'Islamic State' – Virtually Islamic News

Tue 26 Rabi Al Awwal 1448AH 8-9-2026AD
'Islamic State', Artificial Intelligence, Research

‘Slop Jihad‘

David Gilbert, Wired, Gen AI Tools Are Now Being Used to Push ‘Slop Jihad’, 8 Sep 2026. Discussion on generative AI’s utilisation by ‘Islamic State‘ (++) ““The principal concern...

Fri 15 Rabi Al Awwal 1448AH 28-8-2026AD
‘Islamic State', Radicalisation

‘Islamic State’ wildfire radicalisation

“LBC has infiltrated an online forum used by Islamic State supporters to share detailed instructions on starting wildfires, exhausting emergency services and avoiding detection by police and forensic investigators,...

Mon 20 Safar 1448AH 3-8-2026AD
'Jihad', ‘Islamic State'

‘Jihadi Cool‘

Recommended. BBC World Service, The Documentary Podcast, What is so-called ‘Jihadi cool’?, 2 Aug 2026 “The extremist content quietly spreading on TikTok and Instagram, targeting unsuspecting young people. Through...

Tue 23 Dhul Hijjah 1447AH 9-6-2026AD
'Islamic State'

Funding Issues

Fri 24 Ramadan 1447AH 13-3-2026AD
'Islamic State', Sport

World Cup

From @lbc.co.uk ISIS encouraging 'mass casualty' terror attacks at FIFA World Cup 2026 “The terror group publishes a monthly ‘magazine' which sets out its priorities for attacking the West...

Fri 6 Rajab 1447AH 26-12-2025AD
'Islamic State', Nigeria internet

IS in Nigeria Strike

US launches strikes against Islamic State in Nigeria www.bbc.co.uk/news/article…...

Mon 2 Rajab 1447AH 22-12-2025AD
'Islamic State'

IS Magazines

‘Dabiq‘ gets a mention here: Refers to online magazines...

Fri 23 Jumada Al Oula 1447AH 14-11-2025AD
‘Islamic State', France

Bataclan – 10 Years On

I wrote about the Bataclan attacks, in relation to online activities, in Hashtag Islam. Online aspects discussed here 10 years on … France remembers Bataclan attacks but knows enemy...

Tue 15 Rabi Al Thani 1447AH 7-10-2025AD
‘Islamic State', Radicalisation

Net Influences on Synagogue Attacker

More details on the social media influences on synagogue attacker …...

Sat 14 Shawwal 1446AH 12-4-2025AD
‘Islamic State', prosecutions

‘ISIS‘ Prosecution

Online dimensions in this case reported by @lbc.co.uk Warwickshire woman, 36, jailed for life after plot to join ISIS in Afghanistan...

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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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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