by the US government. In the...

Thu 9 Dhul Hijjah 1446AH 5-6-2025AD
Digital MENA, Israel, MENA, Saudi Arabia, Technology

KSA-Israel Technology ‘Ties‘

Assad Gilead, Jerusalem Post, Under the radar: Israeli cyber companies operating in Saudi Arabia, 5 Jun 2025 “A “Globes” investigation reveals that most of the Israeli companies active in...

Wed 27 Shaban 1446AH 26-2-2025AD
Artificial Intelligence, Business, Digital MENA, MENA, Research

AI Middle East (Report)

Alvin R. Cabral, The National, Many Middle East firms struggle to know where to start with AI, 26 Feb 2025 “A report from global consultancy Deloitte has found that...

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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