Virtually Islamic News – Page 135 – Researching Islam, Muslims and the Internet

Fri 26 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 14-7-2023AD
Influencers, Instagram, Iran, Iran internet

Iran taxes Influencers

Arab News, Instagram influencers and celebrities in Iran to pay income tax, 13 July 2023 “Despite being blocked in the country, Instagram content creators continue to operate.”

Fri 26 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 14-7-2023AD
Digital British Islam, Research

Digital British Islam – Insights

The Digital British Islam project has launched its Insights series of short articles about aspects of the project, with contributions from Dr Laura Jones, Dr Khadijah Elshayyal and myself.

Thu 25 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 13-7-2023AD
Arabic, Artificial Intelligence, Google

Haifa Alshammari, Arab News, Google launches chatbot Bard in Arabic, 13 July 2023 “Google launched its latest generative artificial intelligence experiment, Bard in Arabic, on Thursday, having introduced it...

Thu 25 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 13-7-2023AD
Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Internet

Saudia Social Media Storm

Arab News, SaudiaBEYOND ad featuring TikTok star Khaby causes backlash across Kingdom, 13 July 2023 “The now-deleted video ad, part of a social media campaign launched by the Kingdom’s...

Thu 25 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 13-7-2023AD
Gender, Iran internet, Iran Protests 2023

Gershad Iran

The National, Iranian women use phone app Gershad to evade morality police, 13 July 2023 ” … tens of thousands of women are now using a mobile phone app...

Wed 24 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 12-7-2023AD
Human Rights, Migration, Tunisia

Tunisia migrants under attack

Bassam Bounenni & Claire Press, BBC News, Tunisia migrant attacks: ‘They held a knife to my throat’, 12 July 2023 “Videos filmed by the migrants at the Tunisian-Libyan border...

Wed 24 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 12-7-2023AD
Hacking, Russia, Sudan internet

‘Anonymous Sudan’

Saqib Shah, Evening Standard/Yahoo ca., Who are Anonymous Sudan? Hacker group behind spate of cyberattacks linked to Russia, 12 July 2023. “Despite its self-proclaimed status as a politically motivated...

Tue 23 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 11-7-2023AD
Gaza, Israel, Latin America, Palestine

Jenin: Latin America Social Media Reacts

Eduardo Campos Lima, Arab News, Israeli attack on Jenin sparks social media war in Latin America, 11 July 2023 “Direct communication between victims in Jenin and activists in Latin...

Tue 23 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 11-7-2023AD
South Korea, Streaming Media

K-drama Controversy

Saeed Saeed, The National, Arab character on South Korean drama King the Land sparks online backlash, 11 July 2023. “In a recent episode of King the Land, streaming on Netflix,...

Tue 23 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 11-7-2023AD
Games, India internet, Pakistan Internet, Relationships

Gaming Skills

Business Insider, A married woman searched YouTube to find a route into India to be with a lover she met on a popular video game: ‘She was not impressed...

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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