Iran's election and social media issues

Here's a quick round-up of selected coverage on Iran's election, focusing on the impact of social media:

BBC News, Iran's Instagram election sees rivals fight battles on social media

The Slate, What Did Iranian President Rouhani Actually Achieve? Channel 4,  Qom report  (Jon Snow report)

Deutsche Welle, Posting political opinions: how Iran's social media is shaping its presidential election

NYT, Iran Has Its Own Hard-Line Populist, and He’s on the Rise 

NPR, The Rise Of The Internet-Based Economy Shows What's Changed In Iran
 
Vocative,  Iranian Hardliners Finally Join Social Media Ahead Of Elections  "Supporters of the hardline camp are now widely visible online, in thousands of posts on Twitter or joining dozens of channels and groups affiliated with their candidate on the Telegram messaging app, which used by an estimated 20 million people in Iran."


Reuters, Iran hardliners join social media free-for-all before vote, "By far the most popular social media outlet is Telegram, a chat service that is a niche player in most Western countries but has some 20 million users in Iran, according to a report by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA)."

CNBC, Iran's election is too close to call. Tehran's role on the world stage hangs in the balance

Arab News, Mock election poster calls on Iranians to elect Snoop Dogg as president 

Countering terrorism by telling a better story

Deo Akiiki, Countering terrorism by telling a better story | defenceWeb military perspective/opinion

How a woman in England tracks civilian deaths in Syria, one bomb at a time

Greg Jaffe, washingtonpost.com, How a woman in England tracks civilian deaths in Syria, one bomb at a time "Haddad spent the last part of her day, before her children returned from school, searching online for Amaq, the Islamic State affiliated news agency. Much of the site is devoted to Islamic State propaganda, but it can also be an important source of information, photos and video on civilian casualties in places, such as Raqqa, where the Islamic State’s brutal clampdown has made it exceedingly dangerous for Syrians to communicate with the outside world." Very interesting article.

How Facebook Helps to Reveal the Fate of Missing Syrian Refugees

wired.com, How Facebook Helps to Reveal the Fate of Missing Syrian Refugees Just read this excellent piece in the latest Wired (UK print version)

The Myth of the Muslim World

Chronicle, The Myth of the Muslim World  



Cemil Aydin's book 'The Idea of the Muslim World' reviewed by Asma Afsaruddin. This sounds like a must-read.  

New & Noted

Digital Resistance in the Middle East New Media Activism in Everyday Life - Deborah L. Wheeler 

Big Data

 

Posted by  Mostafa Gaafar‏ @imGaafar May 14:

Egypt: 1 Ransomeware: 0

Our Man in the Middle East

BBC, Our Man in the Middle East - Series 1, The Giant Awakens Jeremy Bowen reflects ...

Gulf News, UAE’s strategy to counter cyber terrorism can be a model for others "As the threat of cyber terrorism grows with no international consensus on defining what cyber terrorism is, the UAE’s strategy in confronting cyber threats can be used as an example that other countries can look into in their own fight against the menace, said a government official at the International Conference for the Criminalisation of Cyber Terrorism (ICCCT) on Tuesday."

After name ban, China arrests Muslim for 'tweeting Quran'

The New Arab, After name ban, China arrests Muslim for 'tweeting Quran'
"A Muslim woman in China's troubled northwestern region of Xinjiang has been arrested for posting passages from the Quran and other religious material on social media."

Afghanistan: Breaking down cyber barriers

qantara.de, Breaking down cyber barriers "Groups of teenage girls huddle around computers in a bright blue classroom, some typing furiously, others browsing blogs with the latest fashion trends. Just outside, people go about their daily business in Afghanistan's bustling city of Herat, famed for its ancient fortress and beautiful blue-tiled mosque.

"A few months earlier, these teenagers didn't know how to switch on a computer. These days, the girls at Goharshad Begum High School in Afghanistan's third-largest city, post to Facebook and Twitter, update their blogs and code with ease."  More info here: Digital Citizen Fund (DCF)

Meet the Muslim Vloggers Creating Change Through YouTube

ummahsonic.com, Meet the Muslim Vloggers Creating Change Through YouTube

Riyadh to host forum on terrorism and extremism

arabnews.com, Riyadh to host forum on terrorism and extremism "The city will host a forum on terrorism and extremism on May 21 under the sponsorship of the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism (IMAFT), the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said."

Saudi religious police’s new fieldwork strategy includes iPads, but no return to previous powers

arabnews.com, Saudi religious police’s new fieldwork strategy includes iPads, but no return to previous powers "The plan defined field members’ tasks, namely intensifying their presence in public places, communicating with the field supervisor, briefing him on all violations and reporting them via an app on their iPads."

Accusations re. Facebook

Daily Mail, Facebook shuts down atheist and ex-Muslim groups amid claims they are being targeted by 'fundamentalists' "Facebook has been accused of shutting down ex-Muslim and atheist groups amid claims they were targeted by 'fundamentalists' who wanted them closed."

Copenhagen imam accused of calling for killing of Jews

BBC News, Copenhagen imam accused of calling for killing of Jews "Mundhir Abdallah was reported to police after being filmed citing in Arabic a hadith - a teaching of the Prophet Muhammad - considered anti-Semitic."

Vinas Case

CNN, American al Qaeda recruit to be released from prison Also see: "he American al Qaeda recruit who once pitched terrorist leaders on plans to bomb the Long Island Railroad and a WalMart store was sentenced Thursday to time served plus 90 days in prison during a New York federal court appearance."

Jihadists Using Matchmaking Sites to Find Partners

VOA News, Jihadists Using Matchmaking Sites to Find Partners "Observers say that the jihadists’ use of the dating site may suggest it is becoming harder for IS members to find people to marry. The number of mainly young Western and North African women traveling to Syria to marry fighters appears to have gone down, they say."

How Iranian Women Became the Queens of Online Shopping

racked.com, How Iranian Women Became the Queens of Online Shopping "Persian women, in particular, became the queens of both online shopping and slaying the style game on Instagram. Iranian marketing expert Niki Aghaei wrote on LinkedIn that 7.5 million Iranians between the ages of 16 and 35 are active on Instagram. The digital Persian marketplace is full of original, avant-garde designs and photoshoots that shop owners would never dare display in the real Islamic Republic. “We create freedom for ourselves,” Ashgari said."

Pentagon hackers

Washington Post, U.S. military cyber operation to attack ISIS last year sparked heated debate over alerting allies "A secret global operation by the Pentagon late last year to sabotage the Islamic State’s online videos and propaganda sparked fierce debate inside the government over whether it was necessary to notify countries that are home to computer hosting services used by the extremist group, including U.S. allies in Europe." Also see: washingtontimes.com, Pentagon hackers infiltrated Islamic State accounts, changed passwords: Report

Muslim blogosphere

realnoevremya.com, Muslim blogosphere: Earth is flat, music is haram, dolls should have their eyes gouged out the article is better than the headline

Terror, Muslims, and a culture of fear: challenging the media messages

theconversation.com, Terror, Muslims, and a culture of fear: challenging the media messages "These stereotypical images are the subject of French-Algerian artist Kader Attia’s work aptly titled The Culture of Fear: An Invention of Evil (2013), now showing as part of Attia’s major exhibition curated by Rachel Kent at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney."

Does Internet Turn People Into Jihadists?

Does Internet Turn People Into Jihadists? - Intelligencer Post 



I'll add this to my ever-expanding reading list: it cites a variety of research papers.

Ramadan website

Gulf Times, Health Ministry committee relaunches Ramadan website

Pizza Hut Apology

aljazeera, Pizza Hut issued an apology for the post that mocked the leader of the Palestinian hunger strike in Israeli jails

U.S. military cyber operation to attack ISIS last year sparked heated debate over alerting allies

washingtonpost.com, U.S. military cyber operation to attack ISIS last year sparked heated debate over alerting allies

Muslim converts wrestle with isolation, seek support

KAWL, Muslim converts wrestle with isolation, seek support "Being a convert can be a lonely existence, but relying on the Internet can also be risky. Hours and hours of being online alone can expose new converts to more non-mainstream, hardline materials."

Kashmir

Wasim Khalid, geo.tv, The Kashmir war goes viral "Last month, authorities in Indian-occupied Kashmir banned 22 social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp, for a period of one month. The crackdown, claims the state government, was necessary for the “maintenance of public order” after pro-freedom protests broke out in the troubled region on the day of a poll in Srinagar. The ensuing violence killed nine people." analysis/opinion

Iranians Are Shopping Online More Than Ever

techrasa.com, Iranians Are Shopping Online More Than Ever "The fast improvements of the internet infrastructure along with the changes in online payment methods and the efficiency of online purchases are building up the rapid growth of Iran’s online shopping scene."

Internet chats between Kashmir youth and Syria, Iraq on the rise, put on radar

hindustantimes.com, Internet chats between Kashmir youth and Syria, Iraq on the rise, put on radar

Online operatives of Islamic State become most-wanted targets

Tribune/sfexaminer.com, Online operatives of Islamic State become most-wanted targets

Kerala becomes easy target for Islamic State as radicalised youth turn to home for jihad recruitment

Firstpost.com, Kerala becomes easy target for Islamic State as radicalised youth turn to home for jihad recruitment "Contrary to reports, it seems many of the 21 youth who had left Kerala to fight for the Islamic State in Afghanistan are still alive. What's more, they seem to be engaged in a mission to indoctrinate more youth into their mission. And the recruitment zone seems to be their backyard of Kasargod, Kerala's northernmost district." opinion/analysis

Head of Islamic State in Afghanistan killed

Sky.com, Head of Islamic State in Afghanistan killed "The head of Islamic State in Afghanistan, Abdul Hasib, has been killed, the government has said."

In Quebec, one who turned away from extremism helps others find the path

startribune.com, In Quebec, one who turned away from extremism helps others find the path

Trump a servant of Allah, according to Saudi cleric

The New Arab, Trump a servant of Allah, according to Saudi cleric "The cleric's invocation for Trump to aid the Muslim world did not go down so well on social media with dozens of users harshly criticising the post."

Egypt's Al-Azhar university replaces head in apostasy row

Reuters/Yahoo, Egypt's Al-Azhar university replaces head in apostasy row "Al-Azhar said its Grand Imam, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, had named Mohamed Hussein al-Mahrsawy, dean of the Arabic language faculty, as the university's acting president following the resignation of Ahmed Hosny and pending the appointment of a permanent successor."

Eyebrows raised as Saudi father names newborn after US first daughter

arabnews.com, Eyebrows raised as Saudi father names newborn after US first daughter "The name was registered with the Health Ministry at the Women and Children Hospital in Arar and a picture of the birth certificate is being widely circulated on Whatsapp inside the Kingdom."

Praise Allah! Islam goes evangelical in southern Nigeria

AFP/Malay Mail, Praise Allah! Islam goes evangelical in southern Nigeria "NASFAT and other charismatic Islam groups born in its wake have been embraced by the Yoruba community, which is traditionally based in the southwest and one of the few ethnic groups in Nigeria not to be attached to a particular religion."

Jihadists have own internet hideout to dodge police

Business Daily, Jihadists have own internet hideout to dodge police "Islamic State militants are developing their own social media platform to avoid security crackdowns on their communications and propaganda, according to the head of the EU’s police agency."

Dubai font

Guardian, Microsoft creates its first city typeface for Dubai

I like the look of the font, very clean and modern. Haven't test driven it fully yet.  It is available for download here.

How Two Mississippi College Students Fell in Love and Decided to Join a Terrorist Group

The Atlantic, How Two Mississippi College Students Fell in Love and Decided to Join a Terrorist Group "In three short months, Jaelyn Young and Muhammad Dakhlalla found themselves at the center of America’s debate over radicalization."

Majority of men in Middle East survey believe a woman's place is in the home

Guardian, Majority of men in Middle East survey believe a woman's place is in the home "Study carried out across Middle East and north Africa shows sexist attitudes prevail, with men’s views of equality at odds with hopes of young women."  The survey is here: International Men and Gender Equality Survey 

Cardiff terrorist who hid extremist data on Bond-style cufflink is jailed

Guardian, Cardiff terrorist who hid extremist data on Bond-style cufflink is jailed "Isis member Samata Ullah, who ran ‘one-stop shop’ for terrorists from his bedroom, pleaded guilty to five terrorism offences"

KSA: Black but beautiful? 'It's not a compliment'

BBC News, Black but beautiful? 'It's not a compliment' "Abeer Sinder is Saudi Arabia's first black beauty vlogger. But sometimes, she says, the compliments she receives aren't flattering."

The FBI translator who went rogue and married an ISIS terrorist

CNN, The FBI translator who went rogue and married an ISIS terrorist "An FBI translator with a top-secret security clearance traveled to Syria in 2014 and married a key ISIS operative she had been assigned to investigate, CNN has learned."

#ArabYouthSurvey

ArabYouthSurvey, Finding #1 from the 9th edition of the #ArabYouthSurvey.

Jordanians take to social media to voice support for Palestinian hunger strikers

Jordan Times, Jordanians take to social media to voice support for Palestinian hunger strikers "Jordanians have taken to social media to show their solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails, in what they call “The Salted Water Challenge”."

Swiss govt says threat of extremist attacks "remains at heightened level"

Reuters, Swiss govt says threat of extremist attacks "remains at heightened level" "The risk of extremist attacks in Switzerland remains elevated, the Swiss spy agency said on Tuesday, and more attacks by the Islamic State militant group and its sympathisers were expected across Europe."

Teen admits planning 'London bomb attack'

BBC News, Teen admits planning 'London bomb attack' "In legal papers prepared for his defence, Syed was described as "highly vulnerable due to family history, lack of education, addiction to violent online games and the arrest and imprisonment of his brother"."

Fashion: These Hijab-Wearing Vloggers Are Changing Minds With Makeup

HP, These Hijab-Wearing Vloggers Are Changing Minds With Makeup "Muslim vloggers Dina Tokio, Zukreat Nazar, Manal Chinutay, and Amena Khan have a combined following of over 4 million people. In a new video from Elle, these talented women open up about how they use their platform to not only provide makeup and beauty and style inspiration, but to shatter misconceptions and change the conversation about Muslim women." 

'The Resurgent Threat of al Qaeda'

Ali Soufan, WSJ.com, The Resurgent Threat of al Qaeda "How should we respond to this threat? Military muscle alone won’t do. We can kill as many terrorists as we want, but if more keep coming to fill jihadist ranks, we will make no headway. Defeating al Qaeda and its progeny requires cutting off their supply of recruits, and we can do that only by taking more effective action in the arena of ideology."

The Arabic Manuscripts Collection in the British Library

Qatar Digital Library, The Arabic Manuscripts Collection in the British Library

Task force to go into ‘dark net’

The Australian, Task force to go into ‘dark net’ "The Australian Border Force has set up a small team of intelligence analyst­s to patrol the so-called “dark net’’, the network of heavily encrypted internet sites that has become a marketplace for drugs, guns, child pornography and extremis­t activity."

Reading List: Rolling Back the Islamic State

Haven't read this one yet

Government and AIMPLB must empower Muslim women to solve triple talaq issue

Daily O, Government and AIMPLB must empower Muslim women to solve triple talaq issue "Triple talaq through the instant messaging methods of mobile and internet or in drunken condition without giving the couple the opportunity of reconciliation is undesirable, according to Islamic jurisprudence."

IS Informer To Testify Against German Islamists

handelsblatt.com, IS Informer To Testify Against German Islamists "A one-time supporter of the group known as the Islamic State, Anil O, experienced the same route to radicalization as Anis Amri, who committed the terror attack on the Berlin Christmas market. He will appear in court Monday to testify against leading radical Islamists in Germany."

Al-Qaeda's Zawahiri calls for 'guerrilla war' in Syria

aljazeera.com, Al-Qaeda's Zawahiri calls for 'guerrilla war' in Syria "In an audio tape titled "Syria will only bow to God", released on the internet on Sunday, Zawahiri urged Syrian rebels to "have patience and prepare themselves for a long war against the Crusaders and their Shia allies"."

‘Muhammad Wanndy not ground fighter, active on Internet'

freemalaysiatoday.com, ‘Muhammad Wanndy not ground fighter, active on Internet' "Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi, who has been listed by the US as a high-profile target for law enforcement agencies worldwide, works as a guard in Syria and is not a fighter, claims a businessman whose daughter is also in the war-ravaged country."

How ISIS Disseminates Propaganda over the Internet Despite Counter-Measures and How to Fight Back

Lorand Bodo & Anne Speckhard, moderndiplomacy.eu, How ISIS Disseminates Propaganda over the Internet Despite Counter-Measures and How to Fight Back "As ISIS is rapidly losing its territory in Syria and Iraq they continue to win on the digital battlefield, maintaining a strong recruiting presence in the digital space."

KSA cellphone campaigning

NY Times, Cellphones in Hand, Saudi Women Challenge Notions of Male Control, 21 Apr 2017, "The three cases are part of a campaign by Saudi women, who have been broadcasting daring videos with their cellphones, using Facebook to organize street protests and posting Twitter messages to challenge the very idea of male supremacy in their famously patriarchal society."

"I don’t study religion: so what am I doing in the study of religion?"

Mallory Nye, medium.com, I don’t study religion: so what am I doing in the study of religion? opinion piece

Sean Spicer: Hitler 'Didn't Even Sink to Using Chemical Weapons'

time.com, Sean Spicer: Hitler 'Didn't Even Sink to Using Chemical Weapons' "Sean Spicer incorrectly claimed that Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons during World War II while comparing him to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a Tuesday press conference."

From altar boy to ISIS fighter

CNN, From altar boy to ISIS fighter (ISIS: Behind the Mask) report, looking at foreign fighters who leave Syria.

Social media, apps radicalization tools for Islamic State

livemint.com, Social media, apps radicalization tools for Islamic State " An official at the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been probing the matter, said the group’s modus operandi revolved around tracking youths mostly between the ages of 20-30 years and monitoring their behaviour on social media platforms. The process of radicalization through social media and apps, however, was far from easy, the official said requesting anonymity."

Singapore’s Malay-Muslims

channelnewsasia.com, Singapore’s Malay-Muslims can be modern, vibrant community that the world looks up to: Shanmugam "The minister cited a Pew Research Centre study which showed that 10 per cent of Malaysian Malays had a favourable opinion of Islamic State (IS) and nearly one quarter were not prepared to come out and say that IS is wrong.

“We have to make sure that we do not get there. And a key part of that depends on you, the leaders of the Malay community - whether you can make sure that the right religious values are put forth. We have to work hard at this because the influences are on the Internet,” said Mr Shanmugam."

The women who sleep with a stranger to save their marriage

Athar Ahmad, BBC News, The women who sleep with a stranger to save their marriage, 5 Apr 2017 "A number of online services are charging "divorced" Muslim women thousands of pounds to take part in "halala" Islamic marriages, a BBC investigation has found. Women pay to marry, have sex with and then divorce a stranger, so they can get back with their first husbands."

Fake News Fatwa

Truth, Beyond Belief - BBC Radio 4 There's some discussion on 'fake news' and religion in this programme, which includes a section on the recent 'fake news fatwa' from Indonesia (it's about halfway through the recording).

Sufism, a Mystical Islam, Growing in Los Angeles

World Religion News, Sufism, a Mystical Islam, Growing in Los Angeles - "Los Angeles, CA has witnessed the rising popularity of Sufism. One prominent group is the Moroccan-origin Shadhili Order. Founded in the seventh century by Abu Hasan Ali ash-Shadhili, the number of members have increased from only ten a decade before to 500 members within Los Angeles."

IS analysed

Charlie Winter, lawfareblog.com, What I Learned from Reading the Islamic State’s Propaganda Instruction Manual "The Islamic State has long issued a steady torrent of sophisticated propaganda to demonize its enemies, inspire its followers, and advance its cause in general. How does the Islamic State think about its own propaganda efforts? Through serious sleuthing and impressive analysis, Charlie Winter of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation has unearthed the Islamic State’s media guide for its own operatives and explains to us its three-pronged strategy."

Google Doodle

Indy !00, Republicans really hate today's Google doodle

A War of Keywords

Frank Gardner, BBC News, UK losing online extremism battle, research suggests, "Britain and other western countries are losing the battle against extremism online, research has suggested. "Extremist content on search engines is becoming ever more dominant, the Centre on Religion and Geopolitics and firm Digitalis has found."

The report is here: Mubaraz Ahmed, Fred Lloyd George, A War of Keywords. I downloaded a copy in December 2016.

Note: The Centre on Religion and Geopolitics is part of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.

Tech giants join forces on online terror fight

Sky News, Tech giants join forces on online terror fight, 31 Mar 2017.

IS Encryption

Joseph Cox, Motherboard, Inside the Site Teaching Islamic State Supporters How to Use Encryption

The myth of the ‘lone wolf’ terrorist

Jason Burke, Guardian, The myth of the ‘lone wolf’ terrorist, 30 Mar 2017 "In recent years, references to such attacks have become inescapable. But this lazy term obscures the real nature of the threat against us."

Would a fatwa stop Indonesia’s ‘fake news’?

scmp.com, Would a fatwa stop Indonesia’s ‘fake news’?, 24 Mar 2017 "Indonesia’s highest Muslim clerical council is set to issue a religious decree that prohibits the circulation of fake news on the internet, underscoring rising concerns that hoaxes are inflaming ethnic and religious tensions in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation."

How Islamic Terrorists Are Being Radicalized Online

thedailybeast.com, How Islamic Terrorists Are Being Radicalized Online new documentary 'American Jihad' discussed, which focuses on Anwar al-Awlaki.

This is why the government is so worried about WhatsApp encryption

Independent, This is why the government is so worried about WhatsApp encryption "Home Secretary Amber Rudd has criticised WhatsApp’s use of encryption to protects its users’ communications, in the wake of the Westminster terror attack."

IS brainwashes boys to become deadly soldiers

Sky News, IS brainwashes boys to become deadly soldiers "Distressing propaganda video shows young boys running through a warehouse and killing handcuffed men begging for their lives."

The 712-page Google doc that proves Muslims do condemn terrorism

Guardian, The 712-page Google doc that proves Muslims do condemn terrorism "It happened in history class. Heraa Hashmi, a 19-year-old American Muslim student at the University of Colorado, was supposed to be discussing the Crusades with the man sitting next to her. Within a few minutes, however, he was crusading against Islam."

Westminster attack

Coverage of the Westminster attack can be found on my Islam in Britain blog

'No evidence' Khalid Masood had links to IS or al-Qaeda

BBC News, 'No evidence' Khalid Masood had links to IS or al-Qaeda, 27 Mar 2017

Internet Trolls Are Using Facebook To Target Myanmar's Muslims

buzzfeed.com, Internet Trolls Are Using Facebook To Target Myanmar's Muslims "The notion that Muslims are seeking to take over Myanmar by having too many children and converting innocent Buddhists is central to Burmese nationalist propaganda, which has been circulating for many years. The threat to Muslims like Harry also comes at a time when Myanmar is fighting a political battle over what constitutes fake news and hate speech on social media, an issue that is upending the lives of Muslim minorities and has led to arrests, state surveillance, and bloodshed."

Terrorist admits hiding Islamic State activities in James Bond-style cuff link

itv.com, Terrorist admits hiding Islamic State activities in James Bond-style cuff link "At the time of his arrest, he had a USB cufflink with a Linux operating system loaded onto it to conceal a hoard of extremist data, including a blog."

Google braces for questions as more big-name firms pull adverts

Guardian, Google braces for questions as more big-name firms pull adverts "Google executives are bracing for a two-pronged inquisition from the advertising industry and the government over the company’s plans to stop ads being placed next to extremist material."

Ijithad in action

'Blasphemous' content and Facebook

Dawn, Facebook to send delegation for investigating blasphemous content: Interior ministry, 16 Mar 2017 "Popular social networking website Facebook will send a delegation to Pakistan for investigating content which the government considers to be blasphemous, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Interior said. "

UAE to target misuse of the internet

The National, UAE to target misuse of the internet, 13 Mar 2017 "Encouraging the breach of state laws as well as blasphemy will also be pursued as well as cases involving insulting God, His prophets and matters considered holy in Islam, as well as insults aimed at matters considered holy to other religions recognised under Islamic Sharia law, as well as the rituals of these faiths."

Is Pakistan blocking the entire social media for blasphemy?

Pakistan Today, Is Pakistan blocking the entire social media for blasphemy? , 12 Mar 2017 "Islamabad High Court on Tuesday directed the government to remove blasphemous content from local social media platforms, even if it means blocking the social media entirely."

Telegram Iran

LA Times, Telegram was the app where Iranians talked politics. Then the government caught on, 13 Mar 2017 "Over the years, Telegram has helped quench Iranians’ thirst for online political expression in a country where Twitter and Facebook are banned. But leading up to Iran’s presidential election in May, Telegram is now seen by some as a force that’s stifling political speech.



"That’s because in recent months Iranian security and intelligence agencies have begun arresting Telegram users and now require those who run popular Telegram channels to apply for permits — disclosing their identities."

Blackmailers prey on UAE Snapchat users

The National, Blackmailers prey on UAE Snapchat users, 11 Mar 2017

Chinese Officials Warn of Global Religious Extremism Threat

VOA, Chinese Officials Warn of Global Religious Extremism Threat "Chinese officials are issuing new warnings about the specter of global religious extremism seeping into the country, following reports of fighters from China's Muslim minority fighting alongside militants in Syria and Iraq."

In the Picture

Mashable, Getty and MuslimGirl team up to create empowering images of Muslim women, 8 Mar 2016 "Whether it's a woman with a hijab in the workplace or a woman exercising in workout clothes near New York City's East River, the collection of images shows a diverse array of Muslim women in everyday scenarios. And that, on its own, can be revolutionary."

Report feedback

Mail Online, Half of Britain's jihadists are now radicalised online: Proportion being brainwashed via the internet doubles in just five years refers to Henry Jackson Society, Islamist Terrorism: Analysis of Offences and Attacks in the UK (1998-2015).  

Critical response to the above here: Middle East Eye, Police chief snubs 'Islamist terrorism' event after criticism

Edward Said/Orientalism video

Ahmadinejad joins Twitter

Guardian, Guardian, Iran's Ahmadinejad joins Twitter despite ban

'Islamic Culture War'

foreignaffairs.com, The Coming Islamic Culture War " What the Middle East's Internet Boom Means for Gay Rights, and More"

e-commence

businessoffashion.com, Middle East E-Commerce Takes Flight "The Middle East is on the verge of a massive digital disruption with significant untapped e-commerce potential, according to a 2016 Digital Middle East report by McKinsey & Company. With e-commerce penetration in the Middle East estimated at a mere 2 percent of retail sales, “there is only growth in this space,” according to Guenez."

ISIS Unveiled: The Story Behind Indonesia’s First Female Suicide Bomber

Time, ISIS Unveiled: The Story Behind Indonesia’s First Female Suicide Bomber detailed article, well worth reading. "It’s one of the many contradictions of ISIS that a group whose medieval precepts prohibit innovation utilizes technology so deftly. Practically every social app on the market is used to communicate and share the group’s eschatological propaganda, from Twitter and Facebook to messaging platforms — encrypted and otherwise — like Telegram, Surespot, Threema, Kik and WhatsApp."

Abdal Hakim Murad interview

cafedissensusblog.com, Internet Is Not a Holy Place, says British Muslim Scholar Interview with Abdal Hakim Murad: "“The traditional etiquette of knowledge-seeking is absent in online learning platforms which lacks the warmth of face to face interaction,” added Cambridge’s own ‘Shaykh’, who has consistently been included in the “500 Most Influential Muslims” list published annually by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre."

Halal dining app

asianimage.co.uk, Mum's new dining app showcases the world of halal food and restaurants