'Donkeys Take Over From DSL as Syria Shuts Down Internet'

This puts the (so-called) 'Facebook Revolution' in perspective (certainly in Syria). Great headline too:

Abdullah Omar, The Media Line, Donkeys Take Over From DSL as Syria Shuts Down Internet, 15 May 2011 "To get the news outs, activists have been smuggling videos to Jordan through the desert and across a nearly 80-kilometer border Jordan shares with Syria. Some risk approaching the border with Jordanian cellphones to report to the outside world and send clips. It’s a dangerous task because the Syrian and Jordanian armies traditionally have the area under heavy surveillance to prevent the smuggling of drugs and weapons into the kingdom or further to the Gulf states.

"But desperate Syrians have been using a helping hand from smugglers to cross the border, either by walking or on the backs of donkeys, according to residents from Ramtha. Locals have centuries if not millennia of experience eluding officials."

'The slap that sparked a revolution'

The Observer, The slap that sparked a revolution, 15 May 2011 "The Arab spring was triggered in Tunisia when Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire after claiming he was slapped by policewoman Fedia Hamdi. But as Elizabeth Day discovers, revolutions create their own myths."

Arab spring, Persian winter

Ali Alfoneh, BitterLemons, Arab spring, Persian winter, 15 May 2011 "It is still too early to tell whether the waves of change sweeping over the shores of North Africa and the Middle East will erode the foundations of autocracy or, conversely, whether they will merely substitute secular authoritarianism with Islamist totalitarianism. It is clear, however, that no regional regime is immune to their impact, not even the Islamic Republic of Iran, the self-proclaimed vanguard of the permanent world revolution."

Iranians surf shark-infested, state-controlled web

Robin Pomeroy, Reuters/The Daily Star, Iranians surf shark-infested, state-controlled web, 16 May 2011: "At a Tehran cafe, a young man turns on his laptop to check out the latest gossip on Facebook.The scene could be repeated anywhere in the world, but the difference in Tehran is that he, like countless other Iranian Internet users, is breaking the law." Good overview.

Bin Laden was logged off, but not al-Qaida

The Associated Press: Bin Laden was logged off, but not al-Qaida, 15 May 2011: "Al-Qaida's technological evolution illustrates how much the group has changed since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and why it has flourished despite America's decade-long quest to crush it, using everything from drone strikes in Pakistan to secret prisons in Eastern Europe where bin Laden's lieutenants were interrogated"

'Social sites used for surveillance'

thepeninsulaqatar.com, Social sites used for surveillance: Expert, 13 May 2011 "While social networking tools have been a useful mechanism in coordinating protests and motivating activists, it is also becoming an instrument used by regimes for surveillance and spreading propaganda, warns an expert."

Taliban Tweets

GMA News Online, Taliban boosts propaganda with English tweets, 13 May 2011 "In a move seen as an expansion of its propaganda's reach beyond the Afghan world, the Taliban has recently started posting messages in English on its Twitter account several months after tweeting only in pure Pashto, one of the Middle Eastern country's official languages." Widely reported

Da'wa in KSA

Abdul Ghafour, Arab News, Tagalog Qur’an translation ready for publication, 12 May 2011 "Kawther [Fuad Kawther, general manager of the Industrial City Dawa Office, Jeddah] believes that socialization is the best way to bring non-Muslims closer to Islam. “We should also present Islam in a scientific and attractive manner using modern information technology. If we simply treat our fellow humans the way Islam instructs, they will open up and show interest to learn about our religion,” he said."

Tracking key terror suspects

Frank Gardner, BBC News - Tracking key terror suspects, 13 May 2011 "The path that led the CIA to Osama Bin Laden's doorstep was a long and complex one."

Google Adds Islamic Prayer Times in Search

ArabCrunch, Google Adds Islamic Prayer Times in Search just picked this one up

"Google shows snippet of movies show times in many countries in its search resluts, today google announced that it launched Islamic Prayer Times in search results highlighted from pages across the web."

Internet is double-edged sword in Arab revolts: Amnesty

AFP: Internet is double-edged sword in Arab revolts: Amnesty, 12 May 2011

OnIslam opinion: "Can I Convert in Secret?"

Can I Convert in Secret? - New to Islam - counsels - OnIslam.net: "My advice is that you accept Islam in your heart and do your best to learn and practice the rituals like ablution and Prayers, but not tell your parents yet. The Prayers can be performed in secret in your room; since you live far from a mosque, you do not have to perform them in congregation. And you have almost a year until you have to worry about fasting Ramadan. Even that can be done in secret, though with difficulty.

"Al-hamdu lillah , (all praise to Allah) you now have access to the Internet, via which you can learn the basics of Islam and how to pray and fast."

See the full response by clicking above.

'Al-Qaeda ideologist asks Kyrgyzstan for political asylum'

eng.24.kg, Al-Qaeda ideologist asks Kyrgyzstan for political asylum, 11 May 2011: "“Delo №.” reported, referring to the information released in Internet, that Ali Osman Zor used to issue “Al-Qaeda” magazine, “which could be freely bought in Turkey”. He also was a member of “Great East Islamic Raiders Front” extremist group. According to the newspaper, Ali Osman Zor served a term for attempt to overthrow Turkey’s secular system and later was released under an amnesty."

Women in Turkey

The Economist, Women in Turkey: Behind the veil "The best news is that women are getting organised. Those battling to end restrictions on the headscarf are among the most vocal. Secular women support the campaign to force parties to accept female candidates who cover their heads. “No headscarves, no votes,” is their slogan. Although Mr Erdogan and most of his cabinet are married to veiled women, the AK has nominated only one similarly pious woman, for an unwinnable seat."

al-Shabab on OBL

National Post, Somali terror leader vows revenge for bin Laden, 12 May 2011: "A former Toronto man who is now a commander of the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabab has called for revenge over the killing of Osama bin Laden in a videotape posted on the Internet."

CT analysts and aQ

Jarret Brachman, Cronus, Let 1,000 Opinions (U)BLoom [Updated], 9 May 2011 "I hope my fellow CT analysts similarly feel unencumbered to speak their mind about the individuals, dynamics, trends and events they believe need to be addressed in our nation’s dialog about a post UBL al-Qaeda, in spite of any calls for self-censorship or stifling criticism they may encounter in the name of the ‘greater good.’ I implore my colleagues to blog, tweet, Facebook and publish their fannies off, knowing full well that AQ is watching, that you might advance your career or worse yet make some money, and that others might take issue with your assessments, your methods or your even you."

Refers to Leah Farrall (All Things Counter Terrorism) and Will McCants, Jihadica, No New Bin Ladens, 8 May 2011 - both of which are well worth reading as well

'Toward a new Arab media'

Lawrence Pintak, Columibia Journalism Review, Breathing Room: Toward a new Arab media

'Senior Al-Qaeda member warns US of 'worse' attack'

AKI, Bin Laden: Senior Al-Qaeda member warns US of 'worse' attack, 11 May 2011

Kabul madrassa report on CNN

"CNN's Stan Grant takes a rare look into a closed world when he visits a madrassa -- an Islamic religious school -- in a poor Kabul neighborhood. Here, children as young as six are taught to dislike the United States."

OBL media re-evaluated

Baker Atyani, alarabiya.net, Osama Bin Laden meets the media, 9 May 2011 "The United States may not find much in Bin Laden’s house except some media and cultural content. The US may have possibly found very little about Al Qaeda, its network ties, strategies and planning.

"As such, it is important to re-consider the US announcement that it found a treasure throve of information about Al Qaeda."

Syria Live Blog - May 11 | Al Jazeera Blogs

Syria Live Blog - May 11 | Al Jazeera Blogs comprehensive coverage

Twitter #libya

Twitter / Search - #libya closely following this feed today.

Also see this in Gloria Goodale, CSM, In Libya, perfecting the art of revolution by Twitter, "Every generation’s revolutionaries have harnessed the latest technology, from patriots pamphleting in 1775 to Egyptians texting in 2011. Thanks to YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, today’s Libyan rebels are having a dialogue with the globe, not just each other.

"An Egyptian cab driver tells this joke to foreign reporters: President Hosni Mubarak dies and is greeted in the afterlife by former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who asks him how he died. Mr. Mubarak answers, “Death by Twitter.”"

'US warned Pakistan it would come to get Bin Laden: US officials'

–Reuters/The Express Tribune, US warned Pakistan it would come to get Bin Laden: US officials, 11 May 2011 "The United States repeatedly told Pakistan that Washington would send American forces into that country if it had evidence that Osama bin Laden was hiding there, according to current and former US officials."

Yemen video

YouTube - Escelation [sic] in the Yemeni revolution

sourced via: @jessradio

"A compelling video blog by #Yemen activist/dr @ichamza on plans to escalate protests. Great protest scenes:http://youtu.be/hxI6EbB2ZEw"

Egypt’s net numbers

ArabCrunch, Egypt’s MCIT: Egypt Has 23.51 Million Internet Users, 71.46 Million Mobile Subscribers & 3972 ICT Companies "Egypt’s Ministry of communications and information technology (MCIT) has released ICT indicators in brief for February of 2011. The report says that there are 71.46 million Mobile subscribers in January growing at 1.13 % from previous month with annual growth at 27.95% while Mobile penetration rate is at 91.32 %."

Mustalahatek: Arabic User Generated Dictionary

ArabCrunch, Mustalahatek: Arabic User Generated Dictionary for Technical Terms, 1 May 2011: "Almost every day there is a new technical term in english, Mustalahatek aims to be the place to provide translations to those terms into Arabic."

still in beta, looks useful

1981 riots

BBC - BBC Radio 2 Programmes - Jeremy Vine, 11 May 2011: "After one o'clock, a special programme looks back thirty years at the riots in Brixton, Toxteth and Moss Side."

Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 yesterday had a good section on the Brixton, Toxteth and Moss Side Riots of 1981. You can hear it via the BBC iPlayer (it came on after 1 o'clock, so scroll through an hour)

Replacing OBL

CBS News, Choices for Osama bin Laden replacement are many, 10 May 2011 "A week after the death of Osama bin Laden, his longtime deputy is considered the front-runner to succeed the iconic al Qaeda founder. But uprisings in the Middle East and changing dynamics within the group could point to another scenario: a decision not to appoint anyone at all to replace the world's most-wanted terrorist."

German Jihad

Marcel Rosenbach and Holger Stark, Spiegel Online, German Jihad: Homegrown Terror Takes on New Dimensions, 9 May 2011 "Osama bin Laden may be dead, but al-Qaida is alive and well in Germany. Each month, an average of five Islamists leave the country for terrorist training camps in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area. Recent arrests in Düsseldorf show just how dangerous homegrown terror has become."

Kuwait and Twitter

alWatanDaily, Sheikh Khaled denies monitoring Twitter users, 9 May 2011 "The Head of Protocol of the Amiri Diwan Sheikh Khaled Al-Abduallah Al-Sabah denied on Sunday what some twitter posts has been saying, as to monitoring the users and referring them to prosecution."

Tip: Shuji Hosaka

Southeast Asia, social networks and 'jihad'

Maria Ressa, Philippine Daily Inquire, Inquirer.net, Spreading the jihadi virus in Southeast Asia, 9 May 2011: "Studies on social networks of al-Qaida and its Southeast Asian arm, Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), show that both organizations continue to spread violent jihadi ideology like a virus ...

" ... “More people are buying into the ideology of JI and its associated groups,” says [Ronan] Gunaratna. “More individuals are politicized, radicalized and mobilized, and a very small number of them will continue to carry out attacks.”

"Add the potent amplifying effect of social media. In mid-April, a jihadist prepared a 23-page guide to “effectively post” on Facebook. (Indonesia is the second largest Facebook nation in the world; the Philippines ranks sixth globally).""

Useful article: "Maria A. Ressa is former CNN Jakarta bureau chief and author of “Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al-Qaeda’s Newest Center of Operations in Southeast Asia.”"

Indonesia and OBL reaction

Sara Schonhardt, Osama's death ripples in Indonesia, 11 May 2011 "The death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of United States Special Forces in Pakistan this month has turned a lens on the sustainability of his al-Qaeda radical offshoots, with analysts weighing the strength of the connections between the group he led and the scores of small jihadi cells that operate across the world."

Egypt’s revolution: 100 days on

Scott Burchill, The Drum Opinion (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), Egypt’s revolution: 100 days on, 10 May 2011,

The Future of Islam in the Age of New Media

The Future of Islam in the Age of New Media: the World's Shortest Conference on Islam Ever "Register now and join 60 speakers comprised of Islamic scholars, new media experts, academics, journalists and activists, along with thousands of participants who will be tuning in for an unprecedented conversation, focused on exploring answers to these pressing questions."

includes 60 seconds from myself

More reaction re OBL

AP, Internet chatter up on bin Laden revenge attacks, 7 May 2011 "Pipe bombs, a targeted car crash, a lone gunman: Western intelligence officials said Friday they are seeing increased Internet and phone chatter about cheap, small-scale terror attacks to avenge the death of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden."

'Taliban Twitter' II

theglobeandmail.com, Taliban embrace information age with Twitter, English websites, 8 May 2011

I have previously blogged and written on this issue.

"Other attempts at expanding the Taliban’s marketing reach have run into obstacles. Its Facebook page was shut down earlier this year after just 20 days. But the Taliban has started sending out its statements as tweets from two Twitter accounts.

"To reach ordinary Afghans – most of whom are illiterate and have no Internet access – it relies on more rudimentary methods. It provides cassettes to compliant or intimidated mosque preachers and tribal elders. It operates radio stations in parts of four provinces where its control is solid. Some of its fighters carry mobile radio equipment consisting of little more than wire strung through tree branches and beat-up antennas held together with electrical tape. They then transmit cassette tapes of songs and religious exhortations."

OBL - net reaction and videos

Aaron Y. Zelin, Foreign Policy, The bin Laden aftermath: The Internet jihadis react, 2 May 2011 "Following President Barack Obama's announcement yesterday of the operation that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the latter's online grassroots supporters in forums and blogs began quickly to respond. These pronouncements provide key insights into how these activists view Bin Laden as well as their continued commitment to the movement, showing a range of emotions but also the durability of the ideas that bin Laden worked so hard to propagate through propaganda and massive anti-civilian violence."

Also see Aaron Zelin's jihadology.net for some of this reaction.

This in turn links to J.M. Berger, intelwire.com, New Osama bin Laden Videos: More Questions Than Answers [Berger is the author of 'Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam' which is due out soon.

Also see Wired, Danger Room, Watch: Osama’s Blooper Reel, Courtesy of the Navy SEALs, 7 May 2011











[note: no audio!]

Osama bin Laden's data

Collin Greenland, The Gleaner, Examining bin Laden's computer, 8 May 2011 "The information secured from terrorists' computers, therefore, has proven historically to be as important as actually killing them. Clearly, although the intelligence fraternity will be salivating at the "impressive" amount of information that CIA Director Leon Panetta said is being extracted by hundreds of analysts in Pakistan, billions worldwide are now also asking the same question: Can you imagine what's on Osama bin Laden's hard drive? But how will they examine bin Laden's computer?"[Collin Greenland is a forensic accountant; the article usefully links to: US Department of Justice, 'Electronic Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for First Responders' [pdf]]

Mathew J. Schwartz, informationweek.com, Cracking Bin Laden's Hard Drives, 5 May 2011 "Here's how the process works, said Rob Lee, a director at information security company Mandiant and a fellow at The SANS Institute, in a telephone interview: A military team will secure a location but not touch the computers. Next, computer experts--typically, contractors--traveling with the team come in and do a "clean takedown" of any machines. Little if any "deep dive" data analysis will be performed in the field, except perhaps some quick analysis in search of "low-hanging fruit," for example to note on a captured cell phone any phone numbers that the target recently called, or any recently sent emails. But the true payoff comes when intelligence analysts compare the captured data with "the hundreds of terabytes of data that they've already gathered over many years," for example to see how names, email addresses, and phone numbers match up."

John Hudswon, theatlanticwire.com, Is the U.S. Using Info from Bin Laden's Hard Drive for Drone Attacks?, 6 May 2011 "Days after U.S. Navy SEALs took hard drives, memory sticks and personal computers from Osama bin Laden's hideout, both Pakistan and the U.S. have launched major offensives against suspected Islamic militants. On Friday, a U.S. drone strike reportedly killed 12 militants in Pakistan and another U.S. drone strike in Yemen, the first since 2002, killed two suspected Al Qaeda operatives. And, as reported minutes ago, Pakistani forces have rounded up 40 people in Abbottabad suspected of having connections to bin Laden. Is the massive data trove recovered from bin Laden's compound already paying off?"

refers to this article:

Spencer Ackerman, Wired, First Drone Strikes Since bin Laden Raid Hit Pakistan, Yemen "CIA officials have yet to respond to inquiries from Danger Room about the connection between the drone strikes and the bin Laden compound intelligence. Chances are they won’t confirm anything. But it’s hard to resist making an educated guess. After al-Qaida’s Yemen branch tried to sneak bombs into the U.S. packed into printers, the CIA and the Joint Special Operations Command paired up to create “kill/capture” teams, equipped with drones. And they’re precisely the ones who killed bin Laden and stole his documents."

OBL

onislam.net, Al-Qaeda Confirms Bin Laden's Death, 6 May 2011 , "Five days after the US announced the killing of Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda confirmed on Friday, May 6, the killing of its leader, vowing revenge on the United States and its allies."

"Ex-Taliban fighter in 'jihad recruitment bid'"

BBC News, Ex-Taliban fighter in 'jihad recruitment bid', 5 May 2011 "The court heard how Mr Farooqi and his son used the basement of the family's four-bed terrace house to produce DVDs and CDs about radical Islam."

'Bin Laden’s Online Fan Club Fumes at Death Reports'

Adam Rawnsley and Noah Shachtman, Bin Laden’s Online Fan Club Fumes at Death Reports, 2 May 2011 "“As a cover-up to its catalog of failures, the enemy always tries to distract the attention of not only the supporters of the Jihad and the Mujahedeen,” cries Abu Ali Assadiq, one moderator of the Somalia-oriented jihadi forum Al-Qimmah."

arirang.co.kr, Al-Qaeda Internet Message Board Acknowledges Bin Laden's Death, 3 May 2011 "An Internet message board run by the Al-Qaeda leadership has acknowledged Osama bin Laden's death.

"According to the monitoring group SITE on Monday, Asad al-Jihad 2, a prominent member of the online jihadist community, called bin Laden a knight who sacrificed his soul to fight the United States and its allies."

Fisk on OBL

ABC Melbourne, Death of Osama Bin Laden 'pretty irrelevant': Robert Fisk, 2 May 2011 "Veteran journalist Robert Fisk, who interviewed Osama Bin Laden on three occasions, says news of Bin Laden's death is much less important than the popular uprisings happening in the Arab world."

"Bin Laden’s death unlikely to inspire new generation of jihadists" opinion

James M Dorsey, alarabiya.net, Bin Laden’s death unlikely to inspire new generation of jihadists, 2 May 2011 opinion piece

"With Al Qaeda marginalized by the wave of anti-government protests sweeping the Middle East and North Africa, the risk of Mr. Bin Laden, the world’s most wanted fugitive, becoming a martyr capable of inspiring jihadists across the globe in death as much as he did while alive has been substantially diminished."

CNN report on OBL

Typo on Fox

Metro, 'Obama bin Laden dead': Fox News typo causes Twitter storm, 2 May 2011 "Every news provider in the world is buzzing today, broadcasting stories on the death of Osama bin Laden. However, an oversight at Fox News' Sacramento affiliate Fox40 News saw the US TV channel use titles onscreen reporting that 'Obama Bin Laden' had died.

Live blog: Osama bin Laden killed by US forces

aljazeera.net, Live blog: Osama bin Laden killed by US forces, 2 May 2011

@ReallyVirtual

Danny Sullivan, Storify.com, The Death Of Osama Bin Laden, Live Tweeted

"RT @ISuckBigTime: Osama Bin Laden killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan.: ISI has confirmed it << Uh oh, there goes the neighborhood :-/ ReallyVirtual"
6 hours ago

OBL Twitter reacton

Guardian, Twitter first with news of Osama bin Laden's death via ex-Bush staffer, 2 May 2011 "News of Osama bin Laden's death was first leaked on Twitter by Keith Urbahn, the former chief of staff for Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary under President George W Bush."

Osama Bin Laden killed: reaction

BBC News, Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden dead - Barack Obama, 2 May 2011 "Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden has been killed by US forces in Pakistan, President Barack Obama has said."

BBC News, Bin Laden killed: How it happened, 2 May 2011

Times of India, A massive house with no telephone or internet connection led to bin Laden, 2 May 2011 "A large mansion in a massive compound with 12 feet to 18 feet tall walls topped with barbed wire. No telephone or internet connection to the house. And seldom seen residents who burnt their trash rather than dispose it as other neighbors did."

Times of India/Reuters, Obama was found with youngest wife, 2 May 2011 "US forces finally found al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden not in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan's border, but in a million-dollar compound in an upscale suburb of Pakistan's capital, with his youngest wife, US officials said early on Monday."

AFP/Inquirer, Blogger ‘tweets’ attack on Osama bin Laden, 2 May 2011, "An IT consultant in the Pakistan city of Abbottabad was an Internet celebrity on Monday after unwittingly providing a real-time account of the attack that killed Osama bin Laden.

"Sohaib Athar, who tweets under the name "ReallyVirtual," began sending Twitter messages complaining about helicopters hovering in an unusual early morning annoyance."

AP/Inquirer, Bin Laden's death draws cheers, relief, dismay, 2 May 2011 ""Hardline sympathizers of Bin Laden expressed shock and dismay at the news, with many saying it could not be believed until formally confirmed by the terrorist network.

""How, why, when? I don't believe it," said one dazed subscriber, Mullah Faisal, on popular Jihadi website Muslm.net. "I ask God to keep his servant safe and keep him away from the eyes of the infidels.""

Freedom House Study

Saba Imtiaz, Express Tribune Pakistan, Freedom House: Study enumerates Islamabad's bids to control cyberspace, 20 Apr 2011 "Attempts to file a lawsuit against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, blocking access to YouTube and Blogspot and surveillance of activists in Pakistan are highlighted in a global study released by Freedom House on Tuesday."

Here's the report which I have yet to read.

Sudan

kansascity.com, Sudan's government crushed protests by embracing Internet, 7 Apr 2011 "Instead of simply shutting off access to the Internet or cutting off cellphone texting, as other regimes did, the Sudanese security services embraced those tools. They even declared "cyber-jihad" against anti-regime organizers.

"Pro-government agents infiltrated anti-government sites, spreading misinformation and looking to triangulate the identities of the chief organizers. They'd barrage Facebook pages with pornography, then report the pages to Facebook for violating the rules."

Just picked up on this - it's still relevant

Syria: summary

Here's a brief summary/catch-up of net-issue related coverage re. Syria.

ABC AM, Syria lifts emergency rule, 20 Apr 2011 "The Syrian government has lifted the country's nearly 50-year-old state of emergency as protests against the rule of president Bashar al-Assad continue."

Tara Bahrampour, washingtonpost.com, In Syria, protesters push to end decades of isolation, 16 Apr 2011 "“I knew well about the arrests in the past years, but I couldn’t go to the streets by myself,” said Bahaa, 25, an art student in the city of As Suwayda who joined protests last week for the first time since they started. After seeing YouTube footage of earlier demonstrations, he and his friends decided it was time to do more than just watch from the sidelines. “I was so happy,” he said, speaking via Skype like others in Syria interviewed for this story, “because for the first time I was demanding my freedom.”"

CNN/live5news, Cyber activist wanted for sharing videos of Syrian protests, 18 Apr 2011 "A man dedicated to putting protest videos from Syria and other North African and Middle Eastern countries on the internet, and the international spotlight, is one of Syria's most wanted cyber activists."

Hugh Macleod, globalpost.com/, Syria’s cyber revolution "Known as Malath Omran until his real identity was made public last week by the Syrian secret police, Nakhle is one hub of a growing and impressively organized network of activists using social media to break the bonds of Syria’s police."

Massoud A. Derhally, bloomberg.com, Syrian Activists Report Internet, Phone, Power Blackouts Amid Crackdown, 13 Apr 2011 "Syrian activists reported disruptions to phone, Internet and electricity connections in areas where protests have broken out, after authorities vowed to crush what they called a conspiracy against the regime."

Bahrain: analysis

Patrick Cockburn, Independent, Bahrain escapes censure by West as crackdown on protesters intensifies, 19 Apr 2011

"The harshness of the government repression is provoking allegations of hypocrisy against Washington, London and Paris. Their mild response to human rights abuses and the Saudi Arabian armed intervention in Bahrain is in stark contrast to their vocal concern for civilians in Libya."

As always, Patrick Cockburn is well worth reading in this article.

ikhwanweb.com opinion

I was interested to see this report from ikhwanweb.com ('the Muslim Brotherhoods official English site') which I place here for information purposes.

ikhwanweb.com, Arab Youth – Changing Worldwide Perceptions, 16 Apr 2011

"With a background in technology and exposure to the rest of the world, today's Arab youth have managed to form their own modernity taking into account their religious and social values. They want to be a part of the globalized world, rather than just a copy of the West."

'Halal' internet

AKI, Iran: Tehran announces new 'halal' Islamic internet, 15 Apr 2011 ""Iran will soon create an internet that conforms to Islamic principles, to improve its communication and trade links with the world," the head of economic affairs with the Iranian presidency [Ali Aqamohammadi], told state news agency Irna in an interview."

I'd be interested to see the feasibility study on this.

Policing content on social media sites

Jillian C. Yorke, Al Jazeera English, Policing content on social media sites, 18 Apr 2011

#faith2point0

I participated in the Faith 2.0 event at RSA last week. This was a well-organised event, drawing on a variety of speakers, all wrestling with their alloted ten minute slots (except for Sister Catherine Wybourne, who had a longer time slot for her fascinating keynote). The event covered a lot of ground, and was video-streamed.

My panel on Religious Authority and the Growth of Online Extremism was dominated by presentations on Islam (that's the way it was set up by the organisers and appeared in the programme), so inevitably there were questions of balance in relation to religious representation - some of which turned up in the post-presentation discussions. The balance issue was compounded by the absence of Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan, whose experiences I'd have liked to have heard.

My own presentation focused on online fatwas, with illustrated examples of key online authorities, portals and channels (i.e. IslamOnline, OnIslam, Amr Khaled, Islam.com, Qur'an sites) and highlighted the diversity of perspectives and forms of religious authority available on the net (including my iMuslims diagram from the book, demonstrating a variety of online activities).

I also includes a subsequent brief series of jihad-linked screenshots from diverse contexts and perspectives. All part of the authority equation and 'extremism', you'd think ...

You can listen to the session podcast and comments/speaker responses via this page. Not sure how well it'll work without the pix.

It would be useful to have a further event where these issues relating to the internet, religious authority and online 'extremism' are unpicked in relation to other religions.

There's a report/opinioni here too from Pete Phillips: Faith 2.0 | A Conference on Religion and the Internet | #faith2point0 | report updated with audio links and some post conference thinking. Also see the Digitalnun

Also see #faith2point0

Egyptians alarmed over rise in influence of Salafis in post-Mubarak era

Abeer Tayel, alarabiya.net, Egyptians alarmed over rise in influence of Salafis in post-Mubarak era, 14 Apr 2011

Mubarak, sons detained for 15 days

alarabiya.net, Mubarak, sons detained for 15 days, 13 Apr 2011

Nokhba Jihadi Media Releases Jihadist-Produced First Aid Booklet

SITE Intel Group, Nokhba Jihadi Media Releases Jihadist-Produced First Aid Booklet "Nokhba Jihadi Media released a 45-page first aid booklet authored by a member of the jihadist internet community. The booklet, titled “First Aid in the Jihadi Arenas,” was posted on jihadist forums on March 20, 2011." just picked this up

'The World of Holy Warcraft'

Jarret Brachman and Alix Levine, Foreign Policy, The World of Holy Warcraft, 13 Apr 2011

Review: The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy

Annika Kropf. Current Intelligence, The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Information Technology and Political Islam book review of Philip N. Howard's book.

Television, Televangelism and Muslims

albalagh.net/MuslimMatters.org, Khalid Baig, In the Lizard’s Hole: Television, Televangelism and Muslims, 13 Apr 2011 long article, haven't read this yet...

KSA 'Kingdom is safeguarding children from Internet abuse'

Saudi Gazette, Kingdom is safeguarding children from Internet abuse, 14 Apr 2011: "Technology is being misused to spread pornography, particularly involving children, said Dr. Abdullah Al-Ansari, Director General of Legal Affairs and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Interior and the Kingdom’s Representative at the 20th Session of the Committee on Criminal Justice now under way in Austria."

PKS lawmaker quits, ordered to recite Koran over porn incident

The Jakarta Post, PKS lawmaker quits, ordered to recite Koran over porn incident, 12 Apr 2011 "Photographs showing Arifinto looking at pornography on his tablet computer were widely circulated in the media and on the Internet, leading to an outburst of criticism of the party, which has described itself as “clean, caring and professional”."

Islamist propaganda trial throws spotlight on Internet extremists | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 12.04.2011

Deutsche Welle, Islamist propaganda trial throws spotlight on Internet extremists, 12 Apr 2011: "A trial of eight people accused of spreading Islamist propaganda over the Internet opened in Munich on Tuesday. Prosecutors say the defendents used Internet forums and blogs to call for a holy war."

Omar Hammami Releases More Al Qaeda Rap Songs

ABC News, Omar Hammami Releases More Al Qaeda Rap Songs, 12 Apr 2011: "American-born Al Qaeda operative Omar Hammami is not dead yet. If he had really been killed fighting in Somalia six weeks ago, as a government official claimed, he probably couldn't have recorded and released more bad hip hop songs."

Faith 2.0: Religion and the Internet

RSA, Faith 2.0: Religion and the Internet - Afternoon session, 14 Apr 2011 I'm giving a short presentation here at the RSA this afternoon. More info: Twitter: #faith2point0

Qaradawi: Marriage after meeting over Net permissible

The Peninsula Qatar, Qaradawi: Marriage after meeting over Net permissible, 10 Apr 2011 "Eminent Islamic scholar, Dr Yusuf Al Qaradawi, has said that it is permissible in Islam for men and women who know each other through the Internet to get married.

"“I know people who came to know each other through the Internet. They met afterwards and got married. Thank God, they are having stable relations and leading a very happy family life,” said Al Qaradawi, a local Arabic daily reported yesterday."

Protecting Arabs Online

VOA, Protecting Arabs Online « Digital Frontiers " ... the nonprofit Access Now – a loose group campaigning for expanded online freedom and access – has released new report designed to protect pro-democracy activists in the Arab world. “Protecting Your Security Online” comes in both Arabic and English versions, and includes many ideas and pointers for anyone wanting to protect their online activities from prying eyes."

Info: Accessnow.org

KurdishGlobe on Modern communications

KurdishGlobe- Modern communications: The double-edged sword opinion piece "Modern communications technology، although useful and an advantage، especially in creating a common public sphere and stronger civil society، hasn't been used effectively in Kurdistan by the government and leading politicians to counter the negative propaganda and false dreams spread among young Kurds by rogue political movements that do not see the consequences of their actions."

US criticizes Saudi Arabia for internet restrictions

Monsters and Critics, US criticizes Saudi Arabia for internet restrictions

Egypt: Crackdown on Tahrir after “Cleansing Friday”

Asteris Masouras, Global Voices, Egypt: Crackdown on Tahrir after “Cleansing Friday”, 10 Apr 2011

Egypt protesters defy army after deadly crackdown

AFP: Egypt protesters defy army after deadly crackdown, 10 Apr 2011

Russian security service wants to ban Skype and Gmail

Telegraph, Russian security service wants to ban Skype and Gmail, 8 Apr 2011

Sharia4Belgium

Memri, Belgian Islamist Abu Imran on April 9 Demonstration in Paris: Plant the Black Flag of 'There is No God but Allah…' Over the Elysee Palace; Carla Bruni Should Divorce Sarkozy and Wear the Niqab, 10 Apr 2011

Islam, Sharia, and Democracy

Gudrun Krämer, Qantara.de - Islam, Sharia, and Democracy: "A new loosely organised movement is earning respect among the proponents of Islamic democracy. Distancing itself from militant Islamism, the movement regards itself as a 'New Centre' and aims to combine the principles of good governance with the preservation of cultural authenticity."

OnIslam.net (v.IslamOnline.net?)

Having an Online Relationship - Morals & Values - counsels - OnIslam.net

Opinion from Sheikh Ahmad Kutty.

Many of those services previously on IslamOnline.net have now manifested/embedded themselves on onislam.net. Background to these changes has been previously blogged. Also see: The Islam-Online Crisis: A Battle of Wasatiyya vs. Salafi Ideologies? by Mona Abdel-Fadil in CyberOrient, Vol. 5, Iss. 1, 2011

صرير قلم: بالصور: تغطية لمظاهرات الثوار فى جمعة التطهير والمحاكمة

صرير قلم: بالصور: تغطية لمظاهرات الثوار فى جمعة التطهير والمحاكمة

photos from Tahrir Sq (slideshow) 8 Apr 2011

#tahrir

[via @adamakary]

[via @SamerAHanna]

#jan25 #tahrir #Egypt

#jan25 #tahrir #Egypt on Twitpic: ""

'Researching Islam and Muslims Online'

I just gave my presentation on 'Researching Islam and Muslims Online' - part of the 'Beyond Islamic Studies: De-essentializing the Study of Muslim Societies' conference here at Michigan State Uni. I focused on archiving issues, and approaches to the information overload connected with cyber Islamic environments. There was some useful feedback which I'll try to integrate into the book of the conference.

The Use of Western Technologies by Middle East Censors

Berkman Center, The Use of Western Technologies by Middle East Censors, 2010-2011 "The Berkman Center is pleased to share a new report from the OpenNet Initiative (ONI):

"West Censoring East: The Use of Western Technologies by Middle East Censors, 2010-2011, Authored by Helmi Noman and Jillian C. York, Berkman Center

"The report analyzes the use of American and Canadian-made tools Websense, McAfee SmartFilter, and Netsweeper for the purpose of government-level filtering in the Middle East and North Africa. The investigation found that nine countries in the region utilize Western-made tools."

Available as a pdf

Egypt blogger trial: Maikel Nabil

Al-Masry Al-Youm, Verdict postponed in Egypt blogger trial, 6 Apr 2011 "A verdict in the trial of a blogger accused of insulting Egypt's armed forces has been postponed on Wednesday, a day after Human Rights Watch called for the case to be dropped, the defendant's lawyer has told AFP.

"Gamal Eid, head of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information and a lawyer representing Maikel Nabil, told AFP the military tribunal would now hand down the verdict on Sunday."

maikelnabil.com

'Online law curbs Saudi freedom of expression'

Abeer Allam, FT.com, Online law curbs Saudi freedom of expression, 6 Apr 2011 "“The law axes the tight margin of freedom of expression we enjoy instead of promoting it,” says Hassan Almustafa, a Saudi writer and blogger. “Frustrated Saudi youth will wonder why they don’t enjoy the same online freedom that their peers in neighbouring countries have.”"

Javanese manuscripts digitised

Anett Keller, Qantara.de, Eternal Knowledge: "Precious Javanese manuscripts are being restored and digitised through the combined efforts of a team of German and Indonesian scholars to ensure their preservation for future generations."

Anwar Ibrahim video allegations

James Hookway, WSJ.com, Malaysia Video Raises Questions, and an Outcry, 6 Apr 2011 : "Malaysia's government will consider establishing a royal commission to investigate whether embattled opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is the man featured in a controversial sex video that is further polarizing this politically divided country.

"Parts of the video were leaked on the Internet Monday, triggering a flurry of speculation over whether the senior opposition politician allegedly caught in the film is Mr. Anwar. The opposition leader, who once served as Malaysia's deputy prime minister, has already said he isn't the man shown in the grainy, black-and-white film, and calls it "an evil plot" orchestrated by his political opponents."

Jihad Media Battalion

Robin Yapp, Telegraph, Brazil latest base for Islamic extremists, 3 Apr 2011" ... according to Veja [a weekly news magazine] he [Khaled Hussein Ali] is also in control of an online communications arm of al-Qaeda called Jihad Media Battalion, which has a presence in 17 countries around the world and spreads communications from al-Qaeda leaders as well as publicising attacks"

Muslim Brotherhood

Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz, Where is Egypt's Muslim brotherhood headed?, 7 Apr 2011: "The movement's leader, Khairat Al Shater, who was recently released from prison, appealed to members of the movement to make suggestions for reform and to voice their complaints against the leadership. Unsurprisingly, he formulated this call on a special Facebook page of the Muslim Brotherhood Internet site, aiming his appeal at the Young Brotherhood - the group calling for far-reaching administrative reforms within the movement."

'The sharia panic factory' op-ed

Justin Elliott, salon.com, The sharia panic factory, 7 Apr 2011 op-ed

Turkish journalist arest

Jürgen Gottschlich, Spiegel Online, 'The Imam's Army': Arrested Journalist's Book Claims Turkish Police Infiltrated by Islamic Movement, 6 Apr 2011: "Islamic theologian Fethullah Gülen is one of the most powerful men in Turkey, even though he lives in exile in the US. The recent arrest of prominent Turkish journalist Ahmet Sik shows what can happen to those who cross his Gülen movement. Sik was about to publish a book alleging that Gülen sympathizers have infiltrated Turkey's police force ...

" ... Reaction to the book has been so overwhelming that public prosecutors had to declare that they would not -- at least initially -- pursue people who had downloaded the book via the Internet."

Beyond Islamic Studies: De-essentializing the Study of Muslim Societies

Muslim Studies Program, Michigan State University, Beyond Islamic Studies: De-essentializing the Study of Muslim Societies, 7-8 Apr 2011 Attending "Beyond Islamic Studies: De-essentializing the Study of Muslim Societies" at Michigan State University, where I'm giving a paper tomorrow on research approaches towards Islam and the net.

'Faith healers doing roaring business on the Internet'

Fatima Sidaya & Hayat al-Ghamdi, Arab News, Faith healers doing roaring business on the Internet, 1 Apr 2011 "Internet forums, especially those for women, are full of names and phone numbers for sheikhs. Only a few members suggested that people should depend on themselves when reading the Qur'an and do not need to look for others’ help. In most forums, visitors exchange and suggest particular names. Interestingly, only two "women sheikhs" were widely promoted. However, they did not pick up their phones when Arab News tried to contact them. As a matter of fact, all the sheikhs the team called had dua — or Islamic supplication — holding tones."

Very interesting article

'Battered lives, generous spirit'

Rasheeda Bhagat, The Hindu Business Line, Battered lives, generous spirit "The non-violent demonstrations at Cairo's Tahrir Square by young and savvy Egyptians who used the Internet — particularly social networking sites such as Facebook — to mobilise public opinion to oust Hosni Mubarak, have electrified the Arab world from North Africa to West Asia. Transiting through Bahrain Airport to Najaf, in Iraq, which houses the shrine of Imam Ali — Shia Muslims' second-most important religious leader after Prophet Mohammed, I saw people riveted to Arabic channels telecasting protests in Yemen, Bahrain, Libya and the Tahrir Square in Baghdad. (Now, of course, both Syria and Jordan have joined that list.) The experience was the same at the restaurants and shops in Karbala and Najaf in Iraq, and Damascus in Syria. In fact, at some shops in Damascus, as the Libyan turmoil in its nascent stage was being telecast with heated Arabic commentary, the shopkeeper just shooed us away without even giving us a look. Apparently dreams and prospects of liberty and freedom from oppression mattered more than hard cash!"

"Goodbye Osama?" opinion piece

Nader Alsarras, [trans. John Bergeron] Deutsche Welle, qantara.de, Arab Popular Uprisings and al-Qaida: Goodbye Osama?

"Despite the inability of al-Qaida to come to grips with modern social networks like Facebook and Twitter, the terrorist network has not remained completely at a loss for words after the events in Egypt. In a Youtube video, Ayman Al-Sawahiri attempts to reinterpret the revolts in Tunisia and Egypt according to his world view."

Pakistan analysis

Economist, Pakistan: A great deal of ruin in a nation, 31 Mar 2011 I haven't read this article yet.

Iran holds its own blogging competition

Cyrus Farivar, Deutsche-Welle, Iran holds its own blogging competition, 1 Apr 2011 "A new pro-government Iranian blogging competition recently came to a close. Many Iran watchers see this new promotion of blogging as an example of a double standard set by the Iranian government."

'Jihad via Bluetooth'

Both of these articles are well-worth looking at:

Nico Prucha, Jihadica, Entering a new dimension – Jihad via Bluetooth (Part 1)

"In October 2009 the Arabic “al-Ansar al-Mujahideen Forum” offered a special data-package designed for mobile phones. Published by a newly created “Mobile Detachment“ the contents are aimed at sympathizers and adherents of jihadist principles. Provided with a special software the mobile users can access the documents or watch videos on their portable device while being able to send out these highly indoctrinating and radicalizing sources via Bluetooth to other, unwary, Bluetooth enabled devices. The data offered in these conveniently administrated packages provides nearly everything of the grand-genre of jihadist materials."

Nico Prucha, Jihadica, Entering a new dimension – Jihad via Bluetooth (Part 2)

"In the first part we examined the structure of the data provided by the “Mobile Detachment” (Fariq jawwal al-ansar, FJA) media department of the Ansar al-Mujahideen Forum. As stated, in the second part we will take a closer look at the ‘mission statement‘ to understand the ambition of (re-) publishing indoctrinating jihadist materials with the intention of users being able to consume and disseminate this content by the means of one’s personal smart phone. One intention perhaps is the fact that your smart/mobile phone certainly is a highly personal gadget, which is rarely shared – unlike family household computers. The content on your mobile phone has a more private nature and allows you to quickly navigate and read through the jihadist materials without anyone noticing. The downside for jihadis, however, is an upside for the police, as the sympathizers are inspired to store incriminating content on their personal phones. That is probably the reason for including encryption software in the first data-package."

'Inspire' V

Inspire issue 5 is now out. I haven't read my copy yet, so here are some pointers:

ABC News, Al Qaeda Tries To Grab A Piece of Arab Revolutions, 30 May 2011 "Al Qaeda, which some U.S. officials had called irrelevant to the revolts sweeping the Arab world, has made a slick bid to claim the revolutions with the newest issue of its English-language magazine."

wbtv.com, Former Charlotte man publishes 5th edition of Al-Qaeda online magazine, 1 Apr 2011 [leads to brief video report, apologies for the pre-clip advertising!]

Steven Stalinsky, Issue V of 'Inspire,' the English-Language Magazine of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula – A General Review "On March 29, 2011, Al-Malahem, the media wing of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), released the fifth issue of the English-language jihadist magazine Inspire.

"The cover of the 70-page issue, which is dated Spring 1431/2011, depicts a globe rotated to show the U.S. sinking into a body of water. The cover story is by Sheikh Anwar Al-Awlaki, and is titled "The Tsunami of Change.""

Peter Bergen, CNN, Al Qaeda responds to CNN, 31 Mar 2011 "In the fifth issue of Inspire magazine, a slick Web-based publication, heavy on photographs and graphics that, unusually for a jihadist organ, is written in colloquial English, Awlaki hit back at CNN on Tuesday."

Overview: Arab Revolution and social networking sites

Lokesh Vishwakarma, Daily Times, Arab Revolution and social networking sites, 1 Apr 2011 "From Morocco to Yemen, the Arab world is burning, and fuelling this fire of change is the 21st century panacea, i.e. ‘the social networks’. These agents of change helped the Arab civilisation achieve what they could not for decades in just a few days or weeks. Be it Facebook, Twitter, Google or the blogosphere, they have found themselves central to the action in an unprecedented way. Let us take a look at how some of these new found tools have spurred the actions on the ground."