Education – Virtually Islamic News

Wed 27 Rabi Al Awwal 1448AH 9-9-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, Education, UAE, UAE Digital

Embedding Digital Literacy

UAE education on AI:

Prof. Gary R. Bunt, VR Immersive Technology, UWTSD

Thu 9 Ramadan 1447AH 26-2-2026AD
Mecca, Mosques, Research

VR Islam

Hands-on virtual reality experimentation today. I’ve written a lot about VR and Islam in the past, so today I was exploring options with AI elements, thinking about designing content...

Fri 19 Safar 1446AH 23-8-2024AD
Afghanistan, Afghanistan Internet

Afghan Med Students

Wed 12 Rajab 1445AH 24-1-2024AD
Anti-Muslim Prejudice, British Muslims, Education

School Prayer Spaces Discussion & Reaction

Sun 12 Muharram 1445AH 30-7-2023AD
Afghanistan, Afghanistan Internet, Education, Gender, Human Rights, Taliban

Taliban

Thu 26 Dhul Qidah 1444AH 15-6-2023AD
Education, Iraq, Iraq Internet

Iraq Net Disruption

I wonder how many other locations would take such extreme measures?

Mon 19 Ramadan 1444AH 10-4-2023AD
Apps, Education, Qatar

alBawaba Signal/Qatar Foundation, Press Release, QF’s Siraj uses storytelling and animation to teach children about Islamic values, 10 Apr 2023 “Siraj will continue to air through Ramadan, every Friday...

Tue 6 Ramadan 1444AH 28-3-2023AD
Afghanistan, Afghanistan Internet, Education, Gender

Afghan Net Struggle

Charlotte Greenfield and Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Reuters, Afghan girls struggle with poor internet as they turn to online classes, 28 March 2023 “The Taliban administration has allowed girls to...

Mon 28 Shaban 1444AH 20-3-2023AD
Qur'an, Religious Authority, Research

‘Islamic Authority and Centres of Knowledge Production in Europe’

Masooda Bano, Journal of Muslims in Europe, 11:1, Islamic Authority and Centres of Knowledge Production in Europe, 2022 Another one for my reading list. “The centrality of the Qurʾan...

Thu 24 Shaban 1444AH 16-3-2023AD
Afghanistan Internet, Education, Islamic Education

Afghan Girls’ Education

AFP/IBT, Banned From School, Afghan Girls Turn To Madrassas, 15 March 2023 “Now that there are smartphones and the internet… schools are not the only way to get an...

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:

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Indonesia Online Gambling Thu 27 Rabi Al Thani 1448AH 8-10-2026AD

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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