Elon Musk – Virtually Islamic News

Mon 17 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 4-5-2026AD
Elon Musk, Iran, Iran internet

Starlink Iran

This is a significant issue in contemporary Iranian contexts. While there has been substantial focus (quite rightly) on the Lego and Minecraft pro-Iran videos (and other AI-generated content), one...

Mon 7 Shaban 1447AH 26-1-2026AD
Elon Musk, Starlink, UAE, UAE Digital

Starlink UAE

#Stargate #UAE "The development of the 5-gigawatt Stargate UAE – backed by some of the world's biggest technology companies – proves the Emirates' ambitions to be at the forefront...

Thu 3 Shaban 1447AH 22-1-2026AD
Elon Musk, Grok, Research

Grok & Chemical Weapons

Scared? Perhaps you should be … Grok instructs users how to make chemical weapons – as LBC investigation uncovers the dark side of Elon Musk's xAI www.lbc.co.uk/article/grok…...

Thu 26 Rajab 1447AH 15-1-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, Elon Musk, Grok, Indonesia, Indonesia Internet, Malaysia, Malaysia Internet, X

Grok Image Creation Issues (updated)

Multiple Islamic issues surround Grok and its ‘appropriate‘ use. I’ve not used Grok myself (no plans to either): [image or embed] — Gary R. Bunt (@garyrbunt.bsky.social) 15 January 2026...

Sat 17 Jumada Al Oula 1447AH 8-11-2025AD
Elon Musk, Far-right, Research, X

X Analysis

Important work here from Sky News and its team: Important work and findings from @skynewsrss.bsky.social with methodological details...

Tue 15 Dhul Qidah 1446AH 13-5-2025AD
Censorship, Elon Musk, Human Rights, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Internet

KSA Musk

Oh. "Elon Musk's warm welcome by Saudi royals is at odds with his ownership of X, whose users are imprisoned for criticising Riyadh."...

Wed 18 Shawwal 1446AH 16-4-2025AD
Research

Somalia and Starlink

@Reuters: SpaceX's Starlink satellite system is now available in Somalia, owner Elon Musk wrote on social media platform X on Sunday, while a Somalia government official confirmed the company...

Sat 14 Shawwal 1446AH 12-4-2025AD
Research

KSA X Advertising

Even before Musk, Twitter enabled MBS’s crackdown—used by the Saudi regime to track dissidents and push propaganda. Under Musk, X didn’t just become a right-wing playground—it became a full-blown...

Thu 28 Shaban 1446AH 27-2-2025AD
Elon Musk, Modern Slavery, Starlink

Starlink Concerns

Important reporting/thread from @mattburgess1.bsky.social (I haven't seen this reported elsewhere). @wired.com is pushing out some great content at the moment....

Wed 27 Shaban 1446AH 26-2-2025AD
Artificial Intelligence, chatbots, Elon Musk, Grok

Grok AI Issues

Noor al-Sibai, Futurism, Elon’s Grok 3 AI Provides “Hundreds of Pages of Detailed Instructions” on Creating Chemical Weapons, 26 Feb 2025. “Elon Musk has boasted that his AI efforts will...

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:

AI ‘Fake Journalism‘ Fri 28 Rabi Al Thani 1448AH 9-10-2026AD

Starlink Test Implications Fri 28 Rabi Al Thani 1448AH 9-10-2026AD

Virtually Islamic on Substack Fri 28 Rabi Al Thani 1448AH 9-10-2026AD

Iran AI Fri 28 Rabi Al Thani 1448AH 9-10-2026AD

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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