Kuwaiti mobile operator's advert criticised and praised

BBC News, Kuwaiti mobile operator's advert criticised and praised "Kuwait-based Zain released the advert entitled "We Will Sing With Love" to mark the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. It shows a man wearing an explosive belt walking through staged scenes reminiscent to bombings that took place in several countries and has been viewed more than three million times."

Egypt's media ban: The audacity of ignorance

Rania Al Malky, Middle East Eye, Egypt's media ban: The audacity of ignorance, 29 May 2017 "In an unprecedented move, the Egyptian government officially acknowledged blocking 21 websites for allegedly running content “that supports terrorism and extremism as well as publishing lies”."

Social media users change profile picture in support of Qatar

thepeninsulaqatar.com, Social media users change profile picture in support of Qatar "A combination picture of the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Father Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has gone viral among Qatari social media users. A hashtag calling to change the profile picture to this combination pic is also trending on Qatar social media."

Manchester attacks

Manchester Evening News, Watch: Hundreds of Muslim children and their families marched to the Manchester Arena

Times, Hero surgeon abused after 48 hours of saving lives 

Imam, Bishop & Rabbi lead the procession of British Imams from Cathedral to St Ann's Square for #PrayerForManchester. #WeStandTogether  

"Hackers take aim at Qatar by publishing fake news on QNA"

Doha News, Hackers take aim at Qatar by publishing fake news on QNA, 24 May 2017
"An “unknown entity” has hacked Qatar’s official news agency, and is responsible for publishing a false statement attributed to the Emir, the Government Communications Office (GCO) has said."

Manchester explosion

Independent, Manchester explosion: Isis supporters share messages celebrating explosion

Sky News, Tracing the Manchester bomber: Was he part of a network?  

De los imames a los nuevos predicadores: liderazgos en la interpretacion del Islam en Europa

Lina Klemkaite, CIDOB, De los imames a los nuevos predicadores: liderazgos en la interpretacion del Islam en Europa "The aim of this article is to analyse the locus of Muslim religious authority in Europe. It has shifted, leading to an increased number of Muslim voices demanding space for critical and intellectual participation and a degree of rivalry for religious and social authority. Those competing for religious au- thority have primarily been men, but women – contrary to prevailing opinion – have not been wholly excluded. We may thus af rm that women also participate in this compe- tition for authority, although only to a cer- tain degree. Ultimately, there are ever more Muslim social, political and religious lead- ers advocating a range of causes with the aim of satisfying the sophisticated demands of the individualised Muslim community."

This Super Viral Photo Of A Muslim Woman Ended Up In A Book About Instagram's Banned Images

buzzfeed.com, This Super Viral Photo Of A Muslim Woman Ended Up In A Book About Instagram's Banned Images 

Facebook's Book of Rules

Guardian, Revealed: Facebook's internal rulebook on sex, terrorism and violence

The Qatari princess, Angelina Jolie and the battle of the pyramids

BBC News, The Qatari princess, Angelina Jolie and the battle of the pyramids

Trump Tour

NBC, 'Just words': Trump speech to Muslim world earns praise, condemnation
aljazeera, Riyadh summit discusses ways of rooting out terrorism 

BBC, 'Trump, servant of God': How Saudis are viewing his visit

The Atlantic, Trump's Speech on Islam, Annotated

Raw Story, ‘He’s been neutered’: Trump supporters melt down after president calls Islam ‘one of world’s great faiths’

Rouhani re-election

alaraby, Young Iranians take to streets to celebrate Rouhani re-election

aljazeera, Rouhani: Iran ready to promote relations with the world

Abu Zubaydah

Rob Hastings,inews, Exclusive: 'The terrorist I helped capture shouldn't be tortured', 16 May 2017 "Former CIA analyst John Kiriakou helped capture alleged terrorist Abu Zubaydah - and was the first CIA source to confirm he was tortured."

Instagram 'worst for young mental health'

BBC News, Instagram 'worst for young mental health' "Instagram is rated as the worst social media platform when it comes to its impact on young people's mental health, a UK snapshot survey suggests."

Iran's election and social media issues

Here's a quick round-up of selected coverage on Iran's election, focusing on the impact of social media:

BBC News, Iran's Instagram election sees rivals fight battles on social media

The Slate, What Did Iranian President Rouhani Actually Achieve? Channel 4,  Qom report  (Jon Snow report)

Deutsche Welle, Posting political opinions: how Iran's social media is shaping its presidential election

NYT, Iran Has Its Own Hard-Line Populist, and He’s on the Rise 

NPR, The Rise Of The Internet-Based Economy Shows What's Changed In Iran
 
Vocative,  Iranian Hardliners Finally Join Social Media Ahead Of Elections  "Supporters of the hardline camp are now widely visible online, in thousands of posts on Twitter or joining dozens of channels and groups affiliated with their candidate on the Telegram messaging app, which used by an estimated 20 million people in Iran."


Reuters, Iran hardliners join social media free-for-all before vote, "By far the most popular social media outlet is Telegram, a chat service that is a niche player in most Western countries but has some 20 million users in Iran, according to a report by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA)."

CNBC, Iran's election is too close to call. Tehran's role on the world stage hangs in the balance

Arab News, Mock election poster calls on Iranians to elect Snoop Dogg as president 

Countering terrorism by telling a better story

Deo Akiiki, Countering terrorism by telling a better story | defenceWeb military perspective/opinion

How a woman in England tracks civilian deaths in Syria, one bomb at a time

Greg Jaffe, washingtonpost.com, How a woman in England tracks civilian deaths in Syria, one bomb at a time "Haddad spent the last part of her day, before her children returned from school, searching online for Amaq, the Islamic State affiliated news agency. Much of the site is devoted to Islamic State propaganda, but it can also be an important source of information, photos and video on civilian casualties in places, such as Raqqa, where the Islamic State’s brutal clampdown has made it exceedingly dangerous for Syrians to communicate with the outside world." Very interesting article.

How Facebook Helps to Reveal the Fate of Missing Syrian Refugees

wired.com, How Facebook Helps to Reveal the Fate of Missing Syrian Refugees Just read this excellent piece in the latest Wired (UK print version)

The Myth of the Muslim World

Chronicle, The Myth of the Muslim World  



Cemil Aydin's book 'The Idea of the Muslim World' reviewed by Asma Afsaruddin. This sounds like a must-read.  

New & Noted

Digital Resistance in the Middle East New Media Activism in Everyday Life - Deborah L. Wheeler 

Big Data

 

Posted by  Mostafa Gaafar‏ @imGaafar May 14:

Egypt: 1 Ransomeware: 0

Our Man in the Middle East

BBC, Our Man in the Middle East - Series 1, The Giant Awakens Jeremy Bowen reflects ...

Gulf News, UAE’s strategy to counter cyber terrorism can be a model for others "As the threat of cyber terrorism grows with no international consensus on defining what cyber terrorism is, the UAE’s strategy in confronting cyber threats can be used as an example that other countries can look into in their own fight against the menace, said a government official at the International Conference for the Criminalisation of Cyber Terrorism (ICCCT) on Tuesday."

After name ban, China arrests Muslim for 'tweeting Quran'

The New Arab, After name ban, China arrests Muslim for 'tweeting Quran'
"A Muslim woman in China's troubled northwestern region of Xinjiang has been arrested for posting passages from the Quran and other religious material on social media."

Afghanistan: Breaking down cyber barriers

qantara.de, Breaking down cyber barriers "Groups of teenage girls huddle around computers in a bright blue classroom, some typing furiously, others browsing blogs with the latest fashion trends. Just outside, people go about their daily business in Afghanistan's bustling city of Herat, famed for its ancient fortress and beautiful blue-tiled mosque.

"A few months earlier, these teenagers didn't know how to switch on a computer. These days, the girls at Goharshad Begum High School in Afghanistan's third-largest city, post to Facebook and Twitter, update their blogs and code with ease."  More info here: Digital Citizen Fund (DCF)

Meet the Muslim Vloggers Creating Change Through YouTube

ummahsonic.com, Meet the Muslim Vloggers Creating Change Through YouTube

Riyadh to host forum on terrorism and extremism

arabnews.com, Riyadh to host forum on terrorism and extremism "The city will host a forum on terrorism and extremism on May 21 under the sponsorship of the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism (IMAFT), the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said."

Saudi religious police’s new fieldwork strategy includes iPads, but no return to previous powers

arabnews.com, Saudi religious police’s new fieldwork strategy includes iPads, but no return to previous powers "The plan defined field members’ tasks, namely intensifying their presence in public places, communicating with the field supervisor, briefing him on all violations and reporting them via an app on their iPads."

Accusations re. Facebook

Daily Mail, Facebook shuts down atheist and ex-Muslim groups amid claims they are being targeted by 'fundamentalists' "Facebook has been accused of shutting down ex-Muslim and atheist groups amid claims they were targeted by 'fundamentalists' who wanted them closed."

Copenhagen imam accused of calling for killing of Jews

BBC News, Copenhagen imam accused of calling for killing of Jews "Mundhir Abdallah was reported to police after being filmed citing in Arabic a hadith - a teaching of the Prophet Muhammad - considered anti-Semitic."

Vinas Case

CNN, American al Qaeda recruit to be released from prison Also see: "he American al Qaeda recruit who once pitched terrorist leaders on plans to bomb the Long Island Railroad and a WalMart store was sentenced Thursday to time served plus 90 days in prison during a New York federal court appearance."

Jihadists Using Matchmaking Sites to Find Partners

VOA News, Jihadists Using Matchmaking Sites to Find Partners "Observers say that the jihadists’ use of the dating site may suggest it is becoming harder for IS members to find people to marry. The number of mainly young Western and North African women traveling to Syria to marry fighters appears to have gone down, they say."

How Iranian Women Became the Queens of Online Shopping

racked.com, How Iranian Women Became the Queens of Online Shopping "Persian women, in particular, became the queens of both online shopping and slaying the style game on Instagram. Iranian marketing expert Niki Aghaei wrote on LinkedIn that 7.5 million Iranians between the ages of 16 and 35 are active on Instagram. The digital Persian marketplace is full of original, avant-garde designs and photoshoots that shop owners would never dare display in the real Islamic Republic. “We create freedom for ourselves,” Ashgari said."

Pentagon hackers

Washington Post, U.S. military cyber operation to attack ISIS last year sparked heated debate over alerting allies "A secret global operation by the Pentagon late last year to sabotage the Islamic State’s online videos and propaganda sparked fierce debate inside the government over whether it was necessary to notify countries that are home to computer hosting services used by the extremist group, including U.S. allies in Europe." Also see: washingtontimes.com, Pentagon hackers infiltrated Islamic State accounts, changed passwords: Report

Muslim blogosphere

realnoevremya.com, Muslim blogosphere: Earth is flat, music is haram, dolls should have their eyes gouged out the article is better than the headline

Terror, Muslims, and a culture of fear: challenging the media messages

theconversation.com, Terror, Muslims, and a culture of fear: challenging the media messages "These stereotypical images are the subject of French-Algerian artist Kader Attia’s work aptly titled The Culture of Fear: An Invention of Evil (2013), now showing as part of Attia’s major exhibition curated by Rachel Kent at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney."

Does Internet Turn People Into Jihadists?

Does Internet Turn People Into Jihadists? - Intelligencer Post 



I'll add this to my ever-expanding reading list: it cites a variety of research papers.

Ramadan website

Gulf Times, Health Ministry committee relaunches Ramadan website

Pizza Hut Apology

aljazeera, Pizza Hut issued an apology for the post that mocked the leader of the Palestinian hunger strike in Israeli jails

U.S. military cyber operation to attack ISIS last year sparked heated debate over alerting allies

washingtonpost.com, U.S. military cyber operation to attack ISIS last year sparked heated debate over alerting allies

Muslim converts wrestle with isolation, seek support

KAWL, Muslim converts wrestle with isolation, seek support "Being a convert can be a lonely existence, but relying on the Internet can also be risky. Hours and hours of being online alone can expose new converts to more non-mainstream, hardline materials."

Kashmir

Wasim Khalid, geo.tv, The Kashmir war goes viral "Last month, authorities in Indian-occupied Kashmir banned 22 social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp, for a period of one month. The crackdown, claims the state government, was necessary for the “maintenance of public order” after pro-freedom protests broke out in the troubled region on the day of a poll in Srinagar. The ensuing violence killed nine people." analysis/opinion

Iranians Are Shopping Online More Than Ever

techrasa.com, Iranians Are Shopping Online More Than Ever "The fast improvements of the internet infrastructure along with the changes in online payment methods and the efficiency of online purchases are building up the rapid growth of Iran’s online shopping scene."

Internet chats between Kashmir youth and Syria, Iraq on the rise, put on radar

hindustantimes.com, Internet chats between Kashmir youth and Syria, Iraq on the rise, put on radar

Online operatives of Islamic State become most-wanted targets

Tribune/sfexaminer.com, Online operatives of Islamic State become most-wanted targets

Kerala becomes easy target for Islamic State as radicalised youth turn to home for jihad recruitment

Firstpost.com, Kerala becomes easy target for Islamic State as radicalised youth turn to home for jihad recruitment "Contrary to reports, it seems many of the 21 youth who had left Kerala to fight for the Islamic State in Afghanistan are still alive. What's more, they seem to be engaged in a mission to indoctrinate more youth into their mission. And the recruitment zone seems to be their backyard of Kasargod, Kerala's northernmost district." opinion/analysis

Head of Islamic State in Afghanistan killed

Sky.com, Head of Islamic State in Afghanistan killed "The head of Islamic State in Afghanistan, Abdul Hasib, has been killed, the government has said."

In Quebec, one who turned away from extremism helps others find the path

startribune.com, In Quebec, one who turned away from extremism helps others find the path

Trump a servant of Allah, according to Saudi cleric

The New Arab, Trump a servant of Allah, according to Saudi cleric "The cleric's invocation for Trump to aid the Muslim world did not go down so well on social media with dozens of users harshly criticising the post."

Egypt's Al-Azhar university replaces head in apostasy row

Reuters/Yahoo, Egypt's Al-Azhar university replaces head in apostasy row "Al-Azhar said its Grand Imam, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, had named Mohamed Hussein al-Mahrsawy, dean of the Arabic language faculty, as the university's acting president following the resignation of Ahmed Hosny and pending the appointment of a permanent successor."

Eyebrows raised as Saudi father names newborn after US first daughter

arabnews.com, Eyebrows raised as Saudi father names newborn after US first daughter "The name was registered with the Health Ministry at the Women and Children Hospital in Arar and a picture of the birth certificate is being widely circulated on Whatsapp inside the Kingdom."

Praise Allah! Islam goes evangelical in southern Nigeria

AFP/Malay Mail, Praise Allah! Islam goes evangelical in southern Nigeria "NASFAT and other charismatic Islam groups born in its wake have been embraced by the Yoruba community, which is traditionally based in the southwest and one of the few ethnic groups in Nigeria not to be attached to a particular religion."

Jihadists have own internet hideout to dodge police

Business Daily, Jihadists have own internet hideout to dodge police "Islamic State militants are developing their own social media platform to avoid security crackdowns on their communications and propaganda, according to the head of the EU’s police agency."

Dubai font

Guardian, Microsoft creates its first city typeface for Dubai

I like the look of the font, very clean and modern. Haven't test driven it fully yet.  It is available for download here.

How Two Mississippi College Students Fell in Love and Decided to Join a Terrorist Group

The Atlantic, How Two Mississippi College Students Fell in Love and Decided to Join a Terrorist Group "In three short months, Jaelyn Young and Muhammad Dakhlalla found themselves at the center of America’s debate over radicalization."

Majority of men in Middle East survey believe a woman's place is in the home

Guardian, Majority of men in Middle East survey believe a woman's place is in the home "Study carried out across Middle East and north Africa shows sexist attitudes prevail, with men’s views of equality at odds with hopes of young women."  The survey is here: International Men and Gender Equality Survey 

Cardiff terrorist who hid extremist data on Bond-style cufflink is jailed

Guardian, Cardiff terrorist who hid extremist data on Bond-style cufflink is jailed "Isis member Samata Ullah, who ran ‘one-stop shop’ for terrorists from his bedroom, pleaded guilty to five terrorism offences"

KSA: Black but beautiful? 'It's not a compliment'

BBC News, Black but beautiful? 'It's not a compliment' "Abeer Sinder is Saudi Arabia's first black beauty vlogger. But sometimes, she says, the compliments she receives aren't flattering."

The FBI translator who went rogue and married an ISIS terrorist

CNN, The FBI translator who went rogue and married an ISIS terrorist "An FBI translator with a top-secret security clearance traveled to Syria in 2014 and married a key ISIS operative she had been assigned to investigate, CNN has learned."

#ArabYouthSurvey

ArabYouthSurvey, Finding #1 from the 9th edition of the #ArabYouthSurvey.

Jordanians take to social media to voice support for Palestinian hunger strikers

Jordan Times, Jordanians take to social media to voice support for Palestinian hunger strikers "Jordanians have taken to social media to show their solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails, in what they call “The Salted Water Challenge”."

Swiss govt says threat of extremist attacks "remains at heightened level"

Reuters, Swiss govt says threat of extremist attacks "remains at heightened level" "The risk of extremist attacks in Switzerland remains elevated, the Swiss spy agency said on Tuesday, and more attacks by the Islamic State militant group and its sympathisers were expected across Europe."