YouTube – Virtually Islamic News

Wed 22 Safar 1448AH 5-8-2026AD
Gary R. Bunt, Research, Turkey, Turkey Internet, Türkiye, Türkiye,, YouTube

Kürsü 5.0 Türkiye

Among my plans for the next year or two: “The project aims to examine the transformations occurring in the production, circulation, and reception of religious knowledge in the context...

Thu 9 Ramadan 1447AH 26-2-2026AD
Indonesia, Indonesia Internet, Research, YouTube

From Pulpit to Platform

New and noted – I haven't read it yet M. Didik R. Wahyudi. Noorhaidi Hasan, Agung Fatwanto. From Pulpit to Platform: Algorithmic Mediation and the Transformation of Religious Authority...

Wed 5 Jumada Al Akhira 1447AH 26-11-2025AD
Gender, Sport, YouTube

From YouTube to the Ring

From YouTube to the boxing ring – impressive! 'They told me to choose between my hijab and boxing' www.bbc.com/sport/boxing…...

Sat 17 Jumada Al Oula 1447AH 8-11-2025AD
Arabic, Artificial Intelligence, Egypt,, Google, YouTube

YouTube Shorts Veo 3 in MENA: "The Google-owned platform also plans to broaden the reach of its auto-dubbing feature, currently available to about 51,000 Egyptian creators translating Egyptian Arabic...

Mon 9 Shawwal 1446AH 7-4-2025AD
Pakistan, Pakistan Internet, YouTube

‘Hurt‘ and ‘Trybals‘

Perhaps this is an unusual way to explore ideas about Islam, but I found some of the comments here very insightful. (Other episodes in the series are also interesting.)...

Wed 8 Rajab 1446AH 8-1-2025AD
e-commerce, Indonesia, Indonesia Internet, Southeast Asia,, TikTok

Off their trolleys

Michelle Anindya and Lam Le, Rest of World, YouTube Shopping wants to unseat TikTok Shop in Southeast Asia, 6 Jan 2025 “YouTube has partnered with Shopee to launch YouTube Shopping in...

Thu 22 Safar 1445AH 7-9-2023AD
Crime, Gender, Iraq, Iraq Internet, YouTube

Iraqi YouTube star ‘honour killing’

Gem O’Reilly, BBC News, The Iraqi YouTube star killed by her father, 7 Sep 2023 “Tiba’s death sparked protests across Iraq about its laws regarding so-called “honour killings”, the...

Thu 15 Ramadan 1444AH 6-4-2023AD
Anti-Muslim Prejudice, Influencers

KSI Mosque Visit

BBC News, KSI: YouTuber visits mosque after racial slur in Sidemen video, 5 Apr 2023 “YouTuber KSI has visited a mosque and apologised again for using a racial slur...

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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