Friday, November 30, 2012

'Anonymous Hackers Swat At Syrian Government Websites In Reprisal For Internet Blackout'

forbes.com, Anonymous Hackers Swat At Syrian Government Websites In Reprisal For Internet Blackout, 30 Nov 2012 "Beginning Thursday afternoon, the loose hacker collective went on a spree of attacks against various Syrian government targets hosted outside of the disconnected country, including embassy websites in China, Australia, Saudi Arabia and other government sites including that of the Baath political party and the Syrian railway system."

Muslim Jokes Written 1,000 Years Ago Are Revealed In Ancient 'Guide To Gatecrashing'

huffingtonpost.co.uk, Muslim Jokes Written 1,000 Years Ago Are Revealed In Ancient 'Guide To Gatecrashing':

"The translation of a 1,000-year-old "guide to gatecrashing", written by a renowned Muslim scholar has revealed the lighter side to ancient Baghdad."

Syria Has Just Been Taken Offline

Syria Has Just Been Taken Offline | Danger Room | Wired.com:

"Syria has been largely cut off from the rest of the internet — just as rebel forces are making some of their biggest advances yet against the Assad regime."

Egyptian-American activist Mona Eltahawy turns down no-jail deal for defacing pro-Israel subway ads - NY Daily News

Egyptian-American activist Mona Eltahawy turns down no-jail deal for defacing pro-Israel subway ads - NY Daily News:


Poetic injustice?

alarabiya.net, Poetic injustice? Qatari poet gets life sentence for ‘incitement against authorities’ "Many have been shocked to see Qatar, the country which has been showing support to the Arab Spring's revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia, and other Arab countries, issuing a harsh life sentence imprisonment on Thursday against an opponent poet of the ruling family over a poem. "

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Infographic: Abuse Against Afghan Women

Infographic: Abuse Against Afghan Women

Internet blackout across Syria reported amid Damascus fighting

alarabiya.net, Internet blackout across Syria reported amid Damascus fighting "Renesys, a U.S.-based network security firm that studies Internet disruptions, says Syria effectively disappeared from the Internet at 12:26 p.m. local time.

"Akamai Technologies Inc., another U.S-based company that distributes content on the Internet, also confirmed a complete outage for Syria."

Reading List - 'The Islamophobia Industry'

The American Muslim (TAM), Book Review: The Islamophobia Industry, How the Right Manufactures Fear of Muslims (Nathan Lean) "The book, written by the editor-in-chief of Aslan Media, comes at an opportune time. Released in September 2012, the book landed just one month after American Muslims witnessed a stark increase in hate attacks during the holy month of Ramadan. A report by the Council on American Islamic Relations documented that the Ramadan of 2012 “saw one of the worst spikes of anti-Muslim incidents in over a decade.”"

Nurul’s statement and the Kaum Tua mentality

Nurul’s statement and the Kaum Tua mentality | Free Malaysia Today: "The case of Nurul Izzah Anwar, the PKR vice president, making the statement that there is no compulsion in religion and that this should apply not only to non-Malays but to Malays as well is now commanding the public domain.

"Thanks to Utusan Malaysia and the Internet, the speed at which Nurul’s statement spread was staggering."

An "Iron Curtain" for the Digital Age

mobiledia.com, An "Iron Curtain" for the Digital Age "The U.S. is solidifying its position and taking action by sanctioning Iran. The WCIT conference could highlight the possible growing divide between countries that want a free Internet and those who want to limit its power, while people around the globe grapple with questions about human rights, the Internet and how to best manage its undisputed power. The future of the Internet's "Iron Curtain" remains very much up in the air, subject to the vagaries of international diplomacy."

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Cyber-Islam: A Review of Gary Bunt’s “iMuslims”

Dominic T. Bocci, Muftah » Cyber-Islam: A Review of Gary Bunt’s “iMuslims”, 21 Nov 2012:

This review makes some useful suggestions for future research.

" ... the clear strength of iMuslims rests in boldly going where many have not: laying the groundwork and asking scholars to unpack what, at first pass, looks to many like unholy bedfellows for the sake of understanding the effect of Internet technologies on theology."

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Has Morsi Pulled a Mubarak and Cut the Internet Off Tahrir Square?

Has Morsi Pulled a Mubarak and Cut the Internet Off Tahrir Square? · Global Voices:

"Egyptian netizens are reporting Internet cuts around Tahrir Square, the epi-centre of the Egyptian revolution while others are saying it is working fine."

Pakistan cuts phones in hope of stopping attacks on Shi'ites

Pakistan cuts phones in hope of stopping attacks on Shi'ites | NBC News:  "Pakistan is suspending phone coverage in many cities this weekend, an important one in the Shi'ite Muslim calendar, after a series of bomb attacks on Shi'ites triggered by mobile phones."


Friday, November 23, 2012

Blogger's death in Iran window onto cyber patrols

Blogger's death in Iran window onto cyber patrols - MiningJournal.net "The current furor traces back to a number of tweets last week when some Saudi women discovered their husbands were receiving text messages notifying them of their spouses’ entrances to and exits from the country. That’s obviously sketchy, and definitely happening, but it’s been that way for a while now."

Is Saudi Arabia Electronically Tracking Women?

Is Saudi Arabia Electronically Tracking Women? | Geekosystem "The current furor traces back to a number of tweets last week when some Saudi women discovered their husbands were receiving text messages notifying them of their spouses’ entrances to and exits from the country. That’s obviously sketchy, and definitely happening, but it’s been that way for a while now."

Against all odds, ‘Mosque for gays’ to open in France

alarabiya.net, Against all odds, ‘Mosque for gays’ to open in France "An Algerian homosexual man is planning to open a “mosque for gays” in France by the end of the month, which sets to be a place of worship for Friday prayers at first, then will hold same-sex Muslim marriages."

U.S. suspects use social media

alarabiya.net, Two of four U.S. terror suspects were Islamic converts: "Authorities won’t say how the investigation began, but at least two members of the group shared their beliefs on Facebook and held Skype phone calls with Kabir - all of which was recorded by an FBI informant or captured by agents monitoring their activity."

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Osama bin Laden sea 'burial'

Osama bin Laden: US Navy emails reveal no sailors witnessed secret burial at sea - Telegraph: "The emails were released by the Pentagon after a freedom of information request by the Associated Press, but were heavily redacted."


Analysis: Egypt's President Morsi feted for negotiating role

Analysis: Egypt's President Morsi feted for negotiating role - Telegraph:


"Gaza’s Internet Boy Wonder Takes on Israel"

Gaza’s Internet Boy Wonder Takes on Israel - The Daily Beast: "Last week, when the Israel Defense Forces threatened to pull the switch on the Internet in Gaza, Nour Haridy wanted a backup plan. So the 15-year-old high-school student from Cairo went on Twitter and asked in Arabic and English for help on how Gazans could get back online in the event of a shutoff."  Also see voxpalestine.org


Unveiled Syrian Facebook post stirs women's rights debate

BBC News - Unveiled Syrian Facebook post stirs women's rights debate "Among the dozens of Facebook groups spawned by the Syrian uprising, a page supporting women's rights has suddenly received a wave of attention, because of an image posted there by one of its followers. The picture was of 21-year-old Dana Bakdounis, without the veil she had grown up wearing - and it polarised opinion." Also see

 انتفاضة المرأة في العالم العربي 
This is on Facebook (The uprising of women in the Arab world)

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

'Killer robots' should be banned, say human rights groups

'Killer robots' should be banned, say human rights groups | Science | guardian.co.uk:


Top 10 ignorant and/or racist statements by academics

Top 10 ignorant and/or racist statements by academics — C L O S E R: opinion piece "Being active on social media brings many benefits. For me social media has been a very useful vehicle for sharing articles, blogs, news and activities with others. Another main benefit has been exchanging thoughts, and sometimes humorous rants, with like-minded people."


‘No Twitter for Terrorists’

alarabiya.net, ‘No Twitter for Terrorists’: pro-Israel group demands Hamas tweet ban "A Christian pro-Israel group has kicked off an online campaign demanding that microblogging site Twitter ban members of Hamas from using the service."

Social media in Gaza

Arab Media & Society, Social media and the Gaza conflict: "[But] above all, social media have advanced to the fore in this round of fighting because of Israel’s decision to impose a media blackout on Gaza. Days before the beginning of operation “Cast Lead,” foreign correspondents were barred from entering the territory. The government even prohibited Israeli soldiers from bringing in mobile phones – by now the medium of choice for leaks of embarrassing information the world over."

Analysis: Media war escalates in Gaza

Analysis: Media war escalates in Gaza - Features - Al Jazeera English: "Global information network accessibility is key to the rising visibility of the Palestinian narrative. Online activism is emerging as a powerful tool in shaping public perception. And as Israeli leaders ponder the best course of action in the highly publicised assault on Gaza, Palestine advocates, propagandists and armed groups are capitalising on the digital media platforms to make headway in the information race."

Operation Pillar of Defence: Death via Social Media

Operation Pillar of Defence: Death via Social Media | Scoop News opinion piece by Binoy Kampmark. "Social media has become a fixation for those dying the slow lonely life in suburbia to residents of frenetic inner metropolises. It galvanises political movements and enables groups to challenge mummified structures of power. But what is often forgotten is that it can just as well be used by those in power against those out of it. Nothing has illustrated this better than the Israeli use of social media even as the IDF pummels positions on the Gaza Strip in Operation Pillar of Defence. Peter Kafka of All Things Digital (Nov 15) sums up the effect of this strategy. “The idea is familiar to anyone who had a message to push in 2012: Instead of relying on middlemen like the press to convey your story, you can go over their heads, and right to your target audience.”"

Fighting for online equality

Fighting for online equality | Radio Netherlands Worldwide  "Internet is an open space where all are equal. Not so, say gender activists worldwide. The on-line world mirrors the roles and restrictions of offline society, and women are sometimes much more vulnerable than men when they are active online."

Israel Wages Cyber War With Hamas as Civilians Take Up Computers

Israel Wages Cyber War With Hamas as Civilians Take Up Computers - Businessweek "Knowledge of computer code is proving to be as important to Israel’s conflict with Hamas as the Iron Dome system intercepting rockets from the Gaza Strip."

Pushing for change, some in Jordan point to king

Timesonline.com: Middle-eastPushing for change, some in Jordan point to king "Hirak surfaced in the wake of the Arab Spring through Internet social networking."

Heavy blow to Syria opposition bloc: Islamic rebel groups want Islamic state:.

Middle East Online::Heavy blow to Syria opposition bloc: Islamic rebel groups want Islamic state:.: "he main Islamist rebel groups in Aleppo province, including Al-Nusra Front, have rejected the newly-formed Syrian opposition bloc saying they want an Islamic state, in an Internet video posted on Monday."

Pakistan acquits girl of blasphemy charges

Pakistan acquits girl of blasphemy charges - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English "Pakistan court has thrown out charges against a young Christian girl accused of blasphemy in a case that drew international condemnation, lawyers said."

Will social media sway Malaysia's elections?

Al Jazeera English, Will social media sway Malaysia's elections? - Features -  "The proliferation of independent websites and blogs such as Malaysia Today and Malaysiakini rendered the ruling coalition's propaganda machinery less effective during the electoral race, as formidable opponents appeared in the crucial arena of cyberspace."

Monday, November 19, 2012

Around 400 Egypt activists cross into Gaza on ‘solidarity’ trip

alarabiya.net, Around 400 Egypt activists cross into Gaza on ‘solidarity’ trip "“Almost 400 of us, mostly Egyptian activists in AlShifa hospital #Gaza for solidarity rally. We got convoy through Rafah, who would've thought?” tweeted an Egypt-based activist late Sunday as the group begun their visit to the city by visiting a Gaza hospital."

Paris Hilton’s new Mecca store gets mixed reviews in Saudi Arabia

alarabiya.net, Paris Hilton’s new Mecca store gets mixed reviews in Saudi Arabia "Hilton announced the news on her Twitter account Thursday. “Loving my beautiful new store that just opened at Mecca Mall in Saudi Arabia!,” she tweeted."

Egypt train tragedy

bikyamasr.com, Update: 50 dead, 15 injured in Egypt train crash, mostly young children: "On social media networks in the country, reports are coming in that reveal that some families lost two or three children each in the incident."

Tracking social media from Israel and Gaza

Tracking social media from Israel and Gaza - Interactive - Al Jazeera English

BCC Taliban issue

TNW, Taliban forgets to BCC an email, reveals its entire PR mailing list of over 400 people, "Taliban spokesperson Qari Mohammad Yousef Ahmadi apparently needs a lesson in the difference between carbon copy (CC) and blind carbon copy (BCC). His slipup has resulted in the leaking of the group’s entire PR mailing list, which includes over 400 email addresses belonging to journalists, members of government, academics, and activists."

Friday, November 16, 2012

Photo of journalist carrying dead son in Gaza spurs online grief

alarabiya.net, Photo of journalist carrying dead son in Gaza spurs online grief "The death of Mishrawi’s son at first prompted anger from online commentators and news blogging sites, particularly when the poignant went viral on social media networks, photo over the BBC’s alleged lack of, or minimal, reporting on the killing."

Group Anonymous attacks Israeli websites to retaliate against bombing of Gaza

alarabiya.net, Group Anonymous attacks Israeli websites to retaliate against bombing of Gaza "Hacker group, Anonymous, has launched hacking attacks on websites owned by the Israeli government in retaliation against the ongoing Israeli military campaign on the Gaza Strip."

Israeli and Palestinian officials exchange war of words via social media

Global Edmonton | Israeli and Palestinian officials exchange war of words via social media

More on social media issues and Palestine. 

I am watching the tweets come pouring in on TweetDeck, but it is difficult to keep up with the volume of content at present, let alone record anything...

Truth does not bother “Israel”. Pushing Buttons Do. To mute from “Tweeting until Termination”

Truth does not bother “Israel”. Pushing Buttons Do. To mute from “Tweeting until Termination” | Occupied Palestine | فلسطين:

Opinion piece in relation to social media and Palestinian issues

Hamas military chief "received draft proposal for a ceasefire agreement" hours before his death

BBC Newshour ‏@BBCNewshour #Israeli negotiator - #Hamas military chief "received draft proposal for a ceasefire agreement" hours before his death. via Twitter

Gaza under attack

Gaza under attack | The Stream - Al Jazeera English "Gazans live-tweet airstrikes as the fear of return to war with Israel grows."

#gazaunderattack

BBC Radio 4 - Moral Maze, The Moral Code of Social Media

BBC Radio 4 - Moral Maze, The Moral Code of Social Media

BBC Radio 4 - Digital Human

BBC Radio 4 - Digital Human, Series 2, Episode 7 "The distinction between our physical selves and mental states is a philosophical construction, but it signifies a line in the sand between those who believe our bodies make us human and those who define humanity by our thoughts and social lives. But after our death can our persisting digital selves continue our presence for those left behind?"

Moaz al-Khatib

Newshour had an interesting report on Moaz al-Khatib (between 930-10 Uk time). There should be a podcast on the link above. Also see BBC News, Profile: Syria opposition leader Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Porn sites appear in Islamic countries’ most-visited online rankings

alarabiya.net, Porn sites appear in Islamic countries’ most-visited online rankings "At least five pornographic websites are among Egypt’s 100 most frequently visited online destinations this year, according to Alexa, a division of Amazon.com that tracks online traffic patterns globally."

Imagining Tahrir

jadaliyya.com, Imagining Tahrir jadaliyya.com have produced a great set of photos and a related commentary

Assad Gangnam Style يلعن روحك يا حافظ

Psy-ops? Gangnam Style reboot for Syria:

Assad Gangnam Style يلعن روحك يا حافظ - YouTube



Headlines from five years ago

Headlines on this week, five years ago on virtuallyislamic.com


AFP, Bangladesh launches Internet sabotage probe, 13 Nov 07 "Bangladesh on Tuesday launched an investigation after the country's Internet link was sabotaged, disrupting communications nationwide for most of the day"

Janes, Taliban communications, old and new, 12 Nov 07 "The Taliban use a variety of ways to communicate and influence the people of Afghanistan and supporters in other Muslim countries. While their 'night letters' reflect traditional Afghan practice and are aimed at a domestic audience, the adoption of the internet and multimedia formats is a more controversial development for the movement and seems largely intended for an international audience."

AP, Project seeks to track terror Web posts, 12 Nov 07, "Researchers at the University of Arizona are developing a tool that uses these clues to automate the analysis of online jihadism.

AME Info, 'Islamic' car planned, 12 Nov 07, "The firm is to link up with companies in Turkey and Iran in order to develop the vehicle which would feature a compass indicating the direction of the Qiblah as well as spaces to store a headscarf and a copy of the Quran. It is claimed the idea originated in Iran."

BBC News, Egypt's mufti rejects criticism, 14 Nov 07 "With tears in his eyes, Grand Mufti Sheikh Ali Gomaa told reporters his religious edicts were never influenced by pressure from the authorities."

And finally ...

UAE makes more online speech illegal, but English announcement leaves out the details

Matt J. Duffy, UAE makes more online speech illegal, but English announcement leaves out the details "The state news agency reported a major change to the Cybercrime Law of 2006 that details which online acts are illegal."

Also see Gulf News, Full text of UAE decree on combating cyber crimes, 12 Nov 2012 "The decree further stipulates punishments for any person creating or running an electronic site to publish information online or through any information technology means to promote any terrorist groups and any unlicensed society, organisation or body, to facilitate contacts with their leaders or to solicit new members, promote the thoughts thereof, to finance their activities, to provide funds and actual help for its activities, or, for that matter, to promote the making of incendiary devices, explosives or any devices used in terrorist acts."

‘Destroy the idols,’ Egyptian jihadist calls for removal of Sphinx, Pyramids

alarabiya.net, ‘Destroy the idols,’ Egyptian jihadist calls for removal of Sphinx, Pyramids:

"An Egyptian jihad leader, with self-professed links to the Taliban, called for the “destruction of the Sphinx and the Giza Pyramids in Egypt,” drawing ties between the Egyptian relics and Buddha statues, local media reported this week."

Talking to foreign media is ‘haram:’ Saudi Grand Mufti

alarabiya.net, Talking to foreign media is ‘haram:’ Saudi Grand Mufti "Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti has issued a religious edict prohibiting contact and cooperation with foreign media outlets seeking to “spread chaos and strife in Muslim lands.”"

Iran Says Sattar Beheshti Was Not Tortured Before Death

Iran Says Sattar Beheshti Was Not Tortured Before Death - NYTimes.com: "An influential Iranian lawmaker said Monday that a blogger who died last week while in captivity had not been tortured during interrogations."

Monday, November 12, 2012

International Telecommunications Union internet regulation

Crikey, International Telecommunications Union internet regulation | "An unusual coalition has launched a campaign against the increasingly aggressive push to use the International Telecommunications Union to regulate the internet."

Abu Qatada Wins Appeal Against Extradition

Sky News, Abu Qatada Wins Appeal Against Extradition "The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) upheld the radical cleric's appeal after his lawyers claimed he would not get a fair trial."

Pakistan official consider options for filtering YouTube videos

The Independent, Pakistan official consider options for filtering YouTube videos - Asia - World - "Interior Minister Rehman Malik, a regular social media user, announced this week that the government will set up a committee to find a way to filter anti-Islamic content on YouTube — most notoriously, the crudely made "Innocence of Muslims" video that mocked the Prophet Mohammad — but still let Bollywood music videos continue to entertain the nation."

US whacks sanctions on Iranians for web, TV censorship

US whacks sanctions on Iranians for web, TV censorship • The Register "The US has announced sanctions against Iran's communications minister and three other Iranians, as well as five companies and government departments in the Middle Eastern nation, for censoring the internet and media."


Sunday, November 11, 2012

Arab States in Transition: The West’s Mediterranean Challenge

I participated in this event at Chatham House last week:

Arab States in Transition: The West’s Mediterranean Challenge | Chatham House: Independent thinking on international affairs:


Thursday 8 November 2012 12:30 to 13:30 GMT


Dr Gary Bunt, Reader in Islamic Studies, University of Wales Trinity Saint David
Cesare Merlini, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Center on the United States and Europe, Brookings
Olivier Roy, Professor of Social and Political Theory, European University Institute
Chair: Dr Claire Spencer, Head, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House

"The panellists will explore the profound social, cultural and religious changes taking place in the Arab states of the Mediterranean and how these will affect their fundamental transitions in governance. They will also consider the ramifications for the West and the policy options for dealing with this new world."




You can listen to the event in full via the Chatham House website, and download the discussion.

I was there to discuss my contribution in Cesare Merlini and Olivier Roy's edited book 'Arab Society in Revolt' (Brookings Institution Press), in which I have a chapter.

I have just noticed that this is also available as an eBook in various formats. It brings together perspectives from a range of academic disciplines, and was an interesting project to be involved in.

This was my first visit to the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House in London.

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

A Look Into The Mouth Of The 'Big Mouth Basiji'

Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL, A Look Into The Mouth Of The 'Big Mouth Basiji', 6 Nov 2012 "The Internet and social media have played a big role in bringing attention to the “Big Mouth Basiji,” who seems to enjoy his celebrity status.

"He's certainly not the first regime supporter to convey his views on social media. But he's easily the most unconventional."

#saveMuslimhistory

Twitter / Search - #saveMuslimhistory:

ongoing campaign on Twitter [received via Yahya Birt on Facebook]: "Share your concern about to protect what's left of our Muslim heritage which is being destroyed. Please use the hashtag #savemuslimhistory. Why not tweet to prominent politicians, activists and scholars in Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Libya and elsewhere."

Gaza police catch crocodile that was a fugitive for two years

The Globe and Mail, Gaza police catch crocodile that was a fugitive for two years "It took an Internet search, shark nets and two weeks of floating in a sewage pond, but Gaza policemen said Tuesday that they have finally captured a crocodile that was terrifying residents."

Saudi’s Mobily posts 502 percent data growth during Hajj

bikyamasr.com, Saudi’s Mobily posts 502 percent data growth during Hajj "The company said its network recorded a 502 percent growth in data volumes at holy sites during the 2012 Hajj season and 101 percent growth in data in the Central Area of the Grand Mosque, compared to the 2011 Hajj."

Tunisia Salafist leader wraps warning with call for calm :.

Middle East Online, Tunisia Salafist leader wraps warning with call for calm :. "A Tunisian Salafist wanted for allegedly organising an attack on the US embassy called for calm on Friday, as troops and police deployed outside a flashpoint suburb of Tunis following deadly violence earlier this week."

Monday, November 05, 2012

What al Qaeda Fans Have to Say About Hurricane Sandy

What al Qaeda Fans Have to Say About Hurricane Sandy - Brian Fung - The Atlantic "Technological advancements have enabled terrorists to wage online propaganda campaigns through "hundreds" of jihad-themed websites, experts warn."

Terrorists increasingly use web for recruitment

Terrorists increasingly use web for recruitment - khabarsoutheastasia.com: "Technological advancements have enabled terrorists to wage online propaganda campaigns through "hundreds" of jihad-themed websites, experts warn."

Sunday, November 04, 2012

German Jihadists Target Youth on the Internet, Study Finds

German Jihadists Target Youth on the Internet, Study Finds - SPIEGEL ONLINE: "Today, the ex-rapper is one of the most prominent German-speaking propagandists for jihad on the Internet. A new study by the Berlin-based Foundation for Science and Politics (SWP), which advises the German government, addresses the development of the Islamist scene on the Internet in detail for the first time."

Links to the study are here: Jihadismus und Internet: Eine deutsche Perspektive


Friday, November 02, 2012

Syria's rebels fear foreign jihadis in their midst

Syria's rebels fear foreign jihadis in their midst | World news | guardian.co.uk:

The Finish by Mark Bowden reviewed

The Finish by Mark Bowden: The Killing of Osama Bin Laden – review | Books | The Guardian

Digital revolution Africa

Digital revolution lights up Africa with maps, mobiles, money and markets | World news | The Guardian:


Internet rolls into Bangladesh villages on a bike

AP, Internet rolls into Bangladesh villages on a bike: "Amina Begum had never seen a computer until a few years ago, but now she's on Skype regularly with her husband. A woman on a bicycle brings the Internet to her."

Tunisia, a Sad Year Later

NYTimes.com, Tunisia, a Sad Year Later -

Taking power through technology in the Arab Spring

Ramesh Srinivasan, Taking power through technology in the Arab Spring - Opinion - Al Jazeera English "The Internet can make that which is on the opposite end of the world seem very local. Yet this can both distort or amplify reality. For example, while the recent “Innocence of Muslims” video served as a catalyst for the dissatisfaction felt toward the lack of Western support toward the Arab world, the protests and riots would not have occurred without YouTube and Vimeo. The ways by which newer and older media come together can turn slander into reality, changing what counts as truth in today’s world." Also see

Israel invests millions in drive for elite 'cyber warriors'

Israel invests millions in drive for elite 'cyber warriors' - Telegraph: "The Jewish state is facing a dire shortage of "cyber-combat troops" and is scouring the Jewish Diaspora for exceptional, teenage computer minds to recruit to its cyber unit Intelligence Corps Unit 8200, a leading Israeli newspaper reported on Thursday."


Thursday, November 01, 2012

Bahrain activist jailed for insulting king on Twitter

Telegraph, Bahrain activist jailed for insulting king on Twitter, "The online activist, who has not been named, was among four people arrested last month for allegedly defaming Bahrain's monarch in cases that mirror other social media crackdowns by Gulf Arab rulers."