Video shows ISIS stoning woman in front of her father

alarabiya.net, Video shows ISIS stoning woman in front of her father 'The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Tuesday that it received a video showing fighters believed to be ISIS militants stoning a woman to death in the presence of her father after accusing her of adultery."

Malaysia - net recruitment

asianews.it, Malaysia Islamic state "recruiters" arrested: They include Internet experts and politicians "The group of 14 people arrested earlier this week include personalities active in the recruitment campaign for the militias of the Islamic State (IS). Police sources explain that they were organizing the movement in Syria and used the internet to attract new (and increasingly younger) supporters. In particular, three of them played a very personal and individual role to promote, organize and finance trips to Syria."

#daeshbags

Channel 4, Islamic State: just a bunch of #daeshbags? "A new hashtag is taking off on Twitter, and for once it is not One Direction related. It is #daeshbags - and it fits into an online movement ridiculing the #IslamicState group."

Taliban and Google Earth

BBC News, Panorama: Inside Taliban stronghold - included a Taliban commander, discussing strategic use of Google Earth

New Book: Social Media and the Politics of Reportage: The 'Arab Spring'

digitalislam.eu, New Book: Social Media and the Politics of Reportage: The 'Arab Spring' "Palgrave Macmillan published a new book titled "Social Media and the Politics of Reportage: The 'Arab Spring'" edited by Saba Bebawi and Diana Bossio." Info here

Umm Abduh

#BBCtrending: Syria's nine-year-old YouTube storyteller "Like many children in Syria's conflict, nine-year-old Rasha's life has been changed forever by the civil war. She has witnessed the destruction of her part of Aleppo by shelling, and can no longer attend school because of the danger.
"But unlike others her age, she has a different life on YouTube. She has become the star of "Umm Abduh", a YouTube series satirising the war which was uploaded during Ramadan, and is now about to be broadcast on TV."

iMuslims Review

C P Slayton, iMuslims, Five years on; still not outdated, July 28, 2014 ""iDo not overlook this book merely because it was published in 2009. Bunt's research followed close enough the cutting edge of social media and internet activity in the Muslim world for this book to apply certainly five years on, if not eight." I am currently working on my next book, but this recent review was drawn to my attention on the Amazon.

Robert Fisk, on ISIS and the internet

Robert Fisk, Propaganda war of Islamic extremists is being waged on Facebook and internet message boards, not mosques "At its most basic, you have only to read the viciousness of internet chatrooms. Major newspapers – hopelessly late – have only now started to realise that chatrooms are not a new technical version of “Letters to the Editor” but a dangerous forum for people to let loose their most-disturbing characteristics. Thus a major political shift in the Middle East, transferred to the internet, takes on cataclysmic proportions. Our leaders not only can be transfixed themselves – the chairman of the US House Committee on Homeland Security, for example, last week brandishing a printed version of Dabiq, the Isis online magazine – but can use the same means to terrify us."

ISIS/Austria

Independent, Isis’s teenage Austrian poster girl jihadi brides 'have changed their minds and want to come home', 12 Oct 2014 "Experts now believe that the social media accounts associated to the girls were commandeered by Isis, with images and posts doctored to encourage other girls to follow suit."

Also see aljazeera.com, Austrian youth flocking to ISIL, 10 Oct 2014 "Mainstream Austrian media have been filled with screen shots of Facebook profiles and posts of Austrians who have gone to fight in Syria and Iraq. One newspaper even published a Facebook interview with one of Austria's foreign fighters."

There's also this quote from an imam, Mamdouh El Attar: "Those who have gone to Syria and Iraq didn't attend religious classes or prayers. They are easily manipulated because they have no idea what Islam really is."

'Rich kids' Instagram

alarabiya.net, Iran blocks Tehran ‘rich kids’ Instagram page also see aljazeera.com, 'Poor Kids of Tehran' takes on Iran's elite

How nasheeds became the soundtrack of jihad

Euronews, How nasheeds became the soundtrack of jihad "In public meetings or online propaganda videos, Islamist hymns, known as anasheed jihadiya or simply nasheeds, have become inseparable from the image of violent groups in the Middle East. These chants are now the soundtrack of jihad."

Saudi drive campaign

alarabiya.net, Saudi activists revive women’s right-to-drive campaign

First court date set in case to ban Facebook, Twitter in Egypt

madamasr.com, First court date set in case to ban Facebook, Twitter in Egypt "Lawyer Mohamed Hamed Selim filed a lawsuit in late August to temporarily ban the popular social media sites until they acquired legal permission to operate in Egypt. The lawsuit cited security concerns and warned that the websites could be used as tools in intelligence plots against the state."

High-Speed Internet Is "Un-Islamic," Says A Senior Iranian Ayatollah

io9.com, High-Speed Internet Is "Un-Islamic," Says A Senior Iranian Ayatollah "Iran's Ministry of Communication recently announced that it will give more mobile providers licenses for high-speed Internet services. But the Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi says authorities should first introduce measures that would prevent access to the "un-Islamic" and "negative features" of the technology."

“Cub of Baghdadi”

alarabiya.net, ISIS supporters mourn death of ‘youngest fighter’, 9 Oct 2014 "Supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militant group have recently circulated pictures of the “Cub of Baghdadi,” who they say is the youngest ISIS “martyr” from the Arabian Peninsula to have been killed in Syria.

"On “The Cub of Baghdadi Channel” on YouTube, ISIS supporters on Oct. 7 published an obituary for the young boy."

Baraka Blue

'The jihadi hunters'

Boston Globe, The jihadi hunters "Zelin and Berger are something new in the intelligence world: part of an emerging breed of online jihadi-hunters who have done pathbreaking work, often independently of government and big media outlets, on a shoestring budget. Numbering less than a dozen, they have earned their reputations over the past four years by being the first to report key developments later confirmed by mainstream research and reporting—such as the split between the Islamic State and Al Qaeda, the burst of jihadi recruitment in the West, and the entry of Hezbollah into the Syrian battle. The meteoric rise of ISIS has been a catalyzing moment for these analysts, pushing them into the spotlight as one of the most important sources of information and context."

Ayatollah’s Twitter

Slate, A Deep Dive Into the Ayatollah’s Twitter Hate for America "The Ayatollah’s abhorrence for the United States permeates his feed, regardless of the topic. When the Ayatollah tweets about a seemingly unrelated topic, such as press freedom, he remembers how much he dislikes America."

CNN: Why are young jihadists joining ISIS?

Virtual Hajj

Slate, The Controversy Over a Virtual Hajj for Muslims " "Technology is changing how the faithful engage with the tradition, too. Preparing for hajj used to just be a course full of texts and lectures, but now YouTube videos and online forums make lessons livelier. The prototype for a new app, Mecca 3D, was released this summer, and lets users explore a true-to-scale digital rendition of the Mosque at Mecca. It has been downloaded about 80,000 times on Android, according to its creator, Bilal Chbib. He hopes to add interactive lessons and to integrate the program with Oculus Rift, a virtual reality simulator."

My chapter on this subject comes out later in the year. Details to follow

The Isis propaganda war

Steve Rose, Guardian, The Isis propaganda war: a hi-tech media jihad "Isis is using techniques plundered from movies, video games and news channels to spread its message. Who is masterminding the operation – and what is the best way to counter it?"

'Viral tweets show ISIS sweet-talking Texan blonde'

alarabiya.net, Viral tweets show ISIS sweet-talking Texan blonde, 6 Oct 2014, "A blonde Texan woman found herself the center of unwanted attention after she recounted the story of her conversion to Islam on Twitter, receiving marriage proposals from suspected extremists that have since gone viral."

Alan Henning

alarabiya.net, Prayers said for Briton killed by ISIS fighters "Prayers are being offered in churches and mosques for Alan Henning, a British aid worker murdered by ISIS militants, as another Briton is reunited with his family after being freed by captors in Libya."

British IS fighter

Guardian, British Isis fighter calls David Cameron a ‘despicable swine’ in online video, 3 Oct 2014 "An apparent British Islamic State (Isis) fighter has appeared unmasked in a video posted online in which he calls the prime minister, David Cameron, a “despicable swine”."

Haj app offers information on infectious diseases

arabnews.com, Haj app offers information on infectious diseases "The Ministry of Health has launched a smartphone application that provides Haj pilgrims access to important health-related information and resources."

Kuwaiti man files complaint against wife for disturbing him on WhatApp

alarabiya.net, Kuwaiti man files complaint against wife for disturbing him on WhatApp "A Kuwaiti man filed a police complaint against his wife, accusing her of disturbing him on WhatsApp when he is out hanging with friends, according to local media reports. The police reportedly questioned the wife and charged her for “misusing the phone.""

Boko Haram leader rejects claims of his death in new video

alarabiya.net, Boko Haram leader rejects claims of his death in new video

ISIS Is Putin’s Problem, Too, and This Chechen Is One Reason Why.

thedailybeast.com, ISIS Is Putin’s Problem, Too, and This Chechen Is One Reason Why.

Tabaski (Eid al-Adha): Senegal's expats go online to buy rams

BBC News, Senegal's expats go online to buy rams e-commerce (or eid-commerce) in Senegal. "The company [Niokobok] lets the Senegalese diaspora around the world shop online for food, electronics and solar systems sourced in Senegal to be delivered to family and friends there.



 "They also deliver rams and goats for Tabaski - as well as all the traditional trimmings: potatoes, onions, and sauces. Customers can go to the website and view videos of the animals for sale, before making their selection."

Young and old Muslims challenge Islamic scholars as "Hajj selfies" go viral

yourmiddleeast.com, Young and old Muslims challenge Islamic scholars as "Hajj selfies" go viral more on hajj selfies

Mobily network registers tangible success on ‘Tarwiya’ Day

arabnews.com, Mobily network registers tangible success on ‘Tarwiya’ Day "Mobily confirmed that more than 70 percent growth in data traffic in comparison with last year rate during the “Tarwiya” day before the pilgrims move to Arafat." infomercial, but interesting

John Cantlie

Independent, John Cantlie: Father of British Isis hostage appeals for his release, 3 Oct 2014

The Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist Jihad (ISISerent id): diffeologies, different methodologies

middleeastmonitor.com, The Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist Jihad (ISIS): different ideologies, different methodologies article/analysis

Hajj Selfie

Buzzfeed, Muslim Pilgrims Are Taking “Hajj Selfies” And Clerics Are Not Happy also see Arab News, Say no to Haj selfie!

#MakingAStand Launch: British Muslim Women Unite Against ISIS

#MakingAStand Launch: British Muslim Women Unite Against ISIS

Another battle with Islam’s ‘true believers’ - opinion piece

Another battle with Islam’s ‘true believers’ - The Globe and Mail: "Like the Khawarij, Islamic State members believe they are the only “true Muslims” while the rest are disbelievers, worthy of death. It has threatened all opponents, including Muslim theologians warning against its fanatical ways. Their self-professed piety is built on a foundation of arrogance." opinion piece

Anti-Islam, but pro-gay?

Anti-Islam, but pro-gay? How mosque opponents tie themselves in knots | Connor Tomas O'Brien | Comment is free | theguardian.com:

Anti-Islam ads

Anti-Islam ads showing James Foley just before beheading pulled from New York City subway after complaint from victim's family | Daily Mail Online

Lewthwaite 'training Islamic State suicide bombers'

White Widow Samantha Lewthwaite 'training Islamic State suicide bombers' | UK | News | Daily Express: "The 30-year-old widow of Jermaine Lindsay - who killed 26 people when he blew himself up in the July 7 terrorist attacks in London in 2005 - is also thought to be helping the militants with their propaganda campaign."

Schoolgirl jihadis

Schoolgirl jihadis: the female Islamists leaving home to join Isis fighters | World news | The Guardian:

social media cited as a significant recruitment factor here.

Radicalised Muslims in UK more likely to be born in Britain, rich and depressed

Independent, Radicalised Muslims in UK more likely to be born in Britain, rich and depressed

#MuslimApologies

vox.com, #MuslimApologies hashtag explodes society's stereotypes of Muslims also see #MuslimApologies and this article from Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, Why people are tweeting their #MuslimApologies

Anjem Choudary arrested

Independent, Anjem Choudary among nine arrested in London raids on suspicion of ‘encouraging terrorism’ ,

Islamic State and Rotherham abuse 'fuelling far right'

BBC News - Islamic State and Rotherham abuse 'fuelling far right': "Islamic State extremism and the Rotherham abuse scandal are fuelling a far-right backlash in the UK, one of the Home Office's most senior advisers on right-wing extremism has said.

"

Being Muslim: How Local Islam Overturns Narratives of Exceptionalism | Department of Religious Studies | Vanderbilt University

Being Muslim: How Local Islam Overturns Narratives of Exceptionalism | Department of Religious Studies | Vanderbilt University:  I am giving a paper for this workshop (poster screen grab below)

In search of a digital caliphate

Iason Athanasiadis, In search of a digital caliphate | Al Jazeera America: "This summer, when advances by the Islamic State (IS) through northwestern Iraq were beginning to earn the extremist Sunni group unprecedented notoriety, a large number of social media users switched their profile pictures to the Arabic letter nuun, for Nasrani (Nazarene, that is, Christian), in an echo of the symbol scrawled by IS fighters on the doors of Christian families in the cities they capture. IS supporters adopted the black flag of Islamic conquest, featuring the stamp of the Prophet Muhammad and the statement “There is no God but Allah.”"

'Flames of War'

Islamic State video threatens to target White House and US troops | World news | theguardian.com:

‘Daesh’

Middle East - France switches to Arabic ‘Daesh’ acronym for Islamic State - France 24: "The French government has come up with an answer to a point of persistent journalistic confusion – how exactly does one refer to the Islamic State organisation brutally carving out a self-declared "caliphate" in Syria and northern Iraq?"

Saudi Arabia's top clerics speak out against militancy

Saudi Arabia's top clerics speak out against militancy - Zawya: "Saudi Arabia's top clerical council, the only body in the country authorised to issue fatwas or Islamic legal opinions, declared on Wednesday that "terrorism is a heinous crime" under Sharia, and perpetrators should be made an example of."

iOS 8 review

iOS 8 review: the iPhone and iPad get customised, extended and deepened | Technology | theguardian.com:



new security adjustments in iOS 8 - although phones don't get any simpler ...

#NotInMyName

#NotInMyName: ISIS Do Not Represent British Muslims - YouTube:

Iran's 'Happy' dancers sentenced to 91 lashes

Iran's 'Happy' dancers sentenced to 91 lashes | SBS News "The group were arrested in May for their part in a YouTube video, which showed three men and three unveiled women dancing on the streets and rooftops of Tehran to the soundtrack of Pharrell Williams' song, 'Happy'."

Reading List - Reclaiming Jihad: A Qur'anic Critique of Terrorism

ISSUU - Reclaiming Jihad: A Qur'anic Critique of Terrorism by ElSayed Amin by Kube Publishing:



 new and noted (haven't read it yet)

What the ISIS Flag Says About the Militant Group

What the ISIS Flag Says About the Militant Group | TIME

Female ‘jihadist’ vows to raise ISIS flag over Britain

Female ‘jihadist’ vows to raise ISIS flag over Britain - Al Arabiya News:

"A 20-year-old Scotswoman who abandoned her family to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has rejected pleas from her parents to return home, saying she would only come back to raise the ISIS flag over Britain."

UK female jihadists run ISIS sex-slave brothels

UK female jihadists run ISIS sex-slave brothels - Al Arabiya News, 12 Sept 2014:

"Startling details have surfaced of British female jihadists forcing captured Iraqi women into sexual slavery at brothels run by militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), British media reported Thursday."

Infographic: 5 things that make the Islamic State different from Al-Qaeda

Infographic: 5 things that make the Islamic State different from Al-Qaeda - Your Middle East:

Spy software helps wife prove hubby’s infidelity

Spy software helps wife prove hubby’s infidelity | Arab News: "Although spying is unlawful, it has become the newest way to catch a cheating spouse. Women these days claim it is their right to spy on their husbands so that they can have solid evidence of infidelity, including intercepting cell phone and e-mail messages and monitoring their activities.
"

Thieves caught on video stealing from pilgrims at Prophet’s Mosque

Thieves caught on video stealing from pilgrims at Prophet’s Mosque | Arab News "Despite the installation of CCTVs in many corners of the Prophet’s Mosque and the Grand Mosque in Makkah, as well as the often-publicized arrest of thieves caught in the act of stealing inside the two holy mosques, incidents of pilgrims losing their personal belongings to pickpockets continue."

Report: Citizen Engagement and Public Services in the Arab World

Report: Citizen Engagement and Public Services in the Arab World: The Potential of Social Media | Digital Islam 

"The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government released the 6th edition of its Arab Social Media Report titled Citizen Engagement and Public Services in the Arab World: The Potential of Social Media, co-authored by Racha Mourtada, Fadi Salem and Sarah Alshaer."

Syria’s Ahrar al-Sham Leadership Wiped Out in Bombing

Syria’s Ahrar al-Sham Leadership Wiped Out in Bombing - Syria in Crisis - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace:

Flooding tweet wars

Jammu and Kashmir floods: How Twitter started a Hindu vs Muslim war over them - Firstpost "As the hashtag #KashmirFloods continued to trend on Twitter India, it was hijacked by trolls, and eventually degenerated into familiar social media religious bickering."

Dar al-Ifta in Egypt issues fatwas against "selfies" and online mixing

Dar al-Ifta in Egypt issues fatwas against "selfies" and online mixing | MuslimVillage.com: "Dar al-Ifta, which itself has 760,000 followers on Facebook, regularly uploads fatwas clarifying dietary and lifestyle queries from Muslims around the world, based on Qu’ranic and other religious literature, and the decisions of experts in Islamic law. Other recent edicts include guidance on searching for a husband online, petting cats and writing poetry."

60,000 Pro-IS Twitter Accounts Set Up Since May

Sky News, 60,000 Pro-IS Twitter Accounts Set Up Since May: "Some 60,000 Twitter accounts have been set up by IS sympathisers since May, a Sky News investigation has found.

And despite the site vowing to stamp them out in the wake of the murder of James Foley, 27,000 continue to express pro-jihadi views."
Also see the accompanying report 'Armchair Jihad'

#BurnISISFlagChallenge

Your Middle East, #BurnISISFlagChallenge trending, but controversial   "The Minister of Justice Ashraf Rifi has called for the “sternest punishments” of the people burning the ISIS flag, considering it an “insult” to Islam as the flag has the Muslim Shahada (the declaration of belief), “There is no god but God and Muhammad is his Prophet,” printed on it, reports Asharq al-Aswat. Rifi also warned that the act could stir sectarian violence."

Also see

IBT, 'Burn Isis Flag Challenge' Goes Viral in Arab World

Twitter - #BurnISISFlagChallenge

IS v aQ

J.M. Berger, Foreign Policy, The Islamic State vs. al Qaeda - Who’s winning the war to become the jihadi superpower? "The Islamic State has thrown down the gauntlet to al Qaeda and seeks to supplant its former ally as the symbol and leader of a global movement acting out a twisted definition of jihad. Its sweeping military campaign has captured a huge swath of Iraq, even as it fights both Bashar al-Assad's regime and rival jihadi groups in Syria, while its proclamation in June of an Islamic caliphate has sparked a furious debate about its legitimacy among global terrorists."

Jihadi Rap

The combination of jihad and rap do not represent a new combination - but this is a useful article: politico.com, Al Qaeda’s New Front: Jihadi Rap - The suspected killer of James Foley represents a new, dangerous merger of gangsta hip-hop and Islamism. "Abdel Majed Abdel Bary, the rapper suspected of murdering American journalist James Foley somewhere between Syria and Iraq, is the product of a British youth culture that has managed to merge two seemingly contradictory lifestyles: gangsta rap and jihad. Like Douglas McAuthur McCain—an American hip-hop fan who was recently killed fighting for the Islamic State—Abdel Bary represents a new and very scary evolution in modern jihadi history."

'Love jihad'

Reetu Sharma, OneIndia, Will love jihad be checked by banning mobile phones for girls? "It seems that now the idea of Love jihad is creating more and more fear amongst the people in Uttar Pradesh as a committee in the state has asked school girls from its community to stop using cell phones.

"As per a TOI report, "An influential committee of vaishyas (trader) in Uttar Pradesh has asked school girls from the community to stop using cell phones to save themselves from falling prey to love jihad."

I understand why Westerners are joining jihadi movements like ISIS

Michael Muhammad Knight, Washington Post, I understand why Westerners are joining jihadi movements like ISIS. I was almost one of them.

'Iran's Leaders Fight Over 'Immoral' Mobile Internet'

IB Times, Iran's Leaders Fight Over 'Immoral' Mobile Internet "Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has refuted claims from a prominent cleric that high-speed mobile internet is immoral and un-Islamic, urging religious leaders not to "close the gates to the world"."

Steven Sotloff video

Telegraph, Jihadists appear caught offguard by release of Steven Sotloff video, 2 Sep 2014 " The Twitter account @JihadWitness, which tweets in English in support of the IS and other jihadist groups, expressed surprise when the video began to appear online.

""How did this leak out to news before the publication?" one tweet read."

‘They can fly!’

alarabiya.net, ‘They can fly!’ Saudis mock religious police after attack on Briton "Saudis took to Twitter to mock the latest controversy clouding the kingdom’s religious police, after members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice attacked a British man outside a crowded Riyadh mall earlier this week."

ISIS Sends a Message

Nathaniel Zelinsky, Foreign Policy, ISIS Sends a Message: What Gestures Say About Today’s Middle East "The curious thing was not the head [Abdel Majed Abdel] Bary held in his left hand -- however ghoulish the trophy -- but the gesture he made with his right. For followers of ISIS, a single raised index finger has become a sign of their cause, and it is increasingly common in photographs of militants. Some have even gone so far as to call the symbol “the jihadi equivalent of a gang sign.”"

Sotloff murder

Dan Murphy, CSM, Sotloff murder sparks outrage and condemnation, but should it drive policy? (+video) "A man with a British accent, hiding behind a mask, threatens his audience as he waves his knife around over the bound and defenseless hostage. The murderer is practically preening as he runs through his exhortations. In his mind, he's elevated himself to the level of the world's great powers. And then he beheads his victim."

ISIS vs. mainstream Muslims: The media war

Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Editor, ISIS vs. mainstream Muslims: The media war "Quoting Islam's holiest text to make that point was smart, said Hussein Rashid, a religion scholar at Hofstra University in New York. "ISIS violates every single tenet of this verse, so Barfi shows them to be ignorant," he said."

Saudi court upholds 10-year term for blogger who insulted Islam

alarabiya.net, Saudi court upholds 10-year term for blogger who insulted Islam "Raef Badawi had been convicted of creating an anti-Islam website, criticizing senior scholars and mocking national symbols, Al-Madinah newspaper reported.

"He was accused of insulting Muslims as well as casting doubt on the existence of houris, the virgin companions of the faithful in Paradise, and the concept of torment in the grave."

The Gaza War Map

kolor.com, The Gaza War Map 3-D representation

'Looney Tunes'-style cartoon takes aim at ISIS

AP/alarabiya.net, 'Looney Tunes'-style cartoon takes aim at ISIS, 1 Sep 2014 " The Looney Tunes-style cartoon targeting Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) comes after its militants have swept across large swaths of Syria and Iraq, declaring their own self-styled caliphate while conducting mass shootings of their prisoners."

Egypt’s Top Islamic Authority Prohibits Online Chatting Between Men and Women

egyptianstreets.com, Egypt’s Top Islamic Authority Prohibits Online Chatting Between Men and Women, 31 Aug 2014 "Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta issued a Fatwa (religious edict) on Saturday specifying that men and women are not permitted to engage in online chats if they do not know each other."

The Middle East finds its voice on social media

USC, The Middle East finds its voice on social media

ISIS video

alarabiya.net, Video: ISIS parades half-naked Syrian soldiers "Militant group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) released a video on Thursday showing the capture of dozens of Syrian regime fighters."

Isis threatens second journalist after 'beheading' of James Foley

Steven Sotloff: Isis threatens second journalist after 'beheading' of James Foley - Middle East - World - The Independent:

British imams say Isis 'is not what Muslims stand for'

British imams say Isis 'is not what Muslims stand for' - ITV News:


"Leading British imams and clerics have released a video rejecting the Islamic State's ideology following the apparent beheading of American journalist James Foley."

And here is the video:

James Foley

ISIS beheading U.S. journalist James Foley, posts video - CNN.com
"The militant in the video, who speaks English with what sounds like a British accent, says the other American's life hangs in the balance, depending on what Obama does next."


BBC News, James Foley 'beheading': West condemns 'barbaric' murder, 20 Aug 2014


Global Voices Online, ISIS Beheads Kidnapped Photojournalist James Wright Foley in Horrific Video Message to the US


Sam Thielman, Adweek, Islamic State Militants Exploit Digital Services to Disseminate Video of Apparent Murder Journos promote photos of victim in happier times to counter

alarabiya, British media reacts to James Foley alleged executioner’s accent

Attack analysis in the context of the Israeli-Hamas conflict

DDoS & Security Reports » DDoS and Geopolitics – Attack analysis in the context of the Israeli-Hamas conflict:



'via Blog this'

Meet the ‘Infoladies’

Meet the ‘Infoladies’: the women who get Bangladesh's villages connected | The FRANCE 24 Observers: "In Bangladesh, dozens of women on wheels are biking into remote villages and hooking up poverty-stricken families to the net. Thanks to ‘Infoladies’, tens of thousands of people are connecting with social media, chatting to loved ones, and getting government services."

From Syria to Ukraine, social media opens up warfare

Peter Apps, Reuters, From Syria to Ukraine, social media opens up warfare | 6 Aug 2014 "As conflict flares in the Middle East and Ukraine, the number of images posted on social media is increasing exponentially, giving observers half a world away unprecedented visibility of events on the ground."

#Gaza Social Media Visual Narrative by VJ Um Amel, a cyborg's voice

#Gaza Social Media Visual Narrative by VJ Um Amel, a cyborg's voice "Data set includes over 6,000 tweets collected over one hour on July 26, 2014 courtesy of R-Shief."

ISIS slideshow

ISIS, ISIS baby! 13 facts about the baddest boys of religious fundamentalism | Al Bawaba:

slideshow (not sure about the headline)

ISIS imposes media controls on activists in Deir al-Zor

ISIS imposes media controls on activists in Deir al-Zor | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR "ISIS has told activists in Syria’s Deir al-Zor province they must swear allegiance to it and submit to censorship, an anti-regime monitoring group said Friday."

Counter-Terrorism: Somali Women Take A Hit For The Cause

Counter-Terrorism: Somali Women Take A Hit For The Cause "The extent of the al Shabaab woes could be seen in 2013 when pro-terrorist Internet sites lit up with discussions and criticism of al Shabaab because of the many setback the Somali terrorists had recently suffered. Most fanboys (and a few fangirls) demanded that something be done (one way or the other) to revive al Shabaab."

Turkish women laugh off the misogyny

Diana Moukalled, Turkish women laugh off the misogyny - Al Arabiya News:
"There is an infection that has a positive effect on those who follow a particular hashtag -#direnkahkaha (resist laughter) - on Twitter. At least, that is how I feel."

Social Media Jihad

Social Media Jihad: Islamic State ramps up gruesome Internet campaign | Fox News Some interesting comments from Erin Evans (Human Rights Watch): " ... Evans questions whether the videos have had their intended effect in the region.


“I don't think this is an indication of their increased popularity in Iraq,” she said. “On the contrary, their brutality turns off most Sunnis I have spoken to in Iraq. The government's indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Sunni areas, on the other hand, does seem to radicalize people and exacerbate the sectarian nature of Iraq's conflict.”

Israel, Gaza, War & Data – The Art of Personalizing Propaganda

Gilad Lotan, Israel, Gaza, War & Data – The Art of Personalizing Propaganda · Global Voices "While war rages on the ground in Gaza and across Israeli skies, there’s an all-out information war unraveling in social networked spaces." Some interesting research - I've yet to read it all.

New Issue of the Journal of Arab and Muslim Media Research

New Issue of the Journal of Arab and Muslim Media Research | Digital Islam: "The Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research released its new issue (Vol. 6, Issue 2-3, 2013), edited by Noureddine Miladi from the Qatar University. The issue focuses on the role and impact of traditional and new media in the Middle East region."

Some interesting topics here, although each article has to be purchased.  One section includes reference to UK organisations in cyberspace. I'd like to see a review of this journal's content.

Israeli blogger asks: does the Gaza conflict make me look fat?

Israeli blogger asks: does the Gaza conflict make me look fat? - Al Arabiya News "An Israeli blogger has stirred controversy after she penned a blog post on the Times of Israel’s website lamenting that the conflict in Gaza - which has killed close to 1,800 Palestinians - had caused her to gain weight."

Bomb Gaza: the 'disgusting' games on Google's app store

Bomb Gaza: the 'disgusting' games on Google's app store - Telegraph: "Chris Doyle, the director of The Council for Arab-British Understanding, said that such games were in “very, very poor taste”.

"“These games glorify the horror and violence of the bombing of Gaza, sanitising for a younger generation what is a dreadful conflict that has killed thousands and decimated the lives of hundreds of thousands. It raises serious questions of Google’s ethical standards if these games remain hosted on its platforms,” he said."

Screen shot below is taken from the Android game 'Wack the Hamas'

International Society for Media, Religion and Culture conference

I gave a paper on 4th August entitled 'Islamic Big Data' at the International Society for Media, Religion and Culture conference in Canterbury, Kent. This was part of a panel I convened on Contemporary issues in Islam. It also featured Mona Abdel-Fadel ("'Frustration Creates Miracles': Islamist Women Activists before, during and after the Egyptian Uprisings"); Ibrahim Abusharif ("Arab Spring, Media and Islam"); and Vit Sisler ("Playing with Representations of Islam in Arab and American Video Games"). It was great to see the presentations from the rest of the panel, and to get several interesting questions afterwards. 

Islam Yaken, a cosmopolitan Egyptian who turned into ISIS fighter

Meet Islam Yaken, a cosmopolitan Egyptian who turned into ISIS fighter - Al Arabiya News "Egyptians on social media were abuzz over the weekend expressing bewilderment over a young man named Islam Yaken, who according to social media posts, had led a cosmopolitan lifestyle before teaming up with the radical Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)."

Saudi Arabia is Using Social Media to Entrap LGBTs

Saudi Arabia is Using Social Media to Entrap LGBTs | Care2 Causes:

"A Saudi Arabian gay man has reportedly been sentenced to 450 lashes and three years in jail after religious police used social media to entrap him, and sadly this isn’t the first case of its kind."