R-Shief

Lina Attalah, almasryalyoum.com, VJ Um Amel hits ‘the social’ in media "R-Shief, which is the Arabic word for archive, is a digital lab based in Los Angeles that produces real-time analysis of online social media content in the Arab world, most notably on the revolutions. It aggregates the web, Facebook, Twitter and blogs into a database archive, then provides different statistical analyses of all the data, posts with the most visits, etc. It also has been data mining Twitter by hashtag every two minutes since August 2010. R-Shief’s Twittermine tool allows users to access the data through multiple search criteria."

I have mentioned this in previous posts. Check out R-Shief, in particular Twitterminer.

Also see Liz Losh, dmlcentral.net, Digital Learning and the Arab Spring "Shereen Sakr claims that too much of how conventional information literacy is constituted overvalues “the idea of finding the source,” one that is authoritative, credible in all cases, and definitive as a point of origin. Says Shereen Sakr, “political speech online is not an epidemic; there is no methodology of Patient Zero; there are many sources speaking in simultaneity. They are echoing and keep changing each time they echo.” “If you have tools, that’s where analytics with digital technology is really helpful. Technology has created scales beyond human computability; we only have human filters.”"

I'd be interested in hearing from any prospective PhD candidate, wanting to do research in this area in relation to the study of Islam and Muslims in contemporary contexts.

'Feminism, Islamic style'

Alistair Campbell, ABC, The Drum, Feminism, Islamic style, 29 Jun 2011 "Younger generations have grown up in surroundings where their local sheikh and their parents are not the only source of religious inspiration. It poses opportunities and threats to moderate Islam across the region as young people can access the very best (and very worst) of religious teachings from the comfort of their local net café."

Germany Jihadi arrests

CRI, Germany Arrests Teenager Suspect Linked with "Terrorist Bodies" "German prosecutors said Wednesday they had arrested a teenager on suspicion that he helped "terrorist organizations" recruit suicide bombers through Internet.

"Harry M., alias Isa al Khattab, was arrested on Tuesday in the northern German city of Neumuenster, prosecutors said."

Also see Internet Haganah, Harry M., AKA Isa al-Khattab: cyber shaheed, 29 Jun 2011 for full details

‘Internet In A Suitcase’

RFE/RL, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps Warns Against ‘Internet In A Suitcase’ Project, 30 Jun 2011 "Iranian officials appear to be increasingly worried about the U.S.-funded "Internet in a Suitcase" project that aims to deploy shadow Internet and telecommunication networks in repressive countries."

Press TV, Iran ready to counter US cyber attack, 29 Jun 2011 "Iran's Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi says the Islamic Republic has developed ways to counter the United States' secret cyber project.

"“This is not a new movement, and the Americans, and in fact the intelligence services of US allies and even some regional countries, have invested heavily in cyber space since the 2009 sedition [in Iran],” Moslehi said on Wednesday, referring to the unrest following Iran's presidential election two years ago."

Summit Against Violent Extremism

CSM, Google Ideas's new 'think-do' tank takes on violent extremism, 29 Jun 2011

Michelle Shephard, The Star, Summit to fight extremism draws cheers, jeers, 28 Jun 2011

"There was little doubt the event had created considerable buzz. But some participants who specialize in Islamic radicalization — the most high profile issue at the conference, even if street gangs likely take more lives — questioned if the summit’s mandate was too broad or if ideas discussed here could affect change.

"“You cannot compare Islamic extremists to skinheads who come from abusive homes and terrible childhoods,” one participant scoffed privately."

Jared Cohen, Google, Google launches Summit Against Violent Extremism "In order to advance our understanding, Google Ideas is today convening the Summit Against Violent Extremism, bringing together former gang members, right-wing extremists, jihadists and militants in Dublin for three days of debates and workshops. All these "formers" have rejected violence and are working for groups recognized by governments and law enforcement that fight extremism. Extremists have taken advantage of new Internet technologies to spread their message. We believe technology also can become part of the solution, helping to engineer a turn away from violence."

Islamic Fashion Festival

Louisa Lim, The Daily Star, Islamic fashion with a modern twist showcased in Singapore, 23 Jun 2011 "According to the founder and chairman Datuk Raja Rezza Shah, however, staging the IFF [Islamic Fashion Festival] in a non-Muslim country in front of a predominantly non-Muslim crowd, was not about highlighting the superiority of Islam or converting anyone, it’s “to create a better understanding of the religion through fashion.”"

'Third Intifada' app

aljazeera.net, Apple removes 'Third Intifada' app, 23 Jun 2011 "Technology giant Apple has removed a pro-Palestinian mobile application from its roster of hosted programmes after Israel complained it incited users to violence.

"The "Third Intifada" application essentially reproduced the content from a website of the same name - 3rdIntifada.com - which posts news and opinion articles about Israeli aggression and the Palestinian cause."

The image on the left is from 3rdintifada.com (who may have received substantial extra publicity from this incident)

'The Sexual Harassment File: Harassment debate lights up blogosphere'

almasryalyoum.com, The Sexual Harassment File: Harassment debate lights up blogosphere, 22 Jun 2011 "Bloggers and tweeters in Egypt and across the Middle East joined together on Monday to raise awareness about the issue of sexual harassment and gender-based violence. The initiative resulted in more than 12,000 tweets using the hashtag #EndSH and more than 150 blog posts."

"Iran to test 'National Internet'"

Press TV, Iran to test 'National Internet', 22 Jun 2011 "In an effort to provide Iranians with higher-bandwidth internet access, Iran is set to test its “National Internet” with the help of a limited number of users.

"On Wednesday, Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Reza Taqipour said the project's “Phase Zero” would be launched and become operational within the next two weeks, IRNA reported."

Bandwidth is applied as one justification of this policy.

Bahrain sentences

Tanya Nolan, ABC, Bahraini activists sentenced to life in prison, 23 Jun 2011 "Eight Bahraini activists have been handed life sentences for their roles in the March uprisings against the regime. The Bahraini regime brought in troops from neighbouring Gulf States to quell the month-long uprisings that coincided with the Arab Spring protests." Others were also sentenced.

Reporters Without Borders, One blogger sentenced to life imprisonment, another to 15 years in jail "Reporters Without Borders is shocked by the long jail sentences that a military court passed today on 21 activists accused of belonging to terrorist organizations and trying to overthrow the government. Eight of them, including human rights activist and blogger Abduljalil Al-Singace, got life sentences. Thirteen others received sentences ranging from two to 15 years in prison. Ali Abdulemam, a blogger who was tried in absentia, was given 15 years."

Guardian, Bahrain rights activists jailed for life, 23 Jun 2011 "Hopes of dialogue between Bahrain's Sunni leaders and the country's restive Shia majority have been dashed when 21 civilian activists were given lengthy prison sentences as a crackdown against protesters continues unabated."

7 Arabic Tools From Microsoft Afkar

arabcrunch.com, 7 Arabic Tools From Microsoft Afkar Innovated by Cairo Microsoft Innovation Lab useful review. Maren Morph looks handy for specialists.

"Maren Morph is a powerful, highly-accurate and comprehensive Arabic morphological analyzer, made to help Arabic users enrich their Arabic language experience."

Middle East Youth Rising

Jeffrey Bartholet (text)/Michael Brown (photos), National Geographic, Middle East Youth Rising, July 2011 "Armed with cell phones, social media, and sometimes just sheer determination, youth from North Africa to the Middle East are struggling to take ownership of their future."

Thanks to Chuck for the tip.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood

Ahmed Shihab Eldin, Al Jazeera English, The Stream: Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood - Opinion, 20 Jun 2011 "The Brotherhood's youth may still be part of the organisation, but they are first and foremost part of a generation that, like the #TweetNadwa participants, interacts with a wide range of individuals and groups through the internet and social media as well as books and satellite television."

'Solehah' Malaysian Islamic reality TV

Reuters, Islamic reality TV show in Malaysia seeks best women preachers, Jun 18 2011

"The 13-episode prime time program titled "Solehah," an Arabic word meaning "pious female," is a talent contest that will feature charismatic young Muslim women judged by clerics on their religious knowledge as well as their oratory skills and personality."

Clips from 'Imam Muda' were popular online, so expect this series to be similarly followed through the net.

There are some good audition photos available here: fotowarung.net, 'Solehah', 18 Jun 2011

Libyan Satellite TV Website Hacked

Mathaba, Libyan Satellite TV Website Hacked, 18 Jun 2011 "It is a common and frequent occurrence for Libyan government web sites to be defaced, taken over, hacked, or shut down since the war on Libya began over 3 months ago, making a mockery of western allied NATO countries claims to freedom of information." Opinion piece.

Domain names

LA Times, ICANN to let thousands of domain names bloom, 21 Jun 2011 "The group that governs Internet domain names is opening up the system far beyond the 22 existing suffixes so that companies and organizations can apply to create their own versions of .com, .org or .gov."

So, what price .islam or .quran? I'd imagine there would be an intense contest for these suffixes, if they ever became available.

Cyber Culture Studies: Palestinian E-Resistance

Ghada Alakhdar, Amazon.com: Cyber Culture Studies: Palestinian E-Resistance: New Scopes for Cultural Political Intervention (9783639357905): Books "The Internet has evidently helped unearth dictatorships in the Arab-Islamic world by empowering the "silent and passive" masses. Restrictions on information spread and exchange such as borders, distance and time have become insignificant. The book zooms in on Palestinian e-resistance strategies. It reads the Deleuzo-Guattarian "rhizome", theoretical model of mobility and change, to chart out a diversity of dynamic agendas and arguments which develop and diversify online. This strategic mobility works in coherence with the quick economic and demographic changes that take place on the Palestinian territorial map itself. The book, therefore, provides inspiring theoretical tools and analysis for understanding the dynamics of e-resistance exploring how the Palestinian cause is related to diverse aspects of life, inviting a deeper understanding and expanding its chances for getting international support. This book should be useful for professionals in areas of social media and culture, resistance literature, Middle East studies and cyber philosophy, or anyone interested in exploring e-resistance and cultural-political e-empowerment."

I look forward to reading this.

KSA Comedy

New York Times, In Saudi Arabia, Comedy Cautiously Pushes Limits, 12 Jun 2011 another one picked up from the Observer

"Two have established wildly popular shows on YouTube — not least because the Web has emerged as the one public space in the kingdom where it is O.K. to endorse the Arab uprisings. Comedy nights have just switched to Arabic from English, broadening their appeal, and comedians have even been asked to entertain at Koran conferences."

Here's a sample (plenty more on the YouTube page):

iMuslims Arabic version

I learnt at the weekend that the Arabic version of iMuslims has now been printed. I will provide full details and links as they arrive (haven't seen it yet!).

'U.S. Underwrites Internet Detour Around Censors'

NY Times, U.S. Underwrites Internet Detour Around Censors, 12 June 2011 [picked up via yesterday's Observer]

"In one of the most ambitious efforts, United States officials say, the State Department and Pentagon have spent at least $50 million to create an independent cellphone network in Afghanistan using towers on protected military bases inside the country. It is intended to offset the Taliban’s ability to shut down the official Afghan services, seemingly at will.

"The effort has picked up momentum since the government of President Hosni Mubarak shut down the Egyptian Internet in the last days of his rule. In recent days, the Syrian government also temporarily disabled much of that country’s Internet, which had helped protesters mobilize."

In relation to this, I found Deutsche Welle, Austrian 'FunkFeuer' helps American 'Internet-in-a-suitcase' project, 17 Jun 2011 "An Austrian wireless networking project that plants Wi-Fi antennae across rooftops is a key element in an American government "liberation technology" project designed to circumvent and thwart Internet filters, censorship and surveillance."

Sounds interesting. When I've got more time, I'll provide some further information.