Thursday, August 30, 2018

Commercial Break: Hashtag Islam - Australia and New Zealand

Hashtag Islam can be obtained through all the usual channels in Australia and New Zealand, including through Footprint Books. Their October catalogue has details and prices.

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Publishers Weekly Review: Hashtag Islam

Publishers Weekly, Nonfiction Review, Hashtag Islam: How Cyber- Islamic Environments Are Transforming Religious Authority

" ... by investigating how Muslim communities are utilizing (and being transformed by) the ongoing worldwide digital revolution, this work proves to be an important addition to literature on contemporary Islam."

New and noted: Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine,

Hannah Fry, Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine, Penguin Books

Another one for the Reading list (helped by her TV documentary 'The Joy of Winning').  

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

CIC Saudi Arabia

It's been interesting to review the output of CIC Saudi Arabia on Twitter during Hajj 2018, presenting human stories within the hajj.  Some examples are below (check my @garybunt Twitter feed for more):







The following video isn't on theYouTube channel yet, but here's a Twitter link: in contemporary times, the long distance journey to hajj on foot becomes all the more remarkable #hajj CIC Saudi Arabia, [@CICSaudi], "Hajj is over but for Othman AlShahin the journey is not over yet. The man who walked 450km to Hajj (the equivalent distance of #Paris to #Geneva) is now on his way home by foot. "

New and noted: LikeWar: How Social Media Became The Locus Of 21st Century War

Interesting review of Peter W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking's book 'LikeWar: How Social Media Became The Locus Of 21st Century War' via - another entry for the Reading List.  Task and Purpose, LikeWar: How Social Media Became The Locus Of 21st Century War

Tatar Muslims

CJ Werleman, Middle East Eye, How Russia is trying to erase Tatar Muslims Analysis/opinion.

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Dina Torkia interview: the Muslim fashion blogger talks Boris Johnson and burkas

Guyss I’m so excited for tomorrows @thetimesmagazine issue, mainly cuz I’m featured in it! LOL make sure you pick it up and have a read of my interview.. it’s juicy as always 👊🏼🤗 📸@tomjacksonfotoThe Times, Dina Torkia interview: the Muslim fashion blogger talks Boris Johnson and burkas

Profile of Dina Torkia, high profile fashionista based in Wales. Interesting in terms of her social media use in particular. (Pay walled article).

 "Dina Torkia is a social media sensation, a Muslim fashionista with more than two million followers. But her fans get a lot more from her controversial posts than how to look fab in a hijab. Julia Llewellyn Smith meets her at home in Wales."

This is an excellent article.



'Manufacturing Consent: Saudi and Amazon Deploy Twitter Bots to Insist They Are Virtuous'

albawaba, Manufacturing Consent: Saudi and Amazon Deploy Twitter Bots to Insist They Are Virtuous Allegations.

Hajj: how globalisation transformed the market for pilgrimage to Mecca

Seán McLoughlin, The Conversation, Hajj: how globalisation transformed the market for pilgrimage to Mecca, 15 Aug 2018

Iran hacking allegations

Independent, Iranian hackers attack UK universities to steal secret research allegations. "Hackers linked with the Iranian government are targeting universities and academic institutions around the world as part of a major campaign to steal unpublished research and obtain intellectual property, security researchers have revealed."

#hajj

The Times, Pilgrims make progress with haj app "This year the authorities have been determined to clean up the image of the haj, the annual pilgrimage of millions of Muslims to Saudi Arabia’s holy cities. In an attempt to bring it up to date, this week’s haj was, the government insists, “green, healthy and high-tech”." [pay walled article]

Thursday, August 23, 2018