Modern Muslimahs

Mail & Guardian, Modern Muslimahs: A step in Mr Right's direction "Muslim women today have social networking, matrimonial sites, samoosa runs and matchmakers to help find the right husband. But it's still not easy."

Young Iranians 'claustrophobic' as culture is forced online ...

Young Iranians 'claustrophobic' as culture is forced online but accessed in private, theguardian.com "The absence of public space and the wide availability of digital media means that there is no middle ground between these two worlds. Both at home and at school, young people feel isolated in their virtual microcosms and trapped in their contrasting physical reality. Their parents, usually oblivious to the purposes of sites like Instagram, worry about what their children do outside the home. But in a closed society like Iran's, the virtual world can be just as psychologically damaging as hard drugs." Opinion

Sex in Tunisia & the Arab World

Sex in Tunisia & the Arab World: Interview with Shereen El Feki | Tunisia Live: "You now see the emergence of really good websites starting to give reliable information in Arabic. One of them is called Love Matters, Hob Thaqafa, it was just launched in March. It’s an initiative from Radio Netherlands, but the team are all Arab and much of it is based in Cairo, and it’s basically just providing information on sex in a very respectable, scientific, attractive way."  The internet is playing a significant role in relation to issues discussed in this interview.

Activists in Egypt say online monitoring is scare tactic

Activists in Egypt say online monitoring is scare tactic - News - Aswat Masriya "The new system will track down certain words such as “bombs”, “explosives,” or “terrorism” to maintain the country’s national security, a security source told Aswat Masriya. "

‘Bomb-Making for Beginners’: Inside al Al-Qaeda E-Learning Course

‘Bomb-Making for Beginners’: Inside al Al-Qaeda E-Learning Course | Anne Stenersen | Perspectives on Terrorism "This study explores how terrorists utilize the Internet to learn bomb-making skills. Unlike previous studies, it does not focus on assessing the quality of online bomb recipes. Rather, it discusses the efforts being made by on-line jihadists to help others learn by providing so-called “e-learning courses.” As of today, such courses have few active participants yet they tend to attract large interest – indicating that there is a demand among Al-Qaeda’s online sympathizers for developing this concept further."

New and Noted: Jihadi Culture on the World Wide Web

Anne Stenersen, e-ir, Review – Gilbert Ramsay, Jihadi Culture on the World Wide Web, New York: Bloomsbury, 2013



Book information here

Saudi cleric declares online chatrooms are evil

Saudi cleric declares online chatrooms are evil - aysor.am   "Sheikh Abdullah al-Mutlaq, a prominent member of the Saudi Committee of Senior Scholars, has said the online conversations between different genders are prohibited and would eventually lead to committing a sin."

Cyber warfare

Yaakov Lappin, Jerusalem Post, Israel, Iran wage cyber warfare in the battlefield of the future " What may begin as an enemy intelligence-gathering mission could later turn into a virus that disrupts military operations." Analysis and speculation

Iran's Dubious Digital Revolution

usnews.com, Iran's Dubious Digital Revolution "Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has taken steps to reach the country's powerful youth constituency since his election in June 2013, using Twitter and talking about the importance of the Internet in an effort to connect. The country has a young, tech-savvy population, more than half of which is under the age of 30, making it an important voice in determining the country's future."

'Facebook has no comment for the eight Iranians sentenced to long prison terms for posting messages'

venturebeat.com, Facebook has no comment for the eight Iranians sentenced to long prison terms for posting messages, "This week, eight Iranian students and adults were slapped with jail sentences ranging from seven to twenty years in prison for posting Facebook messages deemed inflammatory by the Islamic government. Their fate elicited a “no comment” Thursday from the Menlo Park-based company."

Little Chechnya on the Steppes

BBC Radio 4, Little Chechnya on the Steppes, "Award-winning travel writer Oliver Bullough journeys into the frozen heart of Central Asia to meet the 'White Hats'. This exiled community of Chechens survived everything that Stalin threw at them and now live an isolated and ascetic life on the steppes of Kazakhstan."

Social Networking in Cyber Spaces: European Muslim's Participation in (New) Media

KU Leuven - Call for Papers: Social Networking in Cyber Spaces: European Muslim's Participation in (New) Media, 27-28 November 2014. "The increasing growth of the Internet is reshaping Islamic communities worldwide. Non-conventional media and social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are becoming more popular among the Muslim youth as among all parts of the society. The new channels of information and news attract new Muslim publics in Europe. The profile of the people using these networks range from college students to Islamic intellectual authorities. Such an easy and speedy way of connecting to millions of people across the globe also attracts the attention of social movements, which utilize these networks to spread their message to a wider public. Many Muslim networks and social movements, political leaders, Islamic institutions and authorities use these new media spaces to address wider Muslim and also non-Muslim communities, it is not uncommon that they also address and reach certain so-called radical groups."

Sounds interesting (+familiar territory for several readers of these pages)

Iranian hackers use Facebook to spy on U.S.

Iranian hackers use Facebook to spy on U.S. - Al Arabiya News:

"In an unprecedented, three-year cyber espionage campaign, Iranian hackers created false social networking accounts and a fake news website to spy on military and political leaders in the United States, Israel and other countries, a cyber-intelligence firm said on Thursday."

Allegations re ballot stuffing (in Egypt)

dailynewsegypt.com, PEC denies authenticity of video showing ballot stuffing

Egypt: Media presents election as forgone conclusion

indexoncensorship.org, Egypt: Media presents election as forgone conclusion

Why the Internet Is Not Increasing Terrorism

Taylor & Francis Online :: Why the Internet Is Not Increasing Terrorism - Security Studies - Volume 23, Issue 2  "Policymakers and scholars fear that the Internet has increased the ability of transnational terrorists, like al Qaeda, to attack targets in the West, even in the face of increased policing and military efforts. Although access to the Internet has increased across the globe, there has been no corresponding increase in completed transnational terrorist attacks. This analysis examines the causal logics—which have led to the conventional wisdom—and demonstrates both theoretically and empirically that the Internet is not a force multiplier for transnational terrorist organizations. Far from being at a disadvantage on the Internet, state security organs actually gain at least as much utility from the Internet as terrorist groups do, meaning that at worst the Internet leaves the state in the same position vis-à-vis terrorist campaigns as it was prior to the Internet." Have yet to read this.

Why are Iranian men wearing the hijab?

alarabiya.net, Why are Iranian men wearing the hijab? "Earlier this month, Iranian women flooded Facebook with pictures of themselves with their hair uncovered to spark a debate the freedom to choose whether or not to wear the hijab."

Rouhani on the web

Mehrdad Balali, IOL SciTech, Time to embrace internet, Iran leader says, 27 May 2014 "Iran should embrace the Internet rather than see it as a threat, President Hassan Rouhani has said, in remarks that challenge hardliners who have stepped up measures to censor the Web."

'Terrorists Exploit Social Networks'

Magharebia, Imrane Binoual, eurasiareview.com, Terrorists Exploit Social Networks "Videos, audio recordings, messages and speeches from terrorist organisations blanket YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Maghreb extremists have embraced the virtual arena, using online networks to attract recruits and spread propaganda."

Papal visit

Guardian, Pope Francis makes unofficial stop at Israeli terrorism memorial, 26 May 2014

BBC News, Pope prays at Israel's West Bank separation barrier

'Fajer Al Bashaer' app

vocativ.com, Now Available in the Android Store: An App for Terrorists "The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)—a jihadi group that even Al Qaeda’s leadership severed ties with for being too extreme—has blazed new trails in cyberspace. Its app, paradoxically called Fajer Al Bashaer (Dawn of Good Omens), delivers news and links to articles about ISIS “successes” in Syria, where the group is based. The app’s developers say their goal is to “assist the victory of the Islamic state by conveying its messages to Muslims everywhere.”"

'Counter-Terrorism: The Electronic Jihad'

Strategy Page, Counter-Terrorism: The Electronic Jihad "In April 2014 a Moslem man (Lawal Olaniyi Babafemi) from Nigeria pled guilty in an American court to charges that he had participated in an al Qaeda operation in Yemen to promote Islamic terrorism via the Internet. Babafemi faces up to 30 years in jail for going to Yemen in 2010 and joining al Qaeda. He later returned to Nigeria and was arrested there and extradited to the United States in 2013. He is one of an increasing number of Islamic terrorist sympathizers who stay out of the battleground areas and provide support via the Internet. Terrorist leaders now recognize this sort of support is important for jihad (struggle) and it is encouraged."

Concerns over online extremism

Belfast Telegraph, Concerns over online extremism, 21 May 2014 " Fears have been raised about online extremism a year after the death of soldier Lee Rigby, as deadly jihadist material remains widely available online."

Central Asia Digital Islam Project

Registan, The Central Asia Digital Islam Project: How the Internet and Social Media are Reshaping the Islamic Marketplace in Central Asia "Advances in communications technology and large-scale migration are rapidly eroding these obstacles, however, allowing Central Asians to increasingly participate in trans-national Islamic discourses through digital media."

Aleppo's most wanted man (and video impact)

Guardian, Aleppo's most wanted man - the rebel leader behind tunnel bombs "The giant plumes of dirt and rubble that ballooned several hundred metres skyward as the hotel crumbled, killing 30-50 Syrian troops, have fast become one of the most jaw-dropping images of Syria's civil war. In three years of aerial blitzes, scud missiles, chemical attacks and suicide bombs, little else had been captured so spectacularly and in real time (video).

"That was one of the best things about the operation," said Assad. "The effect on morale was immediate. Ever since, the men have wanted to fight more than before. We have called this "Operation Aleppo Earthquake".

UAE privacy laws

The National, Be aware of UAE privacy laws when posting Facebook content, TRA warns, 20 May 2014 "Posting content about other people on Facebook without their consent could be breaking the law, regulators warn."

#Happy Iranians arrested

BBC, Iranian Pharrell fans arrested for Happy tribute video "A group of Iranian fans who created a tribute to Pharrell Williams' hit song Happy have been arrested."

Abu Hamza guilty

Guardian, Abu Hamza found guilty of 11 terrorism charges, 20 May 2014 "Hamza was accused of being a terrorist of global reach, and was charged with providing material support to terrorist organizations by enabling hostage-takers in the Yemen kidnapping to speak on a satellite phone, by sending men to establish an al-Qaida training camp in Bly, Oregon, and by sending at least one man to training camps in Afghanistan."

KSA hackers

Saudi Gazette, alarabiya.net, Saudi interior ministry plans to recruit hackers, 14 May 2014 "The National Information Center of the Saudi Ministry of Interior is planning to employ native hackers in its efforts to define holes in the electronic networks in the Kingdom."

Shaykh Nazım al-Haqqani dies

Hurriyet Daily News, Islamic scholar Shaykh Nazım dies at the age of 92, 7 May 2014 "Influential Turkish Cypriot Islamic scholar Shaykh Nazım al-Haqqani died May 7 after being hospitalized for lung and kidney failure last month."

Some of the reactions online are shown below:

Also see SufiLive

KSA, English language and the net

Arab News, Winds of change: English teaching in Saudi Arabia, 9 May 2014 "For several years now, English has been touted to be an important lingua franca in many countries where it is widely used as a means of communication among various ethnic groups and people of different backgrounds. The advent of the Internet has only reinforced its eminence where almost 30 percent of the data is in English. In addition, most of the world’s music is in English (although this is debatable) while job opportunities are certainly better in non-English speaking countries with good salaries and perks."

Kyrgyzstan seeks to stem recruitment for Syrian war

Central Asia Online, Kyrgyzstan seeks to stem recruitment for Syrian war "While the Kyrgyz government attempts to curtail the exodus of young men joining the war in Syria have yielded some effect, social network users are still vulnerable to external influence online."

Boko Haram and online activities

CBS News, Nigeria schoolgirl kidnapping boosts Boko Haram's online presence, for better or worse "While the reaction has been a mix of support and condemnation of the group's kidnapping of almost 300 teenage girls from their school in the northern Borno province, the overall outpouring of interest seems to have elevated the group to a more equal footing with other al Qaeda affiliates -- at least on the vital modern battlefield of the Internet."

'Jihadi Converts' - radio programme

Radio 4, The Report, 'Jihadi Converts' "Converts to Islam are far more likely to be involved in terrorist incidents than those who were born into Muslim families: converts account for around a quarter of terrorist convictions in Britain since 9/11 yet they represent only 2-3% of the UK's Muslim population."

Raif Badawi case

National Turk, Medieval Justice in Saudi Arabia: Ten years imprisonment and 1,000 lashes for blogger Raif Badawi, 8 May 2014 "Now, an appeals court in the port city of Jeddah has tightened the punishment again. The judge sentenced the blogger on Wednesday to ten years in prison and 1,000 lashes. In addition, he shall pay a fine in the amount from the equivalent of just under 200,000 euros."

Abu Hamza trial

Telegraph, Abu Hamza trial: hate preacher says British wife persuaded him to turn to Islam "It was his first wife, an Englishwoman, who persuaded him to start to study Islam with her because she became interested in the religion, he explained. “She was persistent,” he said. “She pushed too hard.”"

Pakistan: YouTube Ban Resolution

Tribune, YouTube Ban Resolution Unanimously Passed in National Assembly "Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Shazia Mari presented the resolution in the session of the National Assembly today."

WhatsApp faces ban in Iran over 'American Zionist' Zuckerberg

Techie News, WhatsApp faces ban in Iran over 'American Zionist' Zuckerberg "Abdolsamad Khorramabadi, head of the country’s Committee on Internet Crimes, announced the ban, saying that “the reason for this is the adoption of WhatsApp by the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who is an American Zionist.”"

Disillusioned ‘jihadi’ gets death threats for exposing recruiters

arabnews.com, Disillusioned ‘jihadi’ gets death threats for exposing recruiters "Blurring the line between reality and fiction, a former member of a terrorist group has made a movie slamming those in the Kingdom who recruit young Saudis to fight abroad." I have yet to see the film (which is linked into this report).

Allegations: "Islamic Cleric From Michigan Is a Top Online Figure for Jihadists in Syria"

The Blaze, Islamic Cleric From Michigan Is a Top Online Figure for Jihadists in Syria "Ahmad Jibril, who was released from prison in 2012 after serving time for fraud, began his online sermons just as Al Qaeda extremists began flooding into the civil war in Syria." Allegations.

British Fighters Filmed In Syria 'War Crime'

Sky News, British Fighters Filmed In Syria 'War Crime' "They [ICSR] believe the man that posted the video is part of a group of British fighters, known as Rayat al Tawheed, an affiliate of the Sunni jihadi movement ISIS, which controls large swathes of northern Syria."

Global terrorism rose 43% in 2013 despite al-Qaida splintering

Global terrorism rose 43% in 2013 despite al-Qaida splintering, US reports | World news | theguardian.com:

The latest challenge of ‘The 99’ superheroes is tackling a fatwa

The latest challenge of ‘The 99’ superheroes is tackling a fatwa | The National "It began as a suspicious relationship. I did not expect approval to begin with, and the suspicion of the Saudi authorities over the (to them) subversive nature of the content meant we were at loggerheads. It turned out that the solution was simple. I had to first get approval from a religious authority for my superheroes to fly in the Kingdom."

Crossing red-signals is ‘haram,’ says Saudi grand mufti

Crossing red-signals is ‘haram,’ says Saudi grand mufti - Al Arabiya News

Palestinian activist given house arrest for a Facebook status

Palestinian activist given house arrest for a Facebook status | +972 Magazine "In the latest case of Israeli police detaining Palestinian activists for social media activity, a Lod man is placed under house arrest and has equipment confiscated for openly opposing the enlistment of Christian Arabs on his Facebook page."

‘Wife rape’ fatwa sparks row in Egypt

‘Wife rape’ fatwa sparks row in Egypt - Al Arabiya News: "Burhami published his fatwas on the website Anasalafy.com, which is associated with his Salafist Call party. He added that allowing one’s wife to be raped is like getting mugged for money."

Iran red faced as woman parades in underwear

Iran red faced as woman parades in underwear - Al Arabiya News: "The jaw-dropping behavior has allegedly “infuriated” the Karaj natives which includes two million conservative citizens, after the report went viral on social media."

German rapper-turned-jihadist reported dead in Syria

German rapper-turned-jihadist reported dead in Syria - Al Arabiya News "Denis Mamadou Cuspert, who rapped under the name Deso Dogg but took on the name Abu Talha al-Almani in Syria, was reported to have been killed in a suicide attack Sunday in an eastern province."

Tazkiyah in the Age of Psychotherapy

Tazkiyah in the Age of Psychotherapy - Faith & the Sciences - Health & Science - OnIslam.net: Interview with AbdelRahman Mussa, the founder of iPersonal Enrichment newsletter and the Whims-I-Kill Tazkiyah course. Interesting article by Klaudia Khan. Includes the question "How does the modern communication technology affect the experience of tazkiyah?"

The Unseen Shackles of Muslim Social Media Activism

The Unseen Shackles of Muslim Social Media Activism | MuslimMatters.org:

"Fast forward to now. We're in the social media age, but in reality it's just a new iteration of this interconnected information age. MSN, AOL, Napster, and most of those message boards are now gone. They've been replaced by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and WhatsApp groups. In another 10-15 years (if not sooner), we'll probably see another iteration of these tools being replaced by something else. What has not changed though, is the approach to the religion, particularly as it relates to the hot button issue of the day." I was discussing similar themes in my lecture yesterday.

Lecture on #Islam, Social Media and the Cloud

KU Leuven Gülen Chair for Intercultural Studies (GCIS) | Excellence in Research on Interculturalism Relevant Contribution to Society I'm writing this as I return back to Wales after my Leuven lecture - around (selected) cyber Islamic environments in 80 minutes. Talked about trends, social media, religious authority, and evolution of sites. So, ended on a positive note with 'Happy' (that's the British Muslim version). Pharrell Williams probably never thought he'd end up in an Islamic Studies lecture. There is, apparently, an Antwerp version of this phenomenon. It was nice to meet staff/students in Leuven. Some good questions too.

In Washington, Muslims gather to get ‘Happy’ for the camera

In Washington, Muslims gather to get ‘Happy’ for the camera - The Washington Post initiative by the Muslim Public Affairs Council, inspired by the UK version

To be a ‘Happy British Muslim’ or not – that is the question

To be a ‘Happy British Muslim’ or not – that is the question - Al Arabiya News "It is important to be able to deconstruct social phenomena against a wider political context; otherwise, critical lessons can be lost, even when intentions are good. Nevertheless, there is no evidence to show shadowy forces supported this video in order to mislead the public. Why such a connection ought to be assumed, is perhaps an argument that needs to be made, as opposed to being taken for granted. Some reactions did seem to be intensely curious about who the makers of the video were. They insinuated connections to right wing anti-Muslim groups, set on some sort of “assimilationist” agenda, who wanted to show non-Muslims some sort of “sanitized” version of the Muslim community – but again, there does not seem to be any evidence for that kind of assertion." Comment from H.A. Hellyer.

'Sinful': Video of British Muslims dancing to Pharrell Williams's hit Happy comes under attack

'Sinful': Video of British Muslims dancing to Pharrell Williams's hit Happy comes under attack - Features - Music - The Independent:

Happy British Muslims

I'm posting on this retrospectively, as I have been travelling, and this started trending while I was away.  Happy British Muslims: the video that made me dance for joy | Music | The Guardian 

Pharrell - Happy British Muslims! #HAPPYDAY - YouTube

Pharrell - Happy British Muslims! #HAPPYDAY - YouTube:

"



'via Blog this'

A Woman Blogger’s Scoop Helped Save Tunisia From Islamists

A Woman Blogger’s Scoop Helped Save Tunisia From Islamists - The Daily Beast "The most famous investigative reporter in Tunisia is a 32-year-old blogger named Olfa Riahi. She broke the country’s biggest post-revolutionary news story—known as Sheratongate –and helped to save the country’s liberal revolution from the Islamists. When Tunisian Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa met with President Barack Obama on Friday he was promised $500 million in loan guarantees and heard America’s enduring commitment to Tunisia’s democratic transition. But without Riahi, that transition might have come to a dead end."

Leftward Shift by Conservative Cleric Leaves Saudis Perplexed

Leftward Shift by Conservative Cleric Leaves Saudis Perplexed - NYTimes.com "Mr. Awda had something akin to a conversion moment during the Arab uprisings of 2011, and since then has become a passionate promoter of democracy and civic tolerance. He has more than 4.5 million followers on Twitter and several million on his regular YouTube broadcasts, making him a significant thorn in the side of the Saudi monarchy. He can be dangerously blunt, at least by Saudi standards, and the government has made its displeasure clear, barring him from print media, television and foreign travel." Salman al-Oadah is discussed in this article.

Saudi Arabia: 'ID cards revolution' inflames YouTube against regime

middleeastmonitor.com, Saudi Arabia: 'ID cards revolution' inflames YouTube against regime "Under the emblem of "the ID cards revolution" the Saudi youth protest movement has shifted from twitter to YouTube. A group of Saudi young men have begun recording individual video clips separately to convey messages to the king complaining living hardships, criticising the performance of the authority and denouncing corruption."

British woman Roya Nobakht could be executed in Iran after insulting Islam on Facebook

Independent, British woman Roya Nobakht could be executed in Iran after insulting Islam on Facebook "A British woman has been locked up in Iran for five months after posting derogatory comments about the country's government on Facebook and fears she will be executed, her husband has said."

The Islamic Sex Cult Supporting Turkey’s Prime Minister

balkanist.net, The Islamic Sex Cult Supporting Turkey’s Prime Minister "Followers of Harun Yahya wear drag make-up and practice a “sexed-up, Disney version of Islam” that helps promote conservative Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s vision of a modern, Muslim Turkey. Step inside this surreal world where religious piety meets psychedelic softcore porn, led by the world’s foremost Islamic creationist."

Syria war: British Muslims on the front line

Darshna Soni, Channel 4 News, Syria war: British Muslims on the front line "Channel 4 News speaks to a couple from Essex who say they have left their old lives behind to become charity workers on the front line in Syria's civil war." This was an outstanding report.

Why Google Maps gets Africa wrong

Why Google Maps gets Africa wrong | World news | theguardian.com "To return to Jonathan Swift, our 21st century cyber-cartographers may not be filling in the gaps with "savage pictures" anymore, but that may be because from 10,000 miles and a universe away, these gaps simply don't exist."

Cleric Omar Bakri 'on the run' in Lebanon

BBC News - Cleric Omar Bakri 'on the run' in Lebanon: "The Sunni Muslim cleric is among 200 individuals wanted in connection with their alleged role in clashes that have left 30 people dead in recent weeks."

Mapping Digital Media: Indonesia

New Report: Mapping Digital Media: Indonesia | Digital Islam "The Open Society Foundations released its report Mapping Digital Media: Indonesia written by Kuskridho Ambardi, Gilang Parahita, Lisa Lindawati, Adam Sukarno & Nella Aprilia. "The Mapping Digital Media project examines the global opportunities and risks created by the transition from traditional to digital media. Covering 60 countries, the project examines how these changes affect the core democratic service that any media system should provide: news about political, economic, and social affairs."" I look forward to reading this

Britain orders probe into Muslim Brotherhood

Britain orders probe into Muslim Brotherhood - Al Arabiya News "
"A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister has commissioned an internal government review into the philosophy and activities of the Muslim Brotherhood and the government's policy towards the organization.""

Turkey’s online censorship just took a sinister Orwellian turn

Turkey’s online censorship just took a sinister Orwellian turn – Quartz "Over the weekend, Google reported that Turkey had intercepted traffic to its public domain name system (DNS) service—part of prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s increasingly draconian crackdown against the social media networks that are being used to distribute damaging information about him."

Real-time Tracker: #انتخبوا_العرص - Keyhole

Real-time Tracker: #انتخبوا_العرص - Keyhole:



Tracking the viral hashtag #انتخبوا_العرص - which relates to al-Sisi (other hashtags are available).   Also see middleeastmonitor.com, Anti Sisi hashtag goes viral

French and Belgian Jihadists Boast About the Syrians They Slaughter

French and Belgian Jihadists Boast About the Syrians They Slaughter - The Daily Beast "A cable news station in Paris has aired shocking video of French-speaking jihadists at work in Syria. The footage broadcast Thursday night on BFMTV played like a macabre postcard home, only the latest reminder that hundreds of French and thousands of European jihadists are waging war against Bashar al-Assad. The news channel has called it evidence that France’s own are “direct actors in the atrocities committed in Syria.”"

Radicalisation online

Social media is new weapon in war on British jihadis - UK Politics - UK - The Independent "Diplomats have quietly opened a new front in efforts to stem the flow of Britons travelling to fight in Syria by spending nearly £200,000 on "social media activity" to deter would-be jihadis from leaving the UK, The Independent on Sunday can reveal."

Facebook

If you would like regular updates on my research interests, I can be found on Facebook. If you want to link into my posts, then please friend me (facebook.com/gary.r.bunt).

Iran condemns Muslim shrine desecration in Syria

Trend.az, Iran condemns Muslim shrine desecration in Syria "Photos of the mosque posted on the Internet on Wednesday showed extensive damage to the exterior walls and roof of the building. The pictures also depicted concrete and twisted metal strewn on the street outside the mosque with an interior wall collapsed inward."

'Jihad by social media'

Sam Jones, FT.com, Jihad by social media " How thousands of young Muslims are being radicalised through social networks and propelled towards violence in Syria."

Activities

I am presently pulling together a paper, on #Islam, Social Media and the Cloud. I have trying to compress thousands of archived images, assembled over a number of years, into something suitable for a 45 minute presentation! I shall be giving versions of this paper in a few locations this year. Details to be posted on this page in due course. I may put a version of this online sometime.

'Saudi teacher whipping 13 students caught on camera'

alarabiya.net, Saudi teacher whipping 13 students caught on camera "The video footage, aired on Al Arabiya News Channel this week, shows the teacher hitting the boys as they walk past him. In response, the education ministry announced that it had begun an investigation, Okaz newspaper reported."

Twitter and YouTube bans in Turkey: round-up

I have collected some of the stories associated with Twitter and YouTube bans in Turkey from the past week: 

hurriyetdailynews.com, Turkey widens Internet censorship

hurriyetdailynews.com, Far from succumbing to 'the ban', Twitter usage SOARS in Turkey

BBC News, Turkey Twitter ban is 'a losing battle', expert claims

Guardian, Turkey blocks YouTube amid 'national security' concerns

BBC News, Turkey moves to block YouTube access after 'audio leak'

Al-Qa'ida, the second act

Al-Qa'ida, the second act: The hate preachers fuelling sectarianism - Comment - Voices - The Independent final part of a series by Patrick Cockburn contains information on 'e-jihad'

Spain: 'Kebab Shops Financing Global Jihad'

Soeren Kern, gatestoneinstitute.org, Spain: Kebab Shops Financing Global Jihad:


"Elmedjeri, a specialist in forging documents, is also known for operating one of the best kebab shops in Málaga. Terrorism analysts say this points to another problem: many of the tens of thousands of kebab and shawarma shops operating in Spain and other parts of Europe may be using their business proceeds actively to finance global jihad in Syria and elsewhere." Some conjecture in this report.

Hijabers: How young urban Muslim women redefine themselves in Indonesia

Annisa R Beta, International Communication Gazette, Hijabers: How young urban Muslim women redefine themselves in Indonesia:
"This paper analyzes the dissemination of ‘Hijaber’ style through different forms of cyber media (blogs and social network sites) in order to determine how young, computer savvy Muslim Indonesians explore their gender and religious identities while working in the ‘creative economy’ through cyberspace. This article shows the plurality and flexibility of the Hijaber trend—compared to more conventional forms—and explores its significance for urban Indonesian youth."

'American Sharia'

Trailer for forthcoming comedy, crowd sourced - full details here americanshariamovie.com

'After the Protests'

Zeynep Tufekci, NY Times, After the Protests, 19 Mar 2014 "Media in the hands of citizens can rattle regimes. It makes it much harder for rulers to maintain legitimacy by controlling the public sphere. But activists, who have made such effective use of technology to rally supporters, still need to figure out how to convert that energy into greater impact. The point isn’t just to challenge power; it’s to change it."

Twitter in Turkey

NPR, 'We'll Eradicate Twitter,' Turkey's Prime Minister Vows
"Reeling from the anonymous release of audio that seems to implicate him in a corruption scandal, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country would ban Twitter, no matter what the international community says."
BBC News, Twitter website 'blocked' in Turkey, 21 Mar 2014  "Some users trying to open the twitter.com website are apparently being redirected to a statement by Turkey's telecommunications regulator."

Syrian jihad, from Antwerp

Øyvind Strømmen, hate-speech.org, Syrian jihad, from Antwerp, 20 Mar 2014 "At least 100 people have left the Netherlands to fight in Syria. In neighbouring Belgium, the number is even higher. Family members and researchers point to the Belgian group Shariah4Belgium as part of the explanation." Strong social media emphasis in this report from Øyvind Strømmen. Recommended.

BBC Radio 4 - Russia: The Wild East - Episode guide

BBC Radio 4 - Russia: The Wild East - Episode guide:



Timely repeat of Martin Sixsmith's series. The first part discusses the religious foundations of Russia, including why Russia became Christian (rather than Muslim).

Al-Qa’ida, the second act

Al-Qa’ida, the second act: Why the global 'war on terror' went wrong - Comment - Voices - The Independent:



commentary from Patrick Cockburn

Liking Facebook in Tehran: Social Networking in Iran

Liking Facebook in Tehran: Social Networking in Iran | Iran Media Program: "Liking Facebook in Tehran: Social Networking in Iran

This report, based on an online survey of Iranian Facebook users, contributes to a small but growing body of scholarship on social and new media use in Iran. Our findings offer new insights into the Iranian Facebook ecosystem, including patterns of Facebook usage among Iranians, why and how Iranians are using Facebook, what types of content they are sharing, as well as perceptions of privacy and security associated with using Facebook. In addition, the survey addresses the key question of whether Facebook is being used as a tool for political engagement and civic activism among Iranian internet users, as initial assessments suggested."



This is a useful resource from the Iran Media Program.

Inspire 12

Chicago targets in terrorist crosshairs, new al Qaeda magazine Inspire says | abc7chicago.com ""America is our first target" are the un-minced words in the Spring 2014 edition of Inspire, the first publication from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in nearly one year."

'Super flagger' status for government

Google gives UK government “super flagger” status for YouTube - 13 Mar 2014 - Computing News: based on the FT story (which is paywalled).  "

"Google has granted the UK security services privileged 'super flagger' status over YouTube videos, enabling the government to demand instant screening of videos it deems threaten national security." I am not sure whether this will make much of an impact - there are numerous alternative channels for distribution, or ways around the system. Such online sources have also been a source of 'intelligence', and could act as honeypots for gaining information on followers.

New Report: Whither Blogestan

New Report: Whither Blogestan: Evaluating Shifts in Persian Cyberspace | Digital Islam: The link to the PDF requires some registration for Annenberg School for Communication's Iran Media Program(me). So I haven't had a chance to take a look yet.

Couple jailed for YouTube videos

Couple jailed for YouTube videos glorifying Lee Rigby murder | UK news | The Guardian: "A couple were jailed on Friday for glorifying the murder of the soldier Lee Rigby in videos posted on YouTube that were "offensive in the extreme". Royal Barnes, 23, and his wife Rebekah Dawson, 22, of Hackney, north-east London, recorded and uploaded three videos shortly after the murder in Woolwich, south-east London, last May."

Zawahiri

jihadology.net, The Clairvoyant: The Guidelines: Measuring Zawahiri’s Influence "Over the past few years since the American operation against Usama bin Ladin in Pakistan, there has been much debate over the leadership capabilities and influence that Bin Ladin’s successor Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri still has over the global jihadi movement generally and al-Qaeda branches in particular. Endowing al-Qaeda franchise-status upon Harakat al-Shabab al-Mujahidin in Somalia, slow response to the Arab uprisings, and inability to resolve the conflict in Syria between the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and Jabhat al-Nusra highlight how many have become skeptical of Zawahiri’s importance or relevance. And while this is all certainly true, those within the movement that are still true believers in the cause and view Zawahiri and al-Qaeda’s general command (AQGC) in Pakistan/Yemen as the fountainhead of the jihad against the Zionists and Crusaders still heed Zawahiri’s advice."

Turkey unrest and social media

Reuters, Death of Turkish boy hurt in protests triggers fresh unrest, 11 Mar 2014 "Istanbul and Ankara have both seen protests in recent weeks against what demonstrators see as Erdogan's authoritarian reaction to the graft scandal, which has included new laws tightening Internet controls and handing government greater influence over the appointment of judges and prosecutors." social media is driving these protests.

Aga Khan on social media

providencejournal.com, Aga Khan, speaking at Brown, sees virtue in social media, Internet, 10 Mar 2014 "Speaking at Brown University on Monday, the Aga Khan — the spiritual leader for some 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims worldwide — focused on the potential of social media and Internet-based technology to bridge cultural divisions."

Saudi man jailed for 10 years over Twitter messages

Reuters, Saudi man jailed for 10 years over Twitter messages, 10 Mar 2014 "A Saudi court sentenced a man to 10 years in jail and a 100,000 riyal ($26,700) fine for joining protests against the kingdom's rulers and using Twitter to urge people to do the same, state news agency SPA said on Monday.

 "SPA quoted Justice Ministry spokesman Fahd al-Bakran as saying the unidentified defendant had also retweeted messages against the monarchy, Muslim scholars and security services."

Killing of Palestinians strikes nerve online

AlJazeera, Killing of Palestinians strikes nerve online "As many mourn the deaths of six Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, supporters are taking to social media to express concern and outrage over the treatment of Palestinians by Israeli forces."

The Shaykh and the F Word

Sana Saeed, theislamicmonthly.com, The Shaykh and the F Word "Niamatullah (who prefers to refer to himself as a teacher, not Shaykh or anything else) proudly boasts of his dark sense of humor. In fact, for those who follow his Facebook page (myself included), there’s nothing surprising about his penchant for sardonic perspectives and pushing the comfort parameters of those following him. His Facebook page is often filled with insightful commentaries on socially and politically relevant and poignant topics that offer spiritual frameworks – a approach that is often a refreshing departure from ideological and essentialist discussions (i.e. his recent commentary on activism and silence of scholars on political issues). Niamatullah often has received flack for his sense of humor which is often, in his own words, “subtle, dark, dry British”. At the same time, he’s been a bit irresponsible of his social media, seemingly unaware of the stature he’s been given through his work and his affiliations." Useful commentary on this issue

Social media is new weapon in war on British jihadis

Social media is new weapon in war on British jihadis - UK Politics - UK - The Independent "Fighters for al-Qa'ida-linked groups in Syria's civil war have proved adept at using social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to recruit foreign fighters, with messages and images exhorting young Muslims to join a holy war against Bashar al-Assad's brutal regime."

Gulf atheism in the age of social media

Gulf atheism in the age of social media - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East "


"In a rare interview, a self-confessed Saudi atheist spoke of the need to maintain a semblance of belief in religion in front of others, telling the interviewer that he was “shocked by the number” of atheists. The interviewee went on to cite social media as tools that made it easier for atheists to find each other. Indeed, the advent of Twitter and Facebook saw a proliferation of self-professing Gulf atheist accounts usually with the word “atheist” or “humanist” in the name, virtually all of them anonymous."

First Ever Fatwa Issued Against Wildlife Trafficking

nationalgeographic.com, First Ever Fatwa Issued Against Wildlife Trafficking:


Let's hope others follow this initiative. "This unprecedented step by the Indonesian Council of Ulama, in the country with the world's largest Muslim population, declares illegal hunting or illegal trading of endangered species to be haram (forbidden)."

Anwar Ibrahim jailed

Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim jailed for five years on sodomy charge | World news | theguardian.com "A Malaysian court has sentenced the opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to five years in jail on sodomy charges, overturning an earlier acquittal and ending his hopes of contesting a local election this month."