Tuesday, March 27, 2018

New and Noted: Digital Middle East

Digital Middle East: State and Society in the Information Age, Edited by Mohamed Zayani (Hurst) "Digital Middle East sheds a critical light on the continuing changes closely intertwined with the adoption of information and communication technologies in the region. Drawing on case studies from throughout the Middle East, the contributors explore how these digital transformations are playing out in the social, cultural, political, and economic spheres, exposing the various disjunctions and discordances that have marked the advent of the digital Middle East."

The Male Chaperones of Muslim Dating Apps

Hussein Kesvani, The Male Chaperones of Muslim Dating Apps discusses Muzmatch, which I refer to in my next book

"How resilient is the Islamic State's digital operation in 2018?"

Twitter thread from Raphael Gluck, who asks "How resilient is the Islamic State's digital operation in 2018?"

The Ghosts of Islamic State

Christoph Reuter, Spiegel, The Ghosts of Islamic State

Muslim Women's Day

























HuffPost, Why We Need A Muslim Women’s Day

 MuslimGirl, 3 Ways to Make a Difference on #MuslimWomensDay 

Image via

Hyperlinked Sympathizers

Samantha Weirman & Audrey Alexander, Hyperlinked Sympathizers: URLs and the Islamic State, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism

Friday, March 16, 2018

Grey's Anatomy's hijabi intern steals the show

Image result for dr qadri grey's
Stepfeed, Muslim character in Grey's Anatomy took off her hijab ... and people lost it "If you needed yet another reason to obsess over American series, Grey's Anatomy, then you'll be thrilled to know Dr. Dahlia Qadri, the show's first hijabi intern, stole hearts everywhere with one bold, daring move." And it received many positive responses on social media.

Monday, March 12, 2018

Islamic State’s English-language magazines, 2014-2017

Ingram, Haroro. “Islamic State’s English-language magazines, 2014-2017: Trends & Implications for CT-CVE Strategic Communications.” The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague 8, no. 15 (2018) One for the reading list. I look at some of these issues in my next book. "This paper provides a quick reference guide to IS’s English-language magazines released between June 2014 and September 2017 examining key themes and propaganda strategies deployed across three issues of Islamic State News, four issues of Islamic State Report, fifteen issues of Dabiq and thirteen issues of Rumiyah"

Friday, March 09, 2018

Watchdog: Western tech used for hacking in Turkey, Syria

phys.org, Watchdog: Western tech used for hacking in Turkey, Syria"A Canadian company's hardware is being used to hack internet users along Turkey's border with Syria, researchers said Friday, adding that there were signs that Kurdish forces aligned with the United States might have been targeted.

Thursday, March 08, 2018

Indonesia blocks Tumblr

Reuters, Indonesia Says it Blocks Services on Blogging Site Tumblr over Pornography "The world’s most populous Muslim-majority country has stepped up efforts to police online content after a rise in hoax stories and hate speech, and because of anti-pornography laws pushed by Islamic parties."

Review of The Digital Humanities and Islamic & Middle East Studies

The Digital Orientalist, Review of The Digital Humanities and Islamic & Middle East Studies Useful review of The Digital Humanities and Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. Edited by Elias Muhanna. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2016. It's expensive in hardback/Kindle editions, but a paperback will be out in September 18.

Wednesday, March 07, 2018

PM raises human rights concerns in Saudi crown prince visit

BBC News, PM raises human rights concerns in Saudi crown prince visit, 7 Mar 2018 "The prime minister expressed particular concern about the case of Raif Badawi, a Saudi blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for "insulting Islam" online."

Parsons Green: Alleged bomber 'trained by IS in Iraq'

BBC News, Parsons Green: Alleged bomber 'trained by IS in Iraq' "Asked in the Home Office interview whether he had had any training from the Islamic State group Mr Hassan allegedly said: "They trained us on how to kill. It was all religious based"."

Monday, March 05, 2018

Their son went to Syria. They’re facing 14 years in prison for trying to send him money

Toronto Sar/thespec, Their son went to Syria. They’re facing 14 years in prison for trying to send him money "Jack Letts, who has both British and Canadian citizenship, converted to Islam as a teenager and went to Syria in 2014. By the following year, he told his parents he was desperate. Scared that Daesh would kill him, he begged them to send money for smugglers so he could escape."

Erdogan’s Next Target as He Restricts Turkey’s Democracy: The Internet

NYT, Erdogan’s Next Target as He Restricts Turkey’s Democracy: The Internet, 4 Mar 2018 "For seven years, with an unholy blend of the racy and the religious, Mr. [Adnan] Oktar has presented his show daily via satellite, cable and the internet, where he expounds on Islamic creationism, peace and love, often to a studio audience of women in miniskirts and plunging necklines.
"Religious conservatives in the government now say they want to shut him down. But critics say that Mr. Oktar has become a convenient trigger for the government to pursue wide-reaching restrictions on internet content and broadcasters."