Virtually Islamic News – Page 167 – Researching Islam, Muslims and the Internet

Fri 25 Rabi Al Awwal 1444AH 21-10-2022AD
Iran, Ukraine

Shahed drones

Morgan Meaker, Wired, Ukraine Enters a Dark New Era of Drone Warfare, 21 Oct 2022, “Once Ukrainians can detect the drones, they still need to figure out the best...

Tue 22 Rabi Al Awwal 1444AH 18-10-2022AD
Gaza, Influencers, Instagram, Palestine

Gaza Influencers

Maram Humaid, Al Jazeera, Homegrown Instagram influencers highlight Gaza’s plight There are some interesting examples in this article: Eid Yara Bisan Odeh Salma Shurrab

Thu 17 Rabi Al Awwal 1444AH 13-10-2022AD
Iran, Iran Protests 2022, Iranian internet

Iran Protests 2022 update

This is a compilation of posts on the Iran Protests, with specific reference to internet issues and social media: Al Jazeera, Iran top judge orders harsh sentences for ‘main...

Thu 17 Rabi Al Awwal 1444AH 13-10-2022AD
Afghanistan Internet, Canada, Indonesia Internet, Refugees

Afghanistan YouTube Refugees

Ehsanullah Amiri, Toronto Star, ‘YouTube has changed my life.’ How Afghan refugees stuck in limbo built a global following. “The channel displays immigrants’ hard living conditions and their daily...

Mon 14 Rabi Al Awwal 1444AH 10-10-2022AD
'Arab Spring', Books, Politics

Book: New Media Discourses,

New Media Discourses, Culture and Politics after the Arab Spring Case Studies from Egypt and Beyond Eid Mohamed (Anthology Editor), Aziz Douai (Anthology Editor) Hopefully a cheaper version will...

Thu 10 Rabi Al Awwal 1444AH 6-10-2022AD
Syria, Syria Internet

Syrian Cassette Archive

NPR, The Syrian Cassette Archive, preserving a disappearing history https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1126589744/1126627045

Wed 9 Rabi Al Awwal 1444AH 5-10-2022AD
Academia, Conferences, Gary R. Bunt, Religious Authority

Here are some pix from the ‘Sharia in Transition’ conference at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 29-30 September 2022, organised by Dr. Mahmud El-Wereny and Prof. Dr. Alexander-Kenneth Nagel, where I gave...

Mon 7 Rabi Al Awwal 1444AH 3-10-2022AD
Iran, Iran Protests 2022, Iranian internet

Big Tech & Iran

Mahsa Amini, NY Times, Opinion | Big Tech Should Support the Iranian People, Not the Regime Paywalled, NY Times article (I got this from the print edition). Highly recommended.

Mon 30 Safar 1444AH 26-9-2022AD
Egypt Internet, Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar, Religious Authority

Yusuf al-Qaradawi

The end of an era. It’s telling that the announcement appeared on Twitter: انتقل إلى رحمة الله سماحة الإمام يوسف القرضاوي الذي وهب حياته مبينا لأحكام الإسلام، ومدافعا عن...

Wed 25 Safar 1444AH 21-9-2022AD
British Muslims, Politics

HMQ

There are a range of opinions on and issues relating to the Royal Family emerging, especially online, some of which I am linking to below: Sadek Hamid, Politics Today,...

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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