GIMF: convictions

The Local, Men convicted for radical internet posts, 29 Sep 2011 "Three German men have been convicted in Munich on Wednesday of supporting terrorism for posting radical propaganda videos online."

'Debating the Global Jihad in Cyberspace'

Aaron Y. Zelin, al-Wasat, Debating the Global Jihad in Cyberspace, 16 Sep 2011 "Since 9/11 and increasingly over the past several years, online jihad has become just as important to the global jihadi movement at the grassroots level as its military operations. There have been vigorous debates in the past decade amongst jihadis in forums and via official communiqués released online from popular ideologues as well as leaders. However, there have been instances where such debate was purposely shut down by administrators at forums to keep a sense of ideological cohesion. As a result, because of a lack of mainstream coverage the global jihadi movement is viewed in monolithic terms even though there are indeed cleavages that arise every so often, although they do not create big enough rifts to endanger the movement."

Inspire magazine #7

Aaron Y. Zelin, Jihadology, al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula’s al-Malāḥim Media releases Inspire Magazine Issue #7, 27 Sep 2011

'Morocco smashes three-member Al Qaeda-linked network'

Oman Tribune, Morocco smashes three-member Al Qaeda-linked network, 28 Sep 2011 "Morocco said on Friday it had broken up a three-man cell with links to Al Qaeda, while Mali’s intelligence officials say the group is seeking to infiltrate into Morocco to facilitate attacks inside Europe."

Syrian cyber warfare

Zeina Karam, Associated Press/SFGate, Syria wages cyber warfare as websites hacked, 27 Sep 2011 "Pro- and anti-government activists in Syria are increasingly turning to the Internet, hacking and defacing websites in an attempt to win a public relations victory."

Germany brings out the intelligence against “Islamophobia"

Islam Online, Germany brings out the intelligence against “Islamophobia”, 28 Sep 2011 "In a positive development, the German daily newspaper Der Spiegel reported on Wednesday 28 Sep that “Islamophobes” could be placed under surveillance by the BfV, the German equivalent of Britain’s MI-5. There are concerns that the anti-Muslim scene is becoming increasingly dangerous, and some intelligence officials want it to be subject to greater scrutiny, despite stringent German privacy laws."

'Delayed Win for Saudi Women' opinion piece

opinion piece: David Keyes, Daily Beast, Delayed Win for Saudi Women, 25 Sep 2011 "A Saudi diplomat recently told me, “With the Internet, there is no such thing as a closed society anymore.” Indeed, a steady flow of pictures, videos, and heartbreaking stories of women being arrested for driving has reached the West." refers to the impact of the internet, and draws on online opinoin

Muslim-Science.Com

Dawn.com, “WTN” award nomination for Pakistani Scholar, 23 Sep 2011 "Pakistani scholar Dr. Athar Osama has been nominated for the prestigious World Technology Network (WTN) award and has also been elected as a fellow of the WTN."

See Muslim-Science.Com

'Activists hack official Syrian websites'

News24, Activists hack official Syrian websites, 27 Sep 2011 "Two online activist groups said they hacked several official Syrian websites in the latest tactic to oppose President Bashar Assad's authoritarian regime."

Indonesian internet

Reuters India, Indonesian church bomber linked to radical Islamic group, 27 Sep 2011 "In a sign of the government's struggle to contain militancy, authorities have blocked 300 Internet sites this year suspected of promoting terrorism and hatred, a state news agency quoted a government minister as saying on Tuesday."

Syria: Inside the Secret Revolution

Jane Corbin, BBC News, Syria: 'Our weapon is the camera' in bloody revolution, 26 Sep 2011 refers to Corbin's programme for Panorama, available for UK viewers on iPlayer, Syria - Inside the Secret Revolution, BBC One, Monday, 26 September It's recommended (but disturbing) viewing, with some clips that hadn't been circulated on the net. There are references to Facebook, and the film also shows material that has been circulating on the net. Hopefully this documentary will have a wider international distribution. It was good to see it at a prime time slot (830 pm).

Reading list: 'Global Terrorism and New Media: The Post-Al Qaeda Generation'

Philip Seib, Dana M. Janbek, Global Terrorism and New Media: The Post-Al Qaeda Generation (Routledge, 2010) This book seems to have passed me by: I'm looking forward to reading it in due course.

KSA media

Angus McDowall, Reuters, Analysis: Saudi media bypass stricter rules after Arab Spring, 21 Sep 2011 "Saudi Arabian bloggers and journalists say the arch-conservative Islamic kingdom will find it hard to douse glimmers of more open reporting despite a tightening of media rules after the spread of popular revolts through the Arab world."

'Religiosity or Commercialization?'

Alia Raffia Ullah, Islam Online, The British “Islamic” Lifestyle Experience (1): Religiosity or Commercialization?, 20 Sep 2011 "This article explores the ideology of buying into Islam on the British high street, online and over the British Muslim media. It examines whether these recent developments are benefitting Muslims in Britain, or commercializing Islam; turning it into a profitable business."

Journal abstract: "Piety as a concept underpinning Muslim women’s online discussions of marriage and professional career"

In the latest issue of Contemporary Islam, Volume 5, Number 3, 249-265, "Special Issue: Islamic Piety and Gender Relationships among Contemporary Muslims: Anna Piela, Piety as a concept underpinning Muslim women’s online discussions of marriage and professional career "In this article, I address piety as a concept shaping Muslim women’s online discussions about gender roles, marriage and professional careers." [links to abstract]

There are several other interesting articles in this edition.

Libya: 'Internet spy room'

Two pieces relating to Libya, which I have caught up on today:

Paul Sonne and Margaret Coker, Wall Street Journal, Firms Aided Libyan Spies: First Look Inside Security Unit Shows How Citizens Were Tracked, 30 Aug 2011 "The recently abandoned room is lined with posters and English-language training manuals stamped with the name Amesys, a unit of French technology firm Bull SA, which installed the monitoring center. A warning by the door bears the Amesys logo. The sign reads: "Help keep our classified business secret. Don't discuss classified information out of the HQ.""

There's also this: Peter Murray, Singularity Hub, Internet Spy Room Found In Tripoli – Packed With Western Technology, 12 Sep 2011 which contains some further links and comments.

Yemen news

A reminder about internet news on Yemen. It's difficult to keep up with everything, so a few useful entry points are listed here. As well as numerous twitter sources via  #Yemen (such as Yemen Watch), I'm checking BBC Arabic, the aljazeera.net Live Yemen blog and CNN on Yemen.

Opinion piece on NYPD Mapping

Amna Akbar, aljazeera.net, Blueprints: Mapping US Muslim Communities, 19 Sep 2011 "The NYPD method for mapping home-grown terrorism is flawed and infringes on First Amendment rights, scholar argues. Without any rigorous data or reliable methodology, the report provides justification to spy on almost any Muslim in the United States. Perhaps even more troubling, it invites focused law enforcement surveillance on places where Muslims gather, on political opinions associated with Muslim communities, and on Muslim religious practice."

"Key cleric calls for more prayer, less Web surfing"

LA Times, Babylon & Beyond, IRAN: Key cleric calls for more prayer, less Web surfing, 20 Sep 2011 "An influential Iranian ayatollah is telling his students to spend more time praying and less time clicking through cyberspace. "Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi, a conservative Islamic cleric and chairman of the Imam Khomeini Research and Education Institute in Qom, said the Internet is rife with dangers and temptations that lead to family problems. He urged seminaries to be vigilant, according to the Mehr news agency."

Steve Jobs

Palash R. Ghosh, International Business Times, Steve Jobs: The Most Famous Arab in the World, 25 Aug 2011 "Jobs' biological father is a man named Abdulfattah Jandali, a Syrian who was a political science graduate student when he met Jobs’ biological mother, an American named Joanne Simpson."

This 'news' has generated substantial discussion on fora and elsewhere, for example:

Farrukh I. Younus, OnIslam, Apple: A Reminder on Innovation, 30 Aug 2011

"Numerous articles across the internet suggest that while he may not have been raised by Muslim parents, his Muslim-ness is in his genes. Ironically, the Qur’an is quite clear on the value of individual merit, shunning the view that recognition is based on a person's heritage. In a society increasingly confused between their wants and their needs, many of us have misunderstood the measure of productivity, with the knock-on impact being placed on how we measure value."

(Somehow, I missed this thread from a few weeks ago ...)