Doha-based Qardawi rejects UAE blacklisting

alarabiya.net, Doha-based Qardawi rejects UAE blacklisting, 17 Nov 2014 "The International Union of Muslim Scholars and its chairman, Qatar-based Egyptian cleric Youssef al-Qaradawi, expressed “astonishment” on Monday at being designated a terrorist body by the United Arab Emirates."

Say hello to Zilzar.com, the Islamic answer to Amazon

just picked this up from a couple of weeks ago: Guardian, Say hello to Zilzar.com, the Islamic answer to Amazon see zilzar.com (screenshot left)

Boko Haram - opinion piece

Jacob Zenn, Washington Post, Boko Haram is acting increasingly like the Islamic State. Why don’t we treat it that way?, 13 Nov 2014 "The United States may have “insurgency fatigue” as a result of unsettled scores in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, let alone the enduring conflicts in Libya, Mali, Somalia and elsewhere. But Nigeria is a longtime ally of the United States, and effective global leadership in West Africa is needed to halt Boko Haram’s momentum. Only then can students like those in Yobe State, Chibok and elsewhere have the opportunity to craft a future for themselves and their country."

ISIS at RISK

tabsir.net » ISIS at RISK "The more the media spreads news about ISIS or ISIL or IS or Da’ish, the crazier it gets. The current Wikipedia entry is one of the longest I have ever seen. But let’s take a reality check here. ISIS is a digital creation as much as a successful terrorist operation that feeds the current media frenzy with Islam and terrorism."

ISIS/Kassig

Independent, A new Isis video – but a different ending. What could it mean? "The video that appeared on Sunday confirmed to show the head of the American aid worker Peter Kassig at the feet of a hooded killer of Isis is at once similar and dissimilar to the tapes we have seen before announcing the killing of Western hostages. Common to all of them is their savagery."

Islamic State sets sights on Saudis

BBC News, Islamic State sets sights on Saudis "In a 17-minute audio message, purportedly from its elusive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group sets its sights firmly on Saudi Arabia, birthplace of Islam and the world's largest oil producer and exporter."

KSA

Malay Mail, Free Saudi cyber activists, demands media watchdog, 14 Nov 2014 "Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged Saudi authorities today to drop charges against dissidents jailed in recent months over their Internet activity."

Jordan

Yahoo News, Jordan takes Islamic State battle to Internet, mosques ""Jordan is waging a war against jihadist ideology and amended the anti-terrorism law... because the Internet has become the main tool for mobilising and recruiting" militants, said analyst Hasan Abu Haniya." Also listen to Radio 4, The World Tonight from last night on Jordanian issues

Jihadis who travel to Syria could be barred from UK return for two years

Guardian, Jihadis who travel to Syria could be barred from UK return for two years "Suspected jihadis, including teenagers, who travel to Syria will be prevented from returning to Britain for two years and only allowed to re-enter if they consent to face trial, home detention, regular police monitoring or go on a deradicalisation course."

The Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research

digitalislam.eu, The Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research "The Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research released its new issue (Vol. 7, Issue 1, 2014), edited by Noureddine Miladi from the Qatar University. The issue focuses on representation of Muslims in the British media and the future of traditional media in the Middle East region."

IS Mosul Net Hit

Coalition Airstrikes Demolish IS Internet Network in Mosul | BAS NEWS " The Iraqi authorities also revealed that during the airstrikes, the internet network of Islamic State in Mosul has become the target and coalition jets has destroyed the network."

Opinion re IS

How social media is helping Islamic State to spread its poison - Telegraph " In the post-Snowden world, this has become immeasurably more difficult – not least because the whistle-blower’s revelations prompted many of the world’s leading social media companies to tighten up their security arrangements, primarily to reassure customers that their private activities were safe from the activities of intelligence-seeking eavesdroppers."

IS Iceland

washingtonpost.com, Why the Islamic State is interested in Iceland, 14 Oct 2014 I just picked up on this, although it came out a few weeks ago

Tech groups aid terror, says UK spy chief

Tech groups aid terror, says UK spy chief - FT.com  also see Robert Hannigan, FT.com, The web is a terrorist’s command-and-control network of choice. Radio 4 also had a piece on this yesterday [4 November] on PM (about 15 minutes in): Themes discussed would be familiar/obvious to many readers of this blog, I expect.

British-Iranian woman jailed for a year for trying to watch volleyball game

Guardian, British-Iranian woman jailed for a year for trying to watch volleyball game "Ghoncheh Ghavami, 25, a law graduate from London, was found guilty of spreading “propaganda against the regime” following a secret hearing at Tehran’s revolutionary court." Here's a related Amnesty International page

Reading list: Media Evolution on the Eve of the Arab Spring

palgrave.com, Media Evolution on the Eve of the Arab Spring, Edited by Leila Hudson, Adel Iskandar, Mimi Kirk, "Leading scholars of Arab media come together to offer unparalleled insight into the communication environment that preceded the political and societal ruptures that shook the Arab world 2010-2011. Examining the role of competing publics, the state's ability to construct meaning, and social and political change in the region, they unsettle oversimplifications of much of the existing literature and examine numerous precipitating conditions, including, political stagnation, civil engagement, new media, rural and urban divides, Islamist blogospheres, video games, Turkish and Syrian dramas, mediated diplomacy, and diaspora." Looks interesting. Out at the end of the year. Expensive!!

'15 Progressive Islamic Facebook Pages'

patheos.com, 15 Progressive Islamic Facebook Pages That You Should Really Check Out! "When was the last time you came across a very enlightening post from a mainstream Islamic page that completely changed your paradigm, or at least made you think differently? If you only follow mainstream Islamic pages, chances are that it may very well have been a long time ago (if ever). I don’t know about you, but I’ve had some pretty terrible experiences with popular Islamic pages. And, let me tell you why." Opinion ... define 'progressive'.

Who is the 'Angel of Kobane'?

BBC News, Who is the 'Angel of Kobane'?, 3 Nov 2014 "Thousands around the world on social media have shared the image of the "Angel of Kobane" or "Rehana", a Kurdish fighter who has become a symbol of resistance against Islamic State. According to the stories, she's slain as many as 100 Islamic State fighters. Only one hitch: she's probably not who people think she is."

Whose side is Turkey on?

LRB · Patrick Cockburn · Whose side is Turkey on?

Uprising could trigger Isis undoing, says study

Guardian, Uprising could trigger Isis undoing, says study "A large-scale uprising from people living under the totalitarian regime of Islamic State (Isis) is the most likely trigger that will lead to the undoing of the self-declared caliphate, according to an authoritative report into the jihadi group by the former head of counter-terrorism at MI6."