Virtually Islamic Blog

Gary R. Bunt

OBL HD

Businesswire, National Geographic Announces In-Depth Analysis of Osama Bin Laden’s Newly Declassified Personal Files in BIN LADEN'S HARD DRIVE
Discover More…

Islamic Discourse in Russia

New and noted: The Concept of Traditional Islam in Modern Islamic Discourse in Russia, edited by Renat Bekkin (available via Academia.edu) PDF
Discover More…

The sound of religion

Some interesting research: Amy Derogatis, Isaac Weiner ,The Conversation, How the sound of religion has changed in the pandemic
Discover More…

Forthcoming Webinar

I'll be providing a webinar for the Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies at George Mason University: "The 'Allah Algorithm': Interpreting Islamic Influencers' Online Responses to Covid-19", Tuesday, September 8, 2020 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT (RSVP required)
Discover More…

Beyond Banglatown

A trip to Brick Lane via an important report and video Discover More…

“Islamist terrorism” and “jihadis”

Terminology concerns apply to academic discussion as well … Discover More…

Research on Muslim Women

Here's an abstract of ongoing research on Muslim women and the net Discover More…

MA Islamic Studies

I've been involved with the MA Islamic Studies (by distance learning) at UWTSD for fifteen years+, so thought I would share some information on it here:


and here's the MA Islamic Studies Brochure (PDF) Discover More…

Islam and Muslims on UK University Campuses: Perceptions and Challenges

Important new report released on Islam and Muslims on UK University Campuses: Perceptions and Challenges Discover More…

'IS' on Facebook

Gordon Corera, BBC, ISIS 'still evading detection on Facebook', report says Discover More…

'IS'/COVID-19 Narratives

Chelsea Daymon, Meili Criezis, CTC Sentinel, Pandemic Narratives: Pro-Islamic State Media and the Coronavirus, June 2020, Vol. 13, Issue 6 [PDF] (one for the reading list - I haven't read it yet)

Discover More…

Husham al Hashimi

Independent, Husham al Hashimi: Renowned Iraqi scholar assassinated outside his home in Baghdad Discover More…

Indonesian Cyber Islam

New and Noted: Moch. Syarif Hidayatullah, Mohammad Syairozi Dimyathi, Abdullah, Zubair, Rizqi Handayani. 'The Cyber Islam Contestation In Indonesia'. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology. Vol. 29, No. 7, (2020), pp. 34-44. Available as a PDF. I have yet to read this, but it looks interesting. Discover More…

Shi’a Minorities in the Contemporary World

An important (and exorbitantly priced) new book on Shi'ism, including a chapter on religious authority and the internet. Look forward to reading it when it makes it to paperback … Discover More…

'Missionaries of Jihad'

Aaron Zelin's book details are here Discover More…

Webinar

I will be providing a seminar for this webinar series in September. Check out the other speakers here: Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies (AVACGIS) at George Mason University, Covid-19 and Muslim Religiosity: an AVACGIS Webinar Series

avacgis_covid-webinar_logo-draft

Discover More…

Manuscripts Online

Islamic manuscripts available to view here - some wonderful material: Discover More…

'Islamic State' 2020

Latest on ISIS Discover More…

New book on al-Awlaki

New book on Anwar al-Awlaki Discover More…

'Shaykh Google'

I'm currently reading: Emad Hamdeh, 'Shaykh Google as Ḥāfiẓ al-ʿAṣr: The Internet, Traditional ʿUlamā’, and Self Learning ' via Academia Discover More…

Korean Muslims Online

Farrah Sheikh, ResearchGate, Korean Muslims: Shaping Islamic Discourse and Identities Online, European Journal of Korean Studies Discover More…

CyberOrient

CyberOrient, Online Journal of the Virtual Middle East and Islamic World, Vol. 13 Issue 1
Discover More…

Research Issues

Michael Krona, GNet, Vicarious Trauma From Online Extremism Research – A Call to Action

This is a significant issue, which I have personal experience of, especially as I recall the impact of some of the first 'jihad' oriented videos I viewed some 20 years ago …

Discover More…

The Online Public Sphere in the Gulf

Good to see this has been published: Review of Middle East Studies, 53(2) Special Focus: The Online Public Sphere in the Gulf
Discover More…

'IS' Libya

Inga Kristina Trauthig, ICSR, islamic State in Libya: From Force to Farce? report
Discover More…

New Book on Jihad

A new book from Thomas Hegghammer is out now, discussing global jihad: Discover More…

Research: France, Muslims & Net

L’espace public traditionnel à l’épreuve de la critique de musulmans Français. February 2020
Discover More…

Net slang

Guardian, Nando's-inspired sex slang used by girls as young as 10
Discover More…

Islamophobia research

Metro, Muslims experience ‘shared suffering’ when other Muslims go through trauma


Discover More…

KSA Hacking Allegations

Guardian, Reporter who wrote book on Saudi crown prince was allegedly targeted by hackers Discover More…

KSA Bot Army

Marc Owen Jones, Middle East Eye, Saudi Arabia's bot army flourishes as Twitter fails to tame the beast Discover More…

Internet Censorship 2020

Paul Bischoff, Comparitech, Internet Censorship 2020: A Global Map of Internet Restrictions
Discover More…

Salafi-Sufi online contestations

PhD research Discover More…

Global Network on Extremism and Technology

Now launched: The Global Network on Extremism and Technology
Discover More…

Cyber Sufis - Interview

I'm currently listening to New Books Network: Robert Rozehnal, Cyber Sufis - Virtual Expressions of the American Muslim Experience. Interview by Shobhana Xavier
Discover More…

Extreme Digital Speech

Vox-Pol, New VOX-Pol Report: Extreme Digital Speech: Contexts, Responses and Solutions
Discover More…

#Disinformation

Ruth Michaelson & Michael Safi, Guardian #Disinformation: the online threat to protest in the Middle East
Discover More…

Arab Fashion Heritage Online

Gulf Today, Arab heritage through the prism of traditional fashion
Discover More…

Religious Tolerance

Coconut, West Java, Jakarta least religiously tolerant provinces in Indonesia according to 12-year study
Discover More…

Cyber Islamic Environments

Here's a piece in Geotimes by Ahmad Munawwir which takes a retrospective look at some of my earlier research (in Indonesian)

Discover More…

Iran Cable Leak

Leaked Iran cables in focus here:
Discover More…

Jihadism 101

Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, Pundicity, Jihadism 101: 'The Neglected Duty'

Discover More…

Black Muslim History

Amaliah, 13 Resources and Initiatives on Black Muslim History– From the UK to USA Discover More…

Many Muslims listed by World-Check without evidence

Al Jazeera, Blacklist: Many Muslims listed by World-Check without evidence
Discover More…

IS TikTok

CNBC, TikTok removes two dozen accounts used for ISIS propaganda Discover More…

AICIS2019 Round-up

Conclusion of an interesting week in Jakarta at AICIS2019:

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_220 Discover More…

Hijab and Social Media

New and noted: R. Kauser, Exploring the self-presentation of female Muslims, who wear the hijab, on the social networking site 'Instagram.' (Manchester Metropolitan University, 2019) [PDF] Discover More…

Recording Ritual

Here's a piece about recording ritual, focusing on Muharram, with examples drawn from YouTube. Discover More…

Balkan Radicalisation Issues

Emina Dizdarevic and Lamija Grebo, Balkan Insight, Bosnia Failing in Fight against Extremism Online
Discover More…

Hajj 2019/1440

A collection of links and resources associated with Hajj 2019/1440 Discover More…

International Cyber Terrorism Regulation Project

David Fidler, Council on Foreign Relations, Terrorism, Social Media, and the El Paso Tragedy Discover More…

UN on 'IS'

Ben Makuch, Vice, ISIS Is Using Internet Propaganda to Maintain a 'Virtual Caliphate,' UN Report Says
Discover More…

New book: 'Tweeted Heresies'

New and noted: Abdullah Hamidaddin, Tweeted Heresies Discover More…

Cytrec Conference

CYTREC TASM Conference presentations and papers archived Discover More…

Content Removal

Isabelle van der Vegt, Paul Gill, Stuart Macdonald and Bennett Kleinberg, Shedding Light on Terrorist and Extremist Content Removal, RUSI, 3 July 2019 Discover More…

Content Removal Issues

Joe Whittaker, Lawfare, How Content Removal Might Help Terrorists (analysis/opinion)
Discover More…

MENA Survey

BBC News, The Arab world in seven charts: Are Arabs turning their backs on religion?

Discover More…

Conference - AICIS 2019

AICIS 2019 - 19th International Conference on Islamic Studies Discover More…

Religious Authority and the net

New and noted: Hira Amin, 'British Muslims Navigating between Individualism and Traditional Authority', 'Religions' Journal (haven't read it all yet!) Discover More…

Mediating Islam

Mediating Islam in the Digital Age academic project Discover More…

Bangladesh Big Data

Richard Galpin, BBC News, Big data 'can stop malaria outbreaks before they start'
Discover More…

Muslim Pilgrimage in the Modern World

New from UNC Press, Muslim Pilgrimage in the Modern World, Edited by Babak Rahimi, Peyman Eshaghi Discover More…

From Battlefront to Cyberspace

One for future reading:

Asaad Almohammad & Charlie Winter, From Battlefront to Cyberspace: Demystifying the Islamic State’s Propaganda Machine, CTI, June 2019


Discover More…

New & Noted: America & Islam

New and noted: Lawrence Pintak, America & Islam
Soundbites, Suicide Bombs and the Road to Donald Trump (Bloomsbury) Discover More…

Hussein Kesvani Interview

i-D, how our online world is changing what it means to be a muslim in 2019
Discover More…

Meeting an 'Islamophobic troll'

Hussein Kesvani, Guardian, Long Read, What happened when I met my Islamophobic troll Discover More…

Far-right 'Fake News'

FT, Homegrown ‘junk news’ on migrants and Islam surges, studies find
Discover More…

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Profile

BBC Monitoring, Syria group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and al-Qaeda legacy, 22 May 2019
Discover More…

'IS' Research

James A. Piazza & Ahmet Guler, The Online Caliphate: Internet Usage and ISIS Support in the Arab World, Terrorism and Political Violence https://doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2019.1606801 for the reading list Discover More…

Muslim Millennials Online

Hussein Kesvani, Times Magazine, Inside the online world of Muslim millennials, 18 May 2019
Discover More…

China Surveillance

Discover More…

aQ Afghanistan

Thomas Joscelyn tweet thread on al-Qaeda Discover More…

'IS' round-up

'Islamic State': round-up of activities/articles relating to online materials: Discover More…

Pew Twitter report

Pew, Sizing Up Twitter Users
Discover More…

'Cyber Sufis'

This week two important books about Islam and the Internet have appeared. Hussein Kesvani's book on UK Muslims and the net (previously blogged) and this new one from Robert Rozehnal on Sufis and the net. I was able to preview this, which is a really interesting read. It focuses on Inayat Sufism. Discover More…

UK Muslims in cyberspace

Hussein Kesvani, Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims (London: Hurst & Co)
Discover More…

Net Counter-terrorism

Brian Fishman, Counterterrorism - Crossroads: Counter-terrorism and the Internet, Texas National Security Review, Vol 2, Issue 2 April 2019, Discover More…

Virtually Islamic Archive

Virtually Islamic Archive overview - 19 years and counting …

Discover More…

'IS' Activity Profile

Mina al-Lami, BBC Monitoring, Where is the Islamic State group still active around the world?
Discover More…

Religious Authority Online

Alexandre Caeiro, Daily Sabah, Cyber-muftis, digital fatwas - the ongoing transformation of religious authority Discover More…

'Hashtag Islam' & MCW Interfaith

I had the privilege to attend the Muslim Council of Wales Annual Interfaith Dinner on 26 March 2019. I presented Dr Rowan Williams (102nd Archbishop of Canterbury) and Prof. Saleem Kidwai (Muslim Council of Wales Secretary General) with copies of 'Hashtag Islam'.

Discover More…

'IS' profile

AFP, Islamic State: pioneers of the 'digital caliphate'

Discover More…

Pakistan book

New book on Pakistan's Shi'a population: Discover More…

Hate Groups Online

Joan Donovan, Director of the Technology and Social Change Research Project, The Atlantic, How Hate Groups’ Secret Sound System Works Discover More…

'Cassette Tap Revolution'

New and noted article: Simon, Andrew. “CENSURING SOUNDS: TAPES, TASTE, AND THE CREATION OF EGYPTIAN CULTURE.” International Journal of Middle East Studies, n.d., 1–24. doi:10.1017/S0020743819000035. Discover More…

Online Manipulation

Clint Watts, FPRI, Five Generations of Online Manipulation: The Evolution of Advanced Persistent Manipulators Discover More…

New Muslim Public Digital Spheres

Bibliographical information for researchers on Islam and Muslims online: Discover More…

IS - Analysis

Eurasia Review, Assessment Of Islamic State Ideological Threat – Analysis
Discover More…

'The Dark Side of Social Media'

Neil Johnson, Physics World, The Dark Side of Social Media, 1 March 2019 Discover More…

Antarah ibn Shaddad

Radio 4, In Our Time, Antarah ibn Shaddad Discover More…

Hashtag Islam

I received a hard copy of my 'Hashtag Islam' book - published by Pentagon Press. Discover More…

Islamic State's caliphate online

LA Times, Islamic State's caliphate is all but finished, but its online presence endures [opinion] Discover More…

Internet contributes to radicalism among young RI Muslims: Study

Jakarta Post, Internet contributes to radicalism among young RI Muslims: Study Discover More…

CyberOrient

CyberOrient Discover More…

Digitised Manuscripts

HindustanTimes, Jamia digitises rare, old books, manuscripts as part of conservation project
Discover More…

'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan'

Aaron Zelin on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (via Twitter) Discover More…

Religion as Critique

Book Launch - Religion as Critique by Irfan Ahmad . Another book in the University of North Carolina Press Islamic Civilizations & Muslim Networks Series (of which I'm a part of), which has been published in India by OUP.

Discover More…

Tablighi Jama'at/Zakir Naik Research

Matthew J. Kuiper, Da'wa and Other Religions: Indian Muslims and the Modern Resurgence of Global Islamic Activism, Routledge, 2017 Discover More…

Product Placement

Blackwell's have a page for 'Hashtag Islam'. Discover More…

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

AFP/Rudaw, Al-Qaeda's shadow still hangs over Syria's Idlib: analysts
Discover More…

Digital Piety in Bangladesh: A Psychosocial Analysis

Sayeed al-Zaman, Digital Piety in Bangladesh: A Psychosocial Analysis (ResearchGate)
Discover More…

Populism, Extremism and New Media

International Conference on Populism, Extremism and New Media. January 11-12, 2019. University of Padua, Italy. Discover More…

New book: 'A Critique of the Abrogation Theory'

My former student, Jasser Auda, has a new book out: Jasser Auda & Adil Salahi, A Critique of the Abrogation Theory in Islam (Goodreads page)
Discover More…

Digital Qur'an MSS Tweet

Tweet about digital Qur'an mss in the Vatican Discover More…

Pew Research findings

Pew Research Center, Eastern and Western Europeans Differ on Importance of Religion, Views of Minorities, and Key Social Issues
Discover More…

Manuscripts | Digital Resources and Projects in Islamic Studies

Maydan, Manuscripts | Digital Resources and Projects in Islamic Studies Discover More…

The Power of Twitter

BBC Radio 4, The Power of Twitter Discover More…

Abu Ali al-Anbari

Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, The Biography of Abu Ali al-Anbari: Full Translation and Analysis


Discover More…

Assessing Outcomes of Online Campaigns Countering Violent Extremism

Todd C. Helmus, Kurt Klein, Rand, Assessing Outcomes of Online Campaigns Countering Violent Extremism
Discover More…

How Islamic is "Islamic Studies"?

YouTube, How Islamic is "Islamic Studies"? Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, Distinguished Lecture
I haven't seen this in fully yet.
Discover More…

Jihadology

Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, Don't Shut Down the Internet's Biggest Jihadi Archive, 10 Dec 2018 Discover More…

IS 'History'

Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, The Islamic State Research Office's Self-History

Long read, with lots of interesting detail. I haven't gone through it all yet.
Discover More…

Jihadology Access Concerns

David Bond, ft.com, How extremist videos are hitting UK relations with US tech groups, 2 Dec 2018
Discover More…

Racial bias: report

Guardian, Revealed: the stark evidence of everyday racial bias in Britain, 2 Dec 2018

Discover More…

True Origins of ISIS

Hassan Hassan, The Atlantic, The True Origins of ISIS: A secret biography suggests that Abu Ali al-Anbari defined the group’s radical approach more than any other person, 30 Nov 2018
Important article from Hassan Hassan.

Discover More…

Building pictures of online activity

phys.org, 'Big picture' platforms boost fight against online terror activity, 29 Nov 2018
Discover More…

Research on Reddit

vox-pol, Upvoting Extremism, Part I: An Assessment Of Extreme Right Discourse On Reddit
Discover More…

The Page 99 Test

Here's my response to the Page 99 Test … Discover More…

Panel on social media and information war in the Middle East

CFTNI, Social Media and Information War in the Middle East
Discover More…

Matthew Hedges' Case

Matthew Hedges Case Discover More…

Building Resilience to Extremism and Exploitation

I'm participating in the 'Building Resilience to Extremism and Exploitation' event in Cardiff on 28 November Discover More…

Report on Fake News +

Patrik Hermansson, Hope Not Hate, Bots, Fake News and the Anti-Muslim Message on Social Media Discover More…

Research on search data

'Using Internet search data to examine the relationship between anti-Muslim and pro-ISIS sentiment in U.S. counties' research paper

Discover More…

UNC Press Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks 15th Anniversary

Bruce B. Lawrence: Celebrating the Fifteenth Anniversary of the Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks Book Series at UNC Press

Discover More…

'Hashtag Islam' at AAR

'Hashtag Islam' at AAR (UNC Press Stand) - given I couldn't make it in person …

Discover More…

UNC Press 15th Anniversary celebration

UNC Press is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks series, which I have had the privilege of contributing to. Great team to work with.
Discover More…

'Hashtag Islam'


Publishers Weekly, Faith Matters: Religion & Spirituality Spotlight 2018 refers to 'Hashtag Islam' Discover More…

Islam as statecraft: How governments use religion in foreign policy

Peter Mandaville and Shadi Hamid, Islam as statecraft: How governments use religion in foreign policy, Brookings
Discover More…

South Asia Edition: 'Hashtag Islam'

Pentagon Press edition - Hashtag Islam

My book 'Hashtag Islam' is now available to order in the Indian sub-continent from Pentagon Press. This is a special edition (hardback) with a different cover.

ISBN:
9789386618627

It's also available via the usual bookshops, and from
Amazon

Click below to see a larger version of the cover:


Discover More…

Facebook admits it was used to 'incite offline violence' in Myanmar

BBC News, Facebook admits it was used to 'incite offline violence' in Myanmar, 6 Nov 2018 Discover More…

Asian Image, 'Criminalising thoughts': How Muslims are being targeted in new Counter-terrorism bill

Asian Image, 'Criminalising thoughts': How Muslims are being targeted in new Counter-terrorism bill Discover More…

The Cost of Crying Victory: Policy Implications of the Islamic State’s Territorial Collapse

Liesbeth van der Heide, Charlie Winter and Shiraz Maher, The Cost of Crying Victory: Policy Implications of the Islamic State’s Territorial Collapse report "In light of the territorial demise of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, this report analyses the continued risks posed by IS. " Discover More…

'Defending Scholarship'

Michael Munnik, Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK. Defending scholarship in public debates

Discover More…

ISIS still a 'problem' online

CNBC, ISIS may be quashed on the ground, but it's still a 'problem' online, EU security official says

Discover More…

Islam in Britain blog

I continue to maintain my Islam in Britain blog. Some of the materials cross-over into the themes of this blog. Discover More…

Identity and 'Islamophobia'

C.J. Werleman, alaraby.com, How do white Muslims experience Islamophobia?
Social media linkage to this interesting article/opinion piece.
"I'm white and English. I've never faced racism in my life. I became a Muslim, then people would hurl abuse as I was no longer white," tweeted Christopher John George. "I never knew how bad it felt until I was on the other side… it is DISGUSTING."
"His tweet illuminates not only how Islamophobia is a virulent form of racism, but also narrates an untold story of the Muslim experience in western societies today - the story of how white converts to Islam are now considered by some racists as traitors to their race."

Discover More…

Academydd o’r Drindod Dewi Sant yn canolbwyntio ar Islam yn y seiberofod ar gyhoeddiad ei lyfr newydd

PYYDDS, Academydd o’r Drindod Dewi Sant yn canolbwyntio ar Islam yn y seiberofod ar gyhoeddiad ei lyfr newydd
"Mae cyhoeddiad rhyngwladol sy’n canolbwyntio ar sut mae amgylchoedd seiber-Islamaidd yn trawsnewid awdurdod crefyddol wedi cael ei gyhoeddi gan academydd o gampws y brifysgol yn Llambed. "
Discover More…

UWTSD Academic focusses on Islam in cyberspace with new book release

University of Wales Trinity Saint David, UWTSD Academic focusses on Islam in cyberspace with new book release

"An international publication focussing on how cyber-Islamic environments are transforming religious authority has been released by a UWTSD Lampeter based academic."


Discover More…

South Asia edition - Hashtag Islam

The planned publication date for the South Asia edition of 'Hashtag Islam' is mid-November. This will allow for a cheaper and more accessible copy to be available for readers in this market. I understand everything is on schedule. Full details, ISBN and cover will be posted as soon as the information becomes available from the publisher. Discover More…

Hashtag Islam NOOK ebook

More product placement: my book 'Hashtag Islam' is available through Barnes & Noble as a NOOK ebook. It's an ideal format to take a look at my research.

Hashtag Islam - UK

Hashtag Islam: How Cyber Islamic Environments are Transforming Religious Authority is now available through UK bookshops (on- and offline).

Hashtag Islam cover

Trump and Far-Right

Trump and the far-right article by JM Berger Discover More…

Digital Middle East

New book 'Digital Middle East' looks very promising. Discover More…

Research Archive

J.M. Berger has provided an archive of research materials, via archive.org. Check this thread for more details. His book is recommended. Part of the archive is here

Google Scholar issues

Benefits of Google scholar, and their implications Discover More…

Follow Me, Akhi.

Forthcoming in 2019

Kesvani-72-RGB

Hussein Kesvani, Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims, Hurst & Co
"What does it mean to be Muslim in Britain today? If the media is anything to go by, it has something to do with mosques, community leaders, whether you wear a veil, and what your views on religious extremists are. But as all our lives become increasingly entwined with our online presence, British Muslims are taking to social media to carve their own narratives and tell their own stories, challenging stereotypes along the way."
Looking forward to seeing this.

Commercial break

Paperback/hardback versions of 'Hashtag Islam: How Cyber-Islamic Environments Are Transforming Religious Authority' (Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks) are available from this week via Amazon.com Also available directly from the publisher, through all good bookstores and online retailers (with market variations in terms of release date).

Hashtag Islam

'Hashtag Islam' is officially out this week, in hardback, paperback and e-book formats (in some markets, different dates apply to some of these elements). The book is the culmination of several years research. I welcome feedback from readers via this website or through social media.

Book details

Related Research

Richard A. Nielsen, Deadly Clerics: Blocked Ambition and the Paths to Jihad (Cambridge University Press, 2017)

I was interested to see information on this book, published in 2017. I haven't read it yet (just ordered a copy). Dr Richard Nielsen is also working on issues associated with religious authority and the internet. I will update on the book once I have read it.

Counter-Islamophobia Toolkit

Middle East Eye, Muslims in Europe facing 'hostility in everyday life', Islamophobia study finds "European academics and policy makers came together at the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday to launch what they describe as a "toolkit" to tackle Islamophobia across the continent." Toolkit link here: Counter-Islamophobia Toolkit – Prof. Ian Law, Dr Amina Easat-Daas and Prof. S. Sayyid

FlockWatch

Sam Jackson, Vox-Pol, FlockWatch: Tracking Changes in Language in Text Datasets Over Time, 26 Sep 2018

Important research tool discussed by its developer, which allows for language flexibility in data capture. I haven't tried FlockWatch yet.

Prisons and Radicalisation

Independent, How British prisons became a breeding ground for Islamist extremism "Ian Acheson, a former prison governor who led the review, told The Independent that a “lethal combination of arrogance and ineptitude at the top meant that the scale of the problem was not remotely understood”."

Useful summary with links to reports.

Islamic Studies Pathways - Revived

I will be revising/reviving Islamic Studies Pathways, which I started in 1996. Its most recent incarnation was on Tumblr, so I am linking to it here. Watch this space for further revisions.

Building Resilience for Terrorism Researchers

Peter King, Vox-Pol, Building Resilience for Terrorism Researchers, September 19, 2018
While this is not my immediate area, I appreciate many of the points made by Peter King in this article relating to methodology and subject related 'fatigue' and stress.

Debunking Myths on Gender and Extremism

Rachel Bryson, Debunking Myths on Gender and Extremism, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, "In this collection of papers, experts weigh in on assumptions about women’s roles in violent Islamist extremism that hold back informed policymaking."

Contesting identities within cultural insecurity

Currently taking a look at this interesting thesis, which draws on a number of elements associated with the study of cyber Islamic Environments. Kathleen Woodhouse-Ledermann, Contesting identities within cultural insecurity: The case of Muslim women in contemporary France (Rutgers, 2018) [PDF download]
Tweet #garybunt
Share