Virtually Islamic News – Page 162 – Researching Islam, Muslims and the Internet

Tue 9 Rajab 1444AH 31-1-2023AD
Egypt Internet

LGBTQ+ Egypt Persecution

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, BBC News, How Egyptian police hunt LGBT people on dating apps, 31 Jan 2023 “In Egypt, homosexuality is highly stigmatised, and there have long been allegations that...

Mon 8 Rajab 1444AH 30-1-2023AD
Mosques, Religious Authority

Imam pay

Hyphen, Low pay and high demands: the UK is facing a shortage of full-time imamsInteresting article, long-standing issue (going back to my 90s research). It also refers to online...

Mon 8 Rajab 1444AH 30-1-2023AD
Indonesia Internet, Music

Agnes Anya, AFP/Yahoo News, Hijabi ‘indie mothers’ embraced by young Indonesian music fans There’s a social media/YouTube link to this article about long-standing group Nasida Ria and their youthful...

Sat 6 Rajab 1444AH 28-1-2023AD
Egypt Internet, Music, TikTok

Mohamed Ramadan

The New Arab, Egyptian singer Mohamed Ramadan ‘breaks TikTok record’ for artists in Arab World “Egyptian singer Mohamed Ramadan says a hashtag bearing his name on TikTok exceeded 8...

Sat 6 Rajab 1444AH 28-1-2023AD
Arabic, Broadcasting Media

هنا لندن

“Huna London” – هنا لندن – for the last time on BBC Arabic radio – a beautifully articulate, calm & measured end to 85 years of history as the...

Fri 5 Rajab 1444AH 27-1-2023AD
'Red-pill', Andrew Tate

Andrew Tate

Rasha Al Aqeedi, New Lines Magazine, Andrew Tate and the Moral Bankruptcy of Muslim Proselytization, 26 Jan 2023 “Even though his lifestyle is directly contradictory to Islam, the convert’s...

Thu 4 Rajab 1444AH 26-1-2023AD
Hacking

‘Charming Kitten’

BBC News, Iranian and Russian hackers targeting politicians and journalists, warn UK officials “An Iranian Group – known as TA453 or Charming Kitten – has been linked by independent...

Fri 27 Jumada Al Akhira 1444AH 20-1-2023AD
Censorship, Iran Protests 2023, Technology

Iran – Big Tech Muted

Paresh Dave, Wired, Tech Workers Fight for Iran Protesters as Big Tech Plays It Safe, 20 Jan 2022 “Companies like Google have offered a muted response to unrest in...

Wed 25 Jumada Al Akhira 1444AH 18-1-2023AD
ChatGPT, Education

ChatGPT and Education

Here’s an example of how to use ChatGPT in an Islamic intellectual history course. I asked it a few days ago whether there is a critical edition of the...

Wed 25 Jumada Al Akhira 1444AH 18-1-2023AD
'Red-pill', Andrew Tate, Gender

‘Red-Pill’ misogyny

Article/opinion piece with significant online component: Nadeine Asbali, Glamour Magazine, ‘Red-pill’ misogyny is thriving – here’s how Muslim women are challenging it in their communities, 16 Jan 2023 ““Muslim...

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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