Friday, April 28, 2006

At last, the launch of Sawafi ('sandstorm'): arabnews.com, Arab-Centric Internet Portal to Be Launched This Year, 28 April 2006, "This joint venture, with the Saudi Arabian MITSCO Group, will be based in Dubai and will address in particular the challenges of the Arabic language and culture and will challenge Google, which provides an Arabic-language version of its popular search engine. The other partner is the German Internet search specialist Seekport Internet Technologies GmbH, based in Martinsried near Munich." Also see the article from Reuters, New search engine could boost Arab Internet usage, 25 April 2006 which notes: "Everything is to play for in the Arab world of 280 million people, where Internet penetration is low. There are also large expatriate Arab communities in Europe and North America.

""There are only 100 million Web pages right now in Arabic, and that's nothing. It's only 0.2 percent of the total worldwide" ..."

Khaleej Times, Workshop discusses ‘individual journalist’ trend in Arab media, 28 April 2006, "The increase in the number of bloggers in the Arab world is a main reason in the evolution of an 'individual journalist' trend, a noticeable change in competition, accuracy and credibility in Arab Media, according to a media expert."

The Register, 'Pentagon hacker' prepares for verdict, 28 April 2006, "McKinnon admits he looked at computer systems without permission but claims he did no harm. He got involved in hacking after reading Disclosure by Stephen Grear and becoming convinced that the US had harvested advanced technology from UFOs and was keeping it secret to the detriment of the public. His hacking activities were a means to an end, uncovering evidence that the US had developed anti-gravity and zero point energy devices."

Wired, GIs Shoot Footage for New War Doc, 28 April 2006, "Shot by soldiers on consumer-grade digital video cameras, the documentary offers an immersive, sobering and often shocking slice of life (and death) in Iraq. It premieres this week at the Tribeca Film Festival and opens in select cities this summer."

Asharq Alawsat, Fundamentalist Website AlSaha.com Mysteriously Goes Offline for 24 hrs, 27 April 2006, "After less than 24 hours offline, the fundamentalist website Al Saha was again accessible to members worldwide. Last Thursday, users were surprised to discover that the site was unavailable and its usual mix of articles on terrorism, fundamentalism and slanderous campaigns against journalists, writers, novels and public figures, unavailable. The website is managed by Fares net and originates in the United Arab Emirates."

Thursday, April 27, 2006

AME Info, HP expands Saudi plant, 27 April 2006

Feature on Rajaa al-Sanei's book Banat al-Riyadh BBC News, Saudi novel breaks sex taboos, 26 April 2006, "Conservatives say the novel smears Saudi society. But the Minister of Culture, Iyad Madani, says it reflects the way many young people in the Kingdom actually live.

""It connected with the new generation because it was based on how our young people use their mobile phones to create relationships."

"The internet and satellite TV channels mean Saudis are no longer sheltered from outside influences."

I have seen frequent references to this elsewhere, including an interesting interview in Asharq Alawsat back in January and a quote in Dar al-Hayat which suggested that the book would increase the popularity of blogs (given the book is apparently written in the format of emails). It has also been discussed at length in various fora, such as EgyptSearch.

Non-tech story (no doubt generating online discussions), on the controversial implications of misyar marriages in the Gulf: Middle East Online, Misyar marriage enrages Gulf women, 25 April 2006

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

WAAG Society/Connect Media There are a couple of presentations on Cyberasia on this site, available as QuickTime movies to download. They are in English, and form part of a programme "organised in cooperation with ASiA, Int. Institute of Asian Studies and Leiden University." They include contributions from Merlyna Lim, who writes on Indonesian cyberspace. I haven't seen these films yet, as they run to a couple of hours in length, and I have just been alerted to them [diolch MI!].
AP/The Guardian, Iraqis Condemn Al-Zarqawi Video, 26 April 2006 "The video - the first released by al-Zarqawi showing his face - was posted on the Internet only days after a breakthrough in Iraq's political process allowing its Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish leaders to start assembling a government." See Juan Cole's comment on this. Outside of several forums (and broadcasters) where I clocked this video today, Ogrish.com are one of many sites which have screenshots and a Zarqawi video to download.

/Reuters/Yahoo, Qaeda tapes show Zarqawi rise, bin Laden decline, 26 April 2006 The headline is somewhat speculative, but the article is useful: "The latest video seemed designed to heighten the impression of harmony between Zarqawi and the al Qaeda leadership, said a European intelligence source, adding that there was no doubt the tape was genuine."

Peninsular Online, Most reputed institutes of Islamic studies are in the West: Scientist, 26 April 2006, "The most reputed institutes of Islamic studies and Arabic are in the West and not in Arab countries, and this speaks volumes about the standard of education in the Islamic world, says a famous Sudanese political scientist from the UK." Refers to Abdul Wahab Al Afandi (Uni. of Westminster).

Intriguing questions here: BBC News, Malaysia considers Islam in space, 25 April 2006 "It is in keeping with the Malaysian government's mission to promote what it calls Islam Hadhari, or civilisational Islam, which encourages Muslims to embrace education, science and technology." Also see: AP, Muslim Nations Urged on Space Exploration, 26 April 2006 "Muslims who travel to space must tackle religious challenges such as performing prayers at zero gravity and ensuring their meals fulfill Islamic dietary conditions, said Saiyad Nizamuddin Ahmad, a United Arab Emirates-based university professor in Islamic studies."

Asharq Alawsat, Islam Is Innocent, 25 April 2006, article by Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al Obeikan: " ... I strongly condemn the clashes that took place in Alexandria and state clearly that Islam has nothing to do with such acts that were carried out against the interests of Muslims. Such events in fact defame the image of Islam and Muslims. These clashes provoke disorder and seek to weaken the solid structures of Muslim states as others could use them as a pretense to harm Muslims."

Asharq Alawsat, Portrait of a Suicide Bomber, 26 April 2006, " ... the executers of suicide operations range in social background as well as economic status."

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Middle East Online, Sinai bombings turn Dahab into war zone, 25 April 2006

newkerala.com, Islamic websites poor in design, layout, 25 Apr 2006 ""The internet has become the world's most popular communication tool and can be better utilised to promote the moderate and tolerant Islam and present its to the whole world,'' says the study compiled by Dr. Abdul Haq Hamish, Professor of Islamic Studies at Sharjah University, as quoted by Dubai-based "The Emirates Evening Post"."
Dagens Nyheter, Terrorister rekryterar på nätet, 22 April 2006, "Polisutredningarna efter de omfattande bombattentaten i Madrid den 11 mars 2004 och i London den 7 juli 2005 visar att förövarna inspirerats till sina terrordåd av extrem islamistisk propaganda på internet." [one for Swedish speakers, including quotes from this blogger]

Monday, April 24, 2006

Canadian Press, Iraqis turn to Internet blogs to share views on change in their country, 23 April 2006

Reuters Alertnet, Bin Laden words raise Saudi reform debate tensions, 24 April 2006 "Bin Laden said some Arab intellectuals were "scorning religion" and singled out Saudi Labour Minister Ghazi Algosaibi by name, according to the Web site of Al Jazeera television."

Dawn, Al Qaeda chief hiding in border areas: US, 23 April 2006, "Osama bin Laden is hiding in a remote tribal area along Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan, separated from his top deputy and, in a sign he has to be careful about whom he trusts, surrounded by fellow Arabs, according to US intelligence officials familiar with his pursuit."

TMC, Bigley's body is'in a ditch near Fallujah', 23 April 2006

Washington Post, In Egypt, Revival of Political Farce, April 24, 2006 interesting article on Adel Imam. Non-tech, but he does have a website (limited in content) and a wiki entry

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

arabtimes.com, Some Internet Users Crossing Libel Line, 17 April 2006 "Across Saudi Arabia, reports of character assassination are increasing, as people with axes to grind spread lies about others from the anonymity of Internet chatrooms and blogs or SMS messages."

washingtonpost.com, Keeping Al-Qaeda in His Grip, 16 April 2006 "In January 2003, one of the two most wanted men in the world couldn't contain his frustration. From a hiding place probably somewhere in South Asia, he tapped out two lengthy e-mails to a fellow Egyptian who'd been criticizing him in public."

Navhind Times, Muslim organisation condemns misuse of mobiles, internet, 17 April 2006, "Muslim organisation condemns misuse of mobiles, internet."

Gulf Times, Fatwa ‘gives green light’ to boy-girl chat on Net, 17 April 2006, "IF the intentions are genuine and transparency is maintained in the interaction, it is permissible for a Muslim youth to chat with a girl of marriageable age on the Internet and ultimately get married with the approval and blessings of their respective guardians, says a fatwa published on the Islam Online website of the Ministry of Awqaf (Endowments) and Religious Affairs."

Friday, April 14, 2006

AP/bonitanews, 'South Park' creators banned from showing image of Islamic prophet, 14 April 2006 [non-tech]

Los Angeles Times, Terrorists Seen Turning to Campuses for Skills, 14 April 2006: "The suspected cell included a group of Moroccan students accused of studying electronics, computer technology and telecommunications in the service of a North African terrorist group allied with Abu Musab Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq."

Associated Press/Boston Globe, US faltering in Iraq, Qaeda deputy declares, April 14, 2006, "The video was dated with an Islamic month corresponding to November 2005 -- and Zawahri mentions an Oct. 23 earthquake that hit Pakistan and Afghanistan. But it appeared to be the first time the 28-minute video has been made public."

AP/signonsandiego.com, Whistle-blower says AT&T gave spy agency access to network, 14 April 2006 ""It appears the NSA is capable of conducting what amounts to vacuum-cleaner surveillance of all the data crossing the Internet, whether that be people's e-mail, Web surfing or any other data," whistle-blower Mark Klein, who worked for the company for 22 years, said in a statement released by his lawyers."

tcmnet (Newsbytes Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge), Terrorists' Web Chatter Shows Concern About Internet Privacy, 13 April 2006 "One forum recently posted a guide for Internet safety and anonymity on the Internet, advising readers of ways to circumvent hackers or government officials." There is plenty of advice like this available through forums and web sites.

computing.co.uk, Oracle donates database to UK Muslim charity, 13 April 2006

Gitex Times, arabherald.com, Ariss will push CD products, 13 April 2006, "Home grown software developer Ariss Computers gears up to showcase its wide range of Arabic language products to trade show visitors.'" [advertorial]

Counterterrorism Blog, Flight 93 Cockpit Tape and Transcript: "When they all come, we finish it off", 12 April 2006

Counterterrorism Blog, Public Diplomacy: Restore Radio, Use the Internet, 10 April 2006

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Daily Times, Terrorists running wild on Internet, 11 April 2006 Terrorists running wild on Internet, "Weimann asserts that while much attention has paid to the threat of cyber-terrorism, far too little attention has been paid to the dangers posed by the terrorists’ daily use of the Internet to organise and coordinate their dispersed activities." Discussion on Gabriel Weimann's ‘Terror on the Internet: the new arena, the new challenges’, which I have yet to see.

Asharq Alawsat, Arab Intellectuals Receive Death Threat, 10 April 2006"A number of Arab intellectuals living abroad, including several Egyptians, has received death threats from a previously unknown group. In an email message, seen by Asharq al Awsat, the 'Supporters of God’s Messenger' (AL Munasirun li Rasul al Allah) threatened to kill so-called atheists, polytheists and their supporters unless they repent by today. The message was sent to a number of non- Muslim intellectuals and signed by Abu Dhar al Maqdisihi, the media spokesperson for the group."

Wired, Troops Learn to Not Offend, 11 April 2006, "Developed by the University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute, the Tactical Language Training Program is different from interactive language programs of the past, which focus solely on spoken language. In Tactical Iraqi, players navigate a set of real-life scenarios by learning a set of Arabic phrases, culturally relevant gestures and taboos."

AP/wsbtv.com, Hackers Leave Muslim Threats On Battleship's Web Site, 11 April 2006 "The U.S.S. Alabama Web site was targeted by hackers over the weekend. The culprits claiming to be from Iran, somehow managed to deface the site's home page with a message warning of consequences if Muslims beliefs are not respected."

Deutsche Welle, German Hostages in Iraq Plead for Help in Internet Video, 9 April 2006 "Two German hostages held in Iraq appeared in a video on the Internet on Sunday pleading for their lives while their kidnappers vowed to punish them unless their demands were met.

"The kidnappers, a group called Ansar al-Tawheed wal Sunna (Followers of Unity and Prophetic Tradition), demanded the release of all Iraqis held in US-run prisons and told Germany to stop giving help to the US and Iraqi authorities."

Khaleej Times, Time to heal, 10 April 2006, "The outrage and publicity caused by the publication of the cartoons is also symptomatic of how, in the current globalised world, modern technology allows articles, words and publications to travel freely around the globe and thus cause tensions in unprecedented ways." Report on a trip to Denmark by a group of Muslims (in February)

NY Times, This boring headline is written for Google, 9 April 2006, "Journalists over the years have assumed they were writing their headlines and articles for two audiences — fickle readers and nitpicking editors. Today, there is a third important arbiter of their work: the software programs that scour the Web, analyzing and ranking online news articles on behalf of Internet search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN."

Monday, April 10, 2006

Saudi rival for MIT? Reuters/Khaleej Times Online, Saudi royal eyes reform through new university, 9 April 2006 ""We will teach engineering, medicine, science and business technology... Al Faisal should be like the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) or the Cambridge of the Middle East," he [Prince Bandar] told Reuters in an interview late on Saturday."
New York Times, A Web Site Born in U.S. Finds Fans in Brazil, 10 April 2006: "SaferNet Brasil, a nongovernmental organization founded late last year, tracks human rights violations on Orkut and has generated much press coverage of illegal activity on the site." orkut big in Brazil

New York Times, A Laptop Comes Preloaded With the Web, Abridged, 10 April 2006, "While Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are busy building legions of data centers to capture the contents of the Web, a fledgling company has decided that it will squeeze the essential Internet onto a single laptop."
Stratfor, U.S.: Al-Zarqawi Hyped -- Report, April 10, 2006: "The documents explicitly cite the 'U.S. home audience' as a target of the campaign, which has included leaflets, television and radio reports, Internet postings and one leak to an American journalist."

pinknews.com, Muslim group reveals plan for gay consensus, 10 April 2006, "Mr Aziz revealed plans to look at homophobia in the Muslim community and Islamophobia in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in reaction to controversial comments by MCB leader Sir Iqbal Sacranie on homosexuality." [non-tech, but bound to generate discussion online]

Telegraph, The new Malcolm X?, 9 April 2006 refers to John Walker Lindh [brief web ref]

Sunday, April 09, 2006

The Peninsula On-line, Middle East IT market worth $15bn: Official, 9 April 2006: "'The Middle East market for computers and IT applications is worth $15bn. With a growth rate of around nine per cent, more than double the world average, the IT and telecom sectors are creating vast opportunities for investment and trade in the region, especially Qatar.'"

The Observer, Leak reveals official story of London bombings: Al-Qaeda not linked, says government; Internet used to plan 7/7 attack, 9 April 2006

Reuters AlertNet, European imams aim to link Islamic, Western values, 9 April 2006 ""Muslims in Europe are making history," said Mouddar Khouja, a senior official of the Islamic Community in Austria, which organised the two-day meeting where several speakers urged "new thinking" to develop a theological basis for Islam in Europe.

"He said European imams were issuing fatwas (religious edicts) dealing with modern challenges, such as condemning terrorism, instead of leaving the field open to radical Middle Eastern preachers who glorify violence on the Internet."
Telegraph , July 7 bombs were a 'demo' not terrorism, claims professor, 9 April 2006: "Prof Ron Geaves has sparked controversy by claiming that the attacks on Tube trains and a bus that killed 52 innocent people in July were part of a long history of protests by British Muslims."

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Iran Daily, Rural Roshtkhar to Access Internet, 8 April 2006 "Announcing this, head of Roshtkhar Telecommunication Office noted that the initiative is meant to deliver services in information and communication technology sector to rural dwellers and help scale down migration to cities, IRNA reported.

"Hossein Hassanzadeh added that apart from surfing the Internet, rural inhabitants could use email and e-bank services."

Herald-Sun, Muslims trawl web for wives, 9 April 2006 - One Australian perspective on this previously blogged issue: "A Sunday Herald Sun investigation has found Muslim men are using the internet to attract second wives with promises of financial security."

The Star (Malaysia), New legal framework to counter cyber threats, 8 April 2006: "A legal framework on the use, development and marketing of ICT industry related products is to be established to counter cyber threats.

""The impact from a cyber attack can be as bad as or worse than a physical attack, and if left without proper control can affect public security," Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said."

The Nation/Yahoo News, Letter from Baghdad: The Growing Sectarian Divide, 8 April 2006

washingtonpost.com/seattletimes, Iraq mosque bombers kill 79, 8 April 2006 "One of the bombers was headed toward the office of the mosque's imam, Jalal Eddin al-Sagheer, when someone dressed in women's clothing detonated a bomb, according to witnesses. Al-Sagheer is a prominent member of the Supreme Council.

"In an interview broadcast on the Arab TV news station Al Arabiya after the bombing, al-Sagheer lashed out at the Muslim Scholars Association, a hard-line Sunni clerical group, and at top Sunni politician Adnan al-Dulaimi, accusing them of "launching a campaign of distortions and lies against [Buratha] mosque, claiming that it contains Sunni prisoners and mass graves of Sunnis.""

Baghdad Treasure, Baghdad Became Completely Lawless, n.d., "'Lawless' is the best word to describe Baghdad for the meantime. Do whatever you like. No one will ask you what you are doing. You can kill whenever and wherever you want. You can stop your car in the middle of the street, pull your gun and shoot anyone you hate. Do you think police will come for rescue? Huh! Of course, not because they might be the ones who are shooting."

AP/The Ledger, Meaning of 'Martyr' Changes, 8 April 2006, ""Each time Islamic radicals speak of suicide bomber `martyrs,' for example, it reverberates in Christianity," said Jonathan Bartley, co-director of Ekklesia, a London-based group that examines religious and social trends."

aljazeera.com, “Info Jihad” to counter widespread Islamophobia!, 8 April 2006, "A recent article in Tehran Times argues that Muslims need to wage an "Info Jihad" in order to counter the Islamophobia already being spread by the enemies of Islam through the Western media." The original article in Tehran Times seems to be down at present.

New America Media, Arab Media Analysts on CBS Interview of Osama’s Bodyguard, 7 April 2006, ""Satellite TV culture and the Internet have made it much harder to prevent things like this," says Dajani. "If CBS doesn’t air it, someone else will." In an era in which 'there is a free flow of information --even beheadings are broadcast on the Internet—the power of censorship has lost its grip,” he says. “The cat is out of the bag."

Asharq Alawsat, Who Do You Want: the Jurist or the Intellectual?, 8 April 2006, don't send your answers to me(!): "Last week, Dr. Ahmad al Baghdadi wrote an article calling for a courageous intellectual instead of a courageous faqih (jurist).

"The Kuwaiti writer, considered a liberal by his enemies, was responding in the Dubai- based newspaper Al Ittihad, to my earlier call, in Asharq Al-Awsat, for a "courageous faqih"."

Friday, April 07, 2006

vermontguardian.com, Teen harmony: Peace, technology, and understanding in the Middle East, 7 April 2006: "The 10 student pairs are now working on assignments, focusing on working a topic they feel passionate about and creating a digital story, said Renee Berrian, Project Harmony’s program manager. While in Jordan the students will take pictures and conduct additional research. When Jordanians come to Vermont in July the pairs will make final edits to their production and make a public presentation. The projects will also be posted on the Internet, she added."

dissidentvoice.org, Bin Laden’s Favorite American Author, An Interview with William Blum, April 7, 2006

Committee to Protect Bloggers, Yemeni Sites Blocked, 6 April 2006 includes reference to the Yemen portal Yemenmax

Dar al-Hayat, In the Palestinian Diaspora, They Joined Early . . . In the Territories, They Delayed in Receiving It (Part One of Two), 7 April 2006, article by Hazem al-Amin, "In Amman there is much talk about the impending arrival of al-Qaida to the West Bank. This speculation has become stronger after the recent statements by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to al-Hayat, in which he referred to information about al-Qaida activities on the West Bank, saying this would expose the entire region to convulsions."

Thursday, April 06, 2006

AP/khaleejtimes.com, Video Allegedly Shows Insurgents Dragging Burning Body of U.S. Pilot, April 05, 2006, "A poor-quality video posted on the Internet Wednesday in the name of an extremist group claimed to show Iraqi insurgents dragging the burning body of a U.S. pilot on the ground after the crash of an Apache helicopter." Refers to the video posted by the 'Shura Council of Mujahedeen'.

BBC News, Ethiopian villagers answer your questions, 6 April 2006

AKI, Islam: Ayatollah Against Death Penalty For Converts, 31 March 2006, "Some Ayatollahs and Mujtahids - who have the right to interpret Koranic law - believe that if a conversion occurs after a period of reflection and study it cannot be condemned. In an interview to Adnkronos International (AKI), one of the assistants of Ayatollah al Ozma (the Grand Ayatollah) Hossein Ali Montazeri said that "only those who abandon the faith by repudiating it in an ungodly way deserve to be punished with death."" non-tech, but relates to ongoing discussions online in chatrooms

The Daily Star, A cyber-platform for Arab culture, 6 April 2006 "In January 2005, Barclay started "Al-Hakawati" ("The Storyteller"), a Web site dedicated to educating Arabs in the Arab world and in the diaspora about their countries, art, culture and history. The site now receives up to 12,000 hits a day. It was featured on Radio Orient in Paris and it is now being used as a teaching tool in the Arabic department at the University of Pennsylvania."

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

strategypage.com, Counter-Terrorism Operations, 5 Apr 06: "Getting agents into al Qaeda is a lot more difficult, as the terrorists depend on personal recommendations when recruiting senior members. The Internet has proved a good way to get around this, and build a reputation and 'legend' (convincing back story) inexpensively, and with much less risk to field agents. In any event, getting your own people into a diffuse organization like al Qaeda (and its many affiliates) is a long term operation. In the meantime, as the Israelis have demonstrated, it's much easier to find, and exploit, weak links in the existing enemy organization."

SITE Institute, A Message from al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia Concerning the Arrest of Forty Suspects and the al-Hesbah Network, 4 Apr 06, "Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia issued a communiqué yesterday, April 3, 2006, which concerns both the recent arrest by Saudi security officers of forty suspects accused of abetting terrorist activity in the state, and their impact on the jihadist Internet community, specifically, the al-Hesbah network."

AP/arabnews.com, Pentagon Releases New Gitmo Transcripts, 5 Apr 06, "Anguish. Anger. Resignation. More than 2,700 pages of documents released by the Pentagon in response to an Associated Press lawsuit are saturated with emotion from detainees held in this US military base."

arabnews.com, Website Launches Campaign to Spread Prophet’s Message, 5 Apr 06, "Al-Islam Group, a Jeddah-based cultural organization, plays a significant role in the propagation of Islam by removing misconceptions about the religion through its websites. They have been viewed by 5.7 million people in more than 80 countries." This refers to al-islamforall.org. I'd be interested in more info/clarity on their stats here.
usinfo, Yale University Develops Online Arabic Library, 5 Apr 06: "In the first stage of the virtual library project, known as the Online Access to Consolidated Information on Serials (OACIS), Yale has created a list of 14,000 Middle East journal holdings in 20 libraries from Arizona to Syria. It includes scholarly journals in Arabic, Turkish, Persian, English and French among other languages relevant to the region." Details of Yale's OACIS can be found here

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Sunday Herald, America's war on the web, 2 April 06: "Imagine a world where wars are fought over the internet; where TV broadcasts and newspaper reports are designed by the military to confuse the population; and where a foreign armed power can shut down your computer, phone, radio or TV at will.

"In 2006, we are just about to enter such a world. This is the age of information warfare, and details of how this new military doctrine will affect everyone on the planet are contained in a report, entitled The Information Operations Roadmap, commissioned and approved by US secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld and seen by the Sunday Herald." Significant article in relation to this blog.

Monday, April 03, 2006

khaleej times/indybay, Fatwa against statues triggers uproar in Egypt, 3 Apr 06"A fatwa issued by Egypt’s top religious authority, which forbids the display of statues has art-lovers fearing it, could be used by Islamic extremists as an excuse to destroy Egypt’s historical heritage." this refers to a 'fatwa' from Egypt’s Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa

CNN, Algerian gets 10-year sentence, 3 April 06, "A Spanish court has sentenced a 60-year-old Algerian man to 10 years in jail for trying to launch a Web site to recruit extremists and distribute fatwas supporting terrorist attacks, according to a copy of the sentence viewed by CNN."

editorial about Irhabi 007: washingtontimes.com, Al Qaeda's secret agent -- online, 2 April 06, "It might turn out that Mr. Tsouli's activities in support of al Qaeda in Iraq extended beyond his computer into London's shadowy terrorist cells. But it might also turn out that this technologically capable young Islamist acted alone from an apartment in ways that greatly aided a deadly insurgency.

"As frightening and unpredictable as the Internet jihad seems, in some respects it is fought on our own territory. Western nations are wealthier and more technologically advanced than al Qaeda; we possess the resources to regain the upper hand. With the proper means to trace the electronic fingerprints, plus the time-honored know-how to unravel the connections, the West can find the Internet jihadis and win this war."

Telegraph, Pakistan border operations lead to rise in Taliban-style action, 3 April 06"Last week a remote-controlled bomb ripped through a police vehicle in Dera Ismail Khan killing seven people. Television sets and cassettes have been burned and internet cafes destroyed.

"The province is governed by the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, which came to power on an anti-US platform in the October 2002 general elections and has promoted Taliban-style policy."

Gulf Times, Doha Bank Islamic division launches new Internet service, 2 April 06"Doha Bank has introduced Internet banking for customers serviced by its Islamic banking division Doha Islamic."

Reuters/Arab Times, Islam recruited to help Egyptians fight HIV, 2 April 06, non-tech, interesting story "In Egypt HIV and AIDS happen to other people; namely foreigners, the promiscuous, drug addicts and generally the morally corrupt, who should be avoided in case they infect you with a handshake, cough or unwashed cup.

"Which is why Ahmed Turky's Friday sermon at a small Cairo mosque was unusual. In a Muslim country where hard drugs are relatively rare, gays are imprisoned and sex before or outside marriage is furtive, Turky's talk of compassion turned heads."

ft.com, Middle-class Sunni take up weapons to counter rising sectarian threat, 3 April 06, "They have posted plainclothes spies on the corners to look out for suspicious strangers, keeping their cellphones close at hand and waiting for the ring that will call them to arms. When it comes, the men will pour out from surrounding homes, guns blazing."

ft.com, Intel unveils PCs for India’s rural areas, 30 March 06, "Describing rural internet usage as 'abysmally low', Nasscom president Kiran Karnik said the programmes from Intel and Microsoft were an initial step in bridging the digital divide between India’s rural and urban populations."

Just picked this up: London Review of Books, Cyber-Jihad (Charles Glass) 9 March 06 reviews several useful books relating to this blog, including The Secret History of al-Qaida by Abdel Bari Atwan and Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden ed. Bruce Lawrence trans. James Howarth.