‘Wife rape’ fatwa sparks row in Egypt

‘Wife rape’ fatwa sparks row in Egypt - Al Arabiya News: "Burhami published his fatwas on the website Anasalafy.com, which is associated with his Salafist Call party. He added that allowing one’s wife to be raped is like getting mugged for money."

Iran red faced as woman parades in underwear

Iran red faced as woman parades in underwear - Al Arabiya News: "The jaw-dropping behavior has allegedly “infuriated” the Karaj natives which includes two million conservative citizens, after the report went viral on social media."

German rapper-turned-jihadist reported dead in Syria

German rapper-turned-jihadist reported dead in Syria - Al Arabiya News "Denis Mamadou Cuspert, who rapped under the name Deso Dogg but took on the name Abu Talha al-Almani in Syria, was reported to have been killed in a suicide attack Sunday in an eastern province."

Tazkiyah in the Age of Psychotherapy

Tazkiyah in the Age of Psychotherapy - Faith & the Sciences - Health & Science - OnIslam.net: Interview with AbdelRahman Mussa, the founder of iPersonal Enrichment newsletter and the Whims-I-Kill Tazkiyah course. Interesting article by Klaudia Khan. Includes the question "How does the modern communication technology affect the experience of tazkiyah?"

The Unseen Shackles of Muslim Social Media Activism

The Unseen Shackles of Muslim Social Media Activism | MuslimMatters.org:

"Fast forward to now. We're in the social media age, but in reality it's just a new iteration of this interconnected information age. MSN, AOL, Napster, and most of those message boards are now gone. They've been replaced by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and WhatsApp groups. In another 10-15 years (if not sooner), we'll probably see another iteration of these tools being replaced by something else. What has not changed though, is the approach to the religion, particularly as it relates to the hot button issue of the day." I was discussing similar themes in my lecture yesterday.

Lecture on #Islam, Social Media and the Cloud

KU Leuven Gülen Chair for Intercultural Studies (GCIS) | Excellence in Research on Interculturalism Relevant Contribution to Society I'm writing this as I return back to Wales after my Leuven lecture - around (selected) cyber Islamic environments in 80 minutes. Talked about trends, social media, religious authority, and evolution of sites. So, ended on a positive note with 'Happy' (that's the British Muslim version). Pharrell Williams probably never thought he'd end up in an Islamic Studies lecture. There is, apparently, an Antwerp version of this phenomenon. It was nice to meet staff/students in Leuven. Some good questions too.

In Washington, Muslims gather to get ‘Happy’ for the camera

In Washington, Muslims gather to get ‘Happy’ for the camera - The Washington Post initiative by the Muslim Public Affairs Council, inspired by the UK version

To be a ‘Happy British Muslim’ or not – that is the question

To be a ‘Happy British Muslim’ or not – that is the question - Al Arabiya News "It is important to be able to deconstruct social phenomena against a wider political context; otherwise, critical lessons can be lost, even when intentions are good. Nevertheless, there is no evidence to show shadowy forces supported this video in order to mislead the public. Why such a connection ought to be assumed, is perhaps an argument that needs to be made, as opposed to being taken for granted. Some reactions did seem to be intensely curious about who the makers of the video were. They insinuated connections to right wing anti-Muslim groups, set on some sort of “assimilationist” agenda, who wanted to show non-Muslims some sort of “sanitized” version of the Muslim community – but again, there does not seem to be any evidence for that kind of assertion." Comment from H.A. Hellyer.

'Sinful': Video of British Muslims dancing to Pharrell Williams's hit Happy comes under attack

'Sinful': Video of British Muslims dancing to Pharrell Williams's hit Happy comes under attack - Features - Music - The Independent:

Happy British Muslims

I'm posting on this retrospectively, as I have been travelling, and this started trending while I was away.  Happy British Muslims: the video that made me dance for joy | Music | The Guardian 

Pharrell - Happy British Muslims! #HAPPYDAY - YouTube

Pharrell - Happy British Muslims! #HAPPYDAY - YouTube:

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'via Blog this'

A Woman Blogger’s Scoop Helped Save Tunisia From Islamists

A Woman Blogger’s Scoop Helped Save Tunisia From Islamists - The Daily Beast "The most famous investigative reporter in Tunisia is a 32-year-old blogger named Olfa Riahi. She broke the country’s biggest post-revolutionary news story—known as Sheratongate –and helped to save the country’s liberal revolution from the Islamists. When Tunisian Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa met with President Barack Obama on Friday he was promised $500 million in loan guarantees and heard America’s enduring commitment to Tunisia’s democratic transition. But without Riahi, that transition might have come to a dead end."

Leftward Shift by Conservative Cleric Leaves Saudis Perplexed

Leftward Shift by Conservative Cleric Leaves Saudis Perplexed - NYTimes.com "Mr. Awda had something akin to a conversion moment during the Arab uprisings of 2011, and since then has become a passionate promoter of democracy and civic tolerance. He has more than 4.5 million followers on Twitter and several million on his regular YouTube broadcasts, making him a significant thorn in the side of the Saudi monarchy. He can be dangerously blunt, at least by Saudi standards, and the government has made its displeasure clear, barring him from print media, television and foreign travel." Salman al-Oadah is discussed in this article.

Saudi Arabia: 'ID cards revolution' inflames YouTube against regime

middleeastmonitor.com, Saudi Arabia: 'ID cards revolution' inflames YouTube against regime "Under the emblem of "the ID cards revolution" the Saudi youth protest movement has shifted from twitter to YouTube. A group of Saudi young men have begun recording individual video clips separately to convey messages to the king complaining living hardships, criticising the performance of the authority and denouncing corruption."

British woman Roya Nobakht could be executed in Iran after insulting Islam on Facebook

Independent, British woman Roya Nobakht could be executed in Iran after insulting Islam on Facebook "A British woman has been locked up in Iran for five months after posting derogatory comments about the country's government on Facebook and fears she will be executed, her husband has said."

The Islamic Sex Cult Supporting Turkey’s Prime Minister

balkanist.net, The Islamic Sex Cult Supporting Turkey’s Prime Minister "Followers of Harun Yahya wear drag make-up and practice a “sexed-up, Disney version of Islam” that helps promote conservative Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s vision of a modern, Muslim Turkey. Step inside this surreal world where religious piety meets psychedelic softcore porn, led by the world’s foremost Islamic creationist."

Syria war: British Muslims on the front line

Darshna Soni, Channel 4 News, Syria war: British Muslims on the front line "Channel 4 News speaks to a couple from Essex who say they have left their old lives behind to become charity workers on the front line in Syria's civil war." This was an outstanding report.

Why Google Maps gets Africa wrong

Why Google Maps gets Africa wrong | World news | theguardian.com "To return to Jonathan Swift, our 21st century cyber-cartographers may not be filling in the gaps with "savage pictures" anymore, but that may be because from 10,000 miles and a universe away, these gaps simply don't exist."

Cleric Omar Bakri 'on the run' in Lebanon

BBC News - Cleric Omar Bakri 'on the run' in Lebanon: "The Sunni Muslim cleric is among 200 individuals wanted in connection with their alleged role in clashes that have left 30 people dead in recent weeks."

Mapping Digital Media: Indonesia

New Report: Mapping Digital Media: Indonesia | Digital Islam "The Open Society Foundations released its report Mapping Digital Media: Indonesia written by Kuskridho Ambardi, Gilang Parahita, Lisa Lindawati, Adam Sukarno & Nella Aprilia. "The Mapping Digital Media project examines the global opportunities and risks created by the transition from traditional to digital media. Covering 60 countries, the project examines how these changes affect the core democratic service that any media system should provide: news about political, economic, and social affairs."" I look forward to reading this

Britain orders probe into Muslim Brotherhood

Britain orders probe into Muslim Brotherhood - Al Arabiya News "
"A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister has commissioned an internal government review into the philosophy and activities of the Muslim Brotherhood and the government's policy towards the organization.""