WhatsApp – Virtually Islamic News

Wed 1 Dhul Hijjah 1446AH 28-5-2025AD
Malaysia, Malaysia Internet, WhatsApp

Saifuddin Nasution WhatsApp

And this, from a few days ago....

Fri 18 Dhul Qidah 1446AH 16-5-2025AD
Israel, Spyware

Pegasus spyware against 1,400 WhatsApp users. ‘Pegasus, which grants near-total access to a target’s device, including microphones, cameras and encrypted messages, was used against journalists, human rights defenders and...

Wed 28 Dhul Qidah 1445AH 5-6-2024AD
Hamas, WhatsApp

Police Officer Prosecuted

Duncan Gardham, Sky News, West Yorkshire Police officer given community order over pro-Hamas WhatsApp posts, 4 Jun 2024 “Mohammed Adil pleaded guilty to posting two images supporting the al...

Wed 22 Shawwal 1445AH 1-5-2024AD
Censorship, WhatsApp

WhatsApp Bans

Secret WhatsApp activities amidst bans

Mon 1 Ramadan 1445AH 11-3-2024AD
Pakistan, Pakistan Internet, WhatsApp

WhatsApp ‘Blasphemy‘ Charge

Asim Tanveer, Independent, Pakistan sentences young man to death for insulting Prophet Mohammed on WhatsApp, 11 Mar 2024 “A 22-year-old student has been sentenced to death and given a teenager a...

Mon 15 Dhul Hijjah 1444AH 3-7-2023AD
Digital divide, Senegal Internet, WhatsApp

Senegal WhatsApp

Rest of World, WhatsApp voice notes are revolutionizing farming in Senegal, 3 July 2023 “For farmers in Senegal who struggle to read or write, sending voice notes has unlocked...

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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Saifuddin Nasution WhatsApp

Spyware

Police Officer Prosecuted

WhatsApp Bans

WhatsApp ‘Blasphemy‘ Charge

Senegal WhatsApp