Recent posts

Contesting identities within cultural insecurity

14/09/18 12:32 Filed in: Research | Gender

Currently taking a look at this interesting thesis, which draws on a number of elements associated with the study of cyber Islamic Environments. Kathleen Woodhouse-Ledermann, Contesting identities within cultural insecurity: The case of Muslim women in contemporary France (Rutgers, 2018) [PDF download]

Tags: French Muslims, Gender , Research

Twitter reacts to Begum Kulsoom Nawaz’s demise

12/09/18 20:23 Filed in: Pakistan | Social Media

Express Tribune, Twitter reacts to Begum Kulsoom Nawaz’s demise, 11 Sep 2018

Tags: Politics, Nawaz Sharif

'The next billion users': Google targets India's lucrative mobile market

12/09/18 20:19 Filed in: Social Media | India Internet

Guardian, 'The next billion users': Google targets India's lucrative mobile market, 11 Sep 2018
"As mobile markets in developed world near saturation, Google rolls out Neighbourly, its first Indian-inspired social network"

Tags: Google, Social media

Women Warriors

11/09/18 10:56 Filed in: Islam and Gender

This looks like an interesting read:
Nickolay Nickolov, Mashable, Women Warriors

"“The situation doesn’t favour women,” says Maryam Ado Haruna who works with the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), a Nigerian organisation using tech to develop good governance. Religious beliefs and cultural trends can contribute to attitudes about who can and should access the internet. “The way parents deny access deliberately and husbands deny wives a— they think our religion, Islam, means that internet is not for Nigerian women,” Ado Haruna says."

Tags: Nigeria Internet, Gender,

Man arrested after breakfast with woman in Saudi Arabia

11/09/18 10:28 Filed in: Social Media

BBC News, Man arrested after breakfast with woman in Saudi Arabia, 10 Sep 2018 "In the 30-second video, the man and woman briefly joke about eating their breakfast together, with nobody else invited."
Contrasting views were expressed on social media from Egypt and Saudi Arabia in relation to this incident.

Tags: Saudi Internet, Egyptian Internet, Gender

Pakistan: #JusticeForZainab

aljazeera, Parents of raped and murdered girl, 7, seek justice 

Background on the awful circumstances linked to #JusticeForZainab.

The JusticeForZainab hashtag is trending.

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."

Islamic State ramps up recruitment in Pakistan

irinnews.org, Islamic State ramps up recruitment in Pakistan, 11 Jan 2017 "Obaid’s life-plan began to change when a man identifying himself as Qari Abid contacted him via Facebook last August. As their correspondence deepened, Khan became more and more convinced that he needed to join the “jihad against infidels”, according to his elder brother, Hanifullah, whom Abid attempted to recruit as well."

Qandeel Baloch

PBS, Pakistani social media icon's brother arrested in her death "With posts that defied conservative social norms, Baloch drew support from those that viewed her as an advocate for women’s rights. She spoke openly about the expectations she faced as a woman, discussing issues such arranged marriage in interviews with Pakistani media." Also see NYT, In Death, Qandeel Baloch, Pakistani Social Media Star, Is Celebrated as a Feminist Hero, 19 Jul 2016

Lahore bombings

Time.com, Outpouring of Sadness and Solidarity for Pakistan as World Reacts to Lahore Blast, 28 Mar 2016

'Defending Pakistani women against honour killings'

Aurangzeb Qureshi, aljazeera.com, Defending Pakistani women against honour killings opinion piece "Although it may be understandable, shooting the messenger is never justifiable. Having the fortitude to look in the mirror and acknowledge societal flaws is the first step to correcting them."

'Owning Qadri, disowning Sharmeen'

The Nation, Owning Qadri, disowning Sharmeen, 3 Mar 2016 "#WeDisownSharmeen was the top social media trend on February 29. On a day the most illustrious terrorist in Pakistan was executed, petrol prices were slashed by almost 12% and Pakistan won an important cricket match at the Asia Cup, the most urgent message that the nation wanted to give out on social media was its denunciation of its only Oscar winning director."

Shutdown of seminaries in Pakistan

indianexpress.com, Pakistan shuts down 254 religions seminaries involved in extremism, 25 Feb 2016 "167 suspected seminaries in Sindh, 13 in Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa, two in Punjab, and 72 unregistered seminaries in Sindh have been closed."

Qur'an teaching online

Tim Craig, Washington Post/ndtv, 'Read It Correctly!' Via Skype, Islamic Teaching Flows Out Of Pakistan, 1 Feb 2016, "With lax telecommunications laws, a large pool of potential teachers and relatively new technologies such as Skype, Pakistan has become a global hub for computerized training courses on how to become a properly observant Muslim."

Pakistan Calling

RSA - Pakistan Calling: "Pakistan Calling is a platform for films showing links between civil and cultural organisations and communities in Pakistan and the UK. These films explore some of the many pressing social problems faced by Pakistan and shine a light on, and support, some of the inspiring stories of people and organisations tackling these issues. Pakistan Calling builds on a project run by the RSA and The Samosa in 2011. The project aims to build community trust in UK, and to support the creativity and energy of the British Pakistani diaspora and others working between Britain and Pakistan. Read more about Pakistan Calling."

QueerPK blocked

CNN, Pakistan's gays in dark after Muslim nation's first gay website blocked, 26 Sep 2013 "Queer Pakistan, which just went online in July, confirmed it had been blocked September 24 with a Twitter post saying, "It's official! QueerPK is banned from viewership in Pakistan.""

Also see  alarabiya.net, Pakistan blocks ‘un-Islamic’ gay website 

Pakistan acquits girl of blasphemy charges

Pakistan acquits girl of blasphemy charges - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English "Pakistan court has thrown out charges against a young Christian girl accused of blasphemy in a case that drew international condemnation, lawyers said."

Pakistan: Religious Extremists Attack Malala Yousufzai ·

Pakistan: Religious Extremists Attack Malala Yousufzai · Global Voices responses from across Pakistan (and beyond)

Heart And Soul, The Trouble with Pakistan's White Stripe

BBC - BBC World Service Programmes - Heart And Soul, The Trouble with Pakistan's White Stripe, Episode 1

Pakistan court disqualifies Gilani as PM

Pakistan court disqualifies Gilani as PM - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English:

What's Wrong with Pakistan?

What's Wrong with Pakistan? - By Robert D. Kaplan | Foreign Policy:

Why Did Pakistan Shut Off Twitter?

Doug Bernard, VOA/thecuttingedgenews.com, Why Did Pakistan Shut Off Twitter?, 24 May 2012 "It only lasted for about 8 hours, but that was long enough to start a whole new round of Internet rumor and worry. On Sunday, May 20th, Pakistani telecommunications authorities suddenly blocked all access to the micro-blogging site Twitter, effectively shutting off the service within Pakistan. Then, just as suddenly, service was restored that evening, leaving behind angry web activists and charges about why access was cut off in the first place. The official reason given: concerns about an event that’s come to be known as “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day.”

'Pakistan jails doctor who helped CIA find Bin Laden'

BBC News - Pakistan jails doctor who helped CIA find Bin Laden "A Pakistani doctor is sentenced to at least 30 years in jail for a false vaccination programme which helped the CIA find Osama Bin Laden."

'Senior al Qaeda operative 'killed by US drone strike''

Telegraph, Senior al Qaeda operative 'killed by US drone strike', 20 Jan 2012