Virtually Islamic News – Page 134 – Researching Islam, Muslims and the Internet

Wed 1 Muharram 1445AH 19-7-2023AD
Climate Crisis, Greenwashing, UAE Digital

COP28 @UAE

CNN, Fake Twitter profiles, Wikipedia editing and PR battles: Inside the push to greenwash the COP28 climate summit, 18 July 2023 “The optics of a major oil-producing country organizing the world’s...

Wed 1 Muharram 1445AH 19-7-2023AD
Research

Blog Calendar

FYI I have added the Hijri calendar to all my blog posts. I hope this is a useful feature for readers. WP-Hijri provides the WordPress plug-in.

Wed 1 Muharram 1445AH 19-7-2023AD
Iran, Iran internet, Iran Protests 2023, Iranian internet, Iranian Social Media, Religious Authority

‘Iran’s Hijab-Industrial Complex’

Analysis/opinion. There are some social media elements to this discussion too: Kourosh Ziabari, New Lines Magazine, Iran’s Hijab-Industrial Complex, 19 July 2023 “Iran Open Data, a data transparency and...

Tue 30 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 18-7-2023AD
History, India internet, Indian Muslims, Instagram

India Internet Issues

Parth M.N., Instagram Posts About a 17th-Century King Are Getting People Arrested, 17 July 2023 ““What has happened offline has happened online,” says Osama Manzar, founder of the Digital...

Tue 30 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 18-7-2023AD
'Interfaith', India internet, Indian Muslims, Muslim World League, Saudi Arabia

Al-Issa’s Indian Sermon

Arab News, Muslim World League chief’s sermon writes a new page in India’s Jama Masjid’s history, 18 July 2023 “According to the MWL website, it was the first time...

Tue 30 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 18-7-2023AD
Indonesia Internet

Indonesian ‘Cyber Law’

SCMP, Is Indonesia’s ‘elastic’ Cyber Law wrecking ordinary lives, destroying small businesses?, 15 July 2023 “A man spoke out on TikTok about a religious group’s ban on his business...

Mon 29 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 17-7-2023AD
Sweden internet,

Sweden Text Burning Issues

Mon 29 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 17-7-2023AD
Human Rights, Iran internet, Iran Protests 2023, Iranian Social Media

Mohammad Sadeghi

Mon 29 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 17-7-2023AD
Indonesia Internet, Music

Voice of Baceprot

Matt Mills, Guardian, ‘Music lets us be the real versions of ourselves’: Indonesian Muslim metalheads Voice of Baceprot, 17 July 2023 “With sturdy riffs and Rage Against the Machine-style...

Sun 28 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 16-7-2023AD
Saudi Arabia Internet, Sports

Ronaldo-Majroor crossover

Arab News, Video goes viral after Saudis add Ronaldo’s ‘Siuu’ move to traditional dance, 16 July 2023 “Revellers in Taif who combined international footballer Cristiano Ronaldo’s well-known “Siuu” goal...

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:

UAE Data Centres Thu 18 Jumada Al Oula 1448AH 29-10-2026AD

Iran’s Hidden Web of Military Agencies Thu 18 Jumada Al Oula 1448AH 29-10-2026AD

Satellites above KSA Wed 17 Jumada Al Oula 1448AH 28-10-2026AD

Handala Hack Wed 17 Jumada Al Oula 1448AH 28-10-2026AD

Dar al-Ifta Haseen platform Mon 15 Jumada Al Oula 1448AH 26-10-2026AD

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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