Virtually Islamic News – Page 146 – Researching Islam, Muslims and the Internet

Sun 10 Shawwal 1444AH 30-4-2023AD
Apps, Dating

Muzz Case

GG2, Muzz loses appeal against Match Group in trademark infringement case, 29 April 2023, “Muslim dating app Muzz has lost its appeal against a court ruling which mandated the...

Sun 10 Shawwal 1444AH 30-4-2023AD
Digital divide, Gender, LGBTQ+

Gender Divide Online

CNN, Opinion: An internet that women want? It looks like this “The internet has brought unprecedented access and connectivity to people of all socioeconomic levels in every region of...

Sat 9 Shawwal 1444AH 29-4-2023AD
Academia, Gaza, Palestine, Research

Encyclopedia Palestinnica

Sat 9 Shawwal 1444AH 29-4-2023AD
Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Internet, Sudan internet

Sudan Crisis

Fri 8 Shawwal 1444AH 28-4-2023AD
crypto, Cryptocurrencies, Gaza, Hamas, Palestine

Hamas Bitcoin Suspension

Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Reuters, Hamas armed wing announces suspension of bitcoin fundraising, 28 April 2023 “The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said on Thursday it would stop...

Tue 5 Shawwal 1444AH 25-4-2023AD
Gender, Indonesia Internet

Hijrah Movement – Indonesia

NY Times/Today, The young Muslims challenging Islam’s status quo in Indonesia, 24 April 2023 “There are no clear figures on the number of Hijrah adherents — many of them...

Tue 5 Shawwal 1444AH 25-4-2023AD
'Red-pill', Andrew Tate, Gender, Influencers

‘Muslim Manosphere’

Ikran Dahir, Buzzfeed, The Muslim Manosphere Is Growing And It’s Andrew Tate’s Fault, 21 April 2023 “Through his retweets, he claims he has been donating money to charities, which...

Tue 5 Shawwal 1444AH 25-4-2023AD
Indonesia Internet, Ramadan

Indonesian TikTok

Asiyah Llewellyn, Rest of World, Forget a U.S. ban — TikTok is thriving in its second-biggest market, 25 April 2023 “Over the holy month of Ramadan, Indonesian TikTok transforms...

Tue 5 Shawwal 1444AH 25-4-2023AD
Digital Qur'an, Mecca, Qur'an

Qur’an Recitation 1885

A welcome distraction from the news.

Tue 5 Shawwal 1444AH 25-4-2023AD
Iran, Iran Protests 2022, Iran Protests 2023, Iranian internet, Iranian Social Media

BBC News, Iran protests: Secret committee ‘punished celebrities over dissent’, 25 April 2023 “Iran formed a secret committee last year to punish celebrities who backed the current anti-government protests,...

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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