www.virtuallyislamic.com
News about Islam, Muslims and Cyberspace
To recommend a news story for this page, please e-mail Gary Bunt. Related themes are discussed and developed in my research on Islam, Muslims and cyberspace, including my book Virtually Islamic. Some of the references to Islam and/or the Internet contained in these articles are quite subtle in nature, but nevertheless they caught my interest. External links are placed here for information purposes only, and their inclusion does not imply endorsement by this site's author. Some archive articles may require payment to access.
BBC News Online, Question: Do Iraqis have internet cafés?, 17 February 2003
Times of Oman, 10m SMS greetings exchanged during Eid holidays, 17 February 2003
Ananova, Bin Laden tape appears on Islamic websites, 16 February 2003 Also see ABC News/AP, 'Bin Laden' Tape Claims Plot Vs. Muslims, 17 February 2003 and an edited transcript from BBC Monitoring Service, 'Bin Laden' tape urges 'jihad': Excerpts, February 17, 2003
The Guardian, Google gets Blogger and better, 17 February 2003
IC Birmingham/Sunday Mercury, Midland Nazi turns to Islam, 16 February 2003 Includes references to use of internet discussion sites
Financial Times, Islamist leader denies proof of Kurdish group's al-Qaeda links, 17 February 2003 "A leading Kurdish Islamist said on Sunday that "young people" in Ansar al Islam, a Kurdish group linked by the US to al-Qaeda, were "living in an imaginary world" and had "learned to act like Osama bin Laden from the internet and television".
Washington Post, Islam Says Otherwise, 16 February 2003
New York Times, White House Scales Back Cyberspace Plan, 14 February 2003
The Guardian, Key role for young Muslims in struggle for peace, 14 February 2003 This includes a reference to the use of electronic media as an activist tool, specifically for co-ordinating the Anti War Demonstration in London on 15 Feb 03. Also see Muslim Association of Britain, who are key organisers.
Baku Today, Russia Concerned About Chechen Website, 14 February 2003 Russians concerned about Lithuanian ISP hosting Chechen websites...
Wired, U.S. Tries E-Mail to Charm Iraqis, 13 February 2003 It didn't work ...
Australian IT, Welcome to bloggers world, February 13, 2003 Refers to some useful new books, and also use of blogs by Iranian women.
Associated Press/StarTribune, British-based Islamic news agency says it has new Bin Laden tape, 13 February 2003 "the 53-minute tape was allegedly recorded this month and acquired from a seller who advertised over the Internet."[!!] More on this at IC Newcastle, Bin Laden vows to die as martyr in attack this year, February 13, 2003
The Star (Malaysia), Big breweries buy into Mideast malt business, 13 February 2003 ('halal' drinks promoted on-line)
BBC News Online, Bin Laden tape: Text, 12 February, 2003 Fox News, Bin Laden, in Audiotape, Calls on Muslims to Support Iraq, February 11, 2003 (includes audio translation). Al Jazeera Press Release on Bin Laden tape. CNN, Bergen: Bin Laden issued solidarity statement (discussion with Peter Bergen re. authenticity of tape), 11 February 2003 Also see CBS/WBZ News Radio, Are Osama And Saddam In Cahoots?, 13 February 2003
The Register, Do it with spanners - how the Iraq cyber attack will work 11 February 2003 - should be read in conjunction with: BBC News, US ponders cyber war plans, 10 February 2003
The Register, Europe plans its own NSA to 'boost cyber-security', 10 February 2003
2600 News, American Journalist Poses As Terrorist Group, Fools US Gov, 9 February 2003 Journalist Brian McWilliams apparently posed as Harkat-ul-Mujahideen online (the site has now been replaced by a statement by McWilliams), in order to gather intelligence information. Also see CBS News, Journalist Perpetrates Internet Hoax, February 7, 2003 The original Harkat mirror site, which predates the journalist's activities and contains Harkat's content (prior to its domain expiring), can be found at http://www.ummah.net.pk/harkat. McWilliams was responsible for the Islamic hacking 'hoax'. For details, see: The Inquirer, "Muslim" site wasn't hacked, February 6, 2003
Plain Dealer, Earle bravely blasts away with fiercely political songs, 7 February 2003 Steve Earle uses Internet to learn about Islam and write a song about John Walker Lindh
Islam-Online, Feeling-insecure@home.com, 6 February 2003 Cryptography for beginners ... "At a golden period of Islam 10th century Abbasid caliphs used encryption to ensure secure communications for the State. Books like “Adab al-Kuttab” (The Secretaries Manual) had sections dedicated to cryptography. Now cryptography is available to all, shouldn’t we be carrying on the tradition?"
The Guardian, X marks the spot, 6 February 2003 Looking for new ways to search the web? Considered latent semantic indexing?
BBC News, Internet access hits the wall, 7th February 2003
Reuters/ZDNet, Bush reportedly orders cyber-warfare plan, 7th February 2003
The Star, Religious court gets technology boost, 7 February 2003 Mahathir Mohamad launches an "e-Syariah [shari'ah] application system, a web-enabled Syariah Court case management system".
ZDNet, Ex-student accused of spying on campus, 7th February 2003
Associated Press/ABC News, Satellite Tracking Spurs Stalking Fears, 6 February 2003
OneWorld.net, Pakistan Province Logs Children Out of Cyber Cafés, 6 February 2003
Wired, Bush Data-Mining Plan in Hot Seat, 6 February 2003
MSNBC/Newsweek, The Theory and Practice of the Internet, 6 February 2003
The Register, 'Slammer terror' story sent to the, er, slammer, 6 February 2003
Washington Post/Associated Press, Evidence a Rare Look at U.S. Intelligence, 6 February 2003
Washington Post, Powell Lays Out Case Against Iraq, 5 February 2003
Arab News, More pilgrims converge on Makkah, 5 February 2003Saudi ministry using the Internet...
IslamOnline, To Beautify Image in Arab World, U.S. Launches Arabic TV Network, 4 February 2003
The Register, Cyberterror! Project Gutenberg URL swiped for Saddam, February 4 2003
Islam-Online, Internet "Extremely" More Important Than TV: Study, 1 February 2003
Egypt Today, Best of Both Worlds, February 2003
YaleOnline, Globalization and the Middle East: Part One, January 2003
NY Post, Microsoft's ‘Terror' $$ Goof, 30 January 2003
CNET/Reuters, Mosque mobiles silenced, January 30, 2003
The Washington Post/Seattle Times, Web site searches for patron saint for Internet, January 29, 2003
BBC News Online, Muslim cleric linked to Bali bombing, January 29, 2003
Islam-Online, Pakistan to Block Blasphemous, Pornographic Websites
Islam-Online, India Plans Cyber Defense Center, January 27, 2003
Borneo Bulletin, Internet, ICT blamed for youth decadence, January 27, 2003
Plain Dealer, Web makes ethnic spouse easier to find, 27 January 2003
AME Info, Egypt's Al-Azhar Initiated By HH General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Project, January 27th, 2003[New www.alazharonline.org site digitally converting Al-Azhar's library - site currently not functioning, although URL registered in Dubai]
Ummah News, Bin Laden makes new plea for unity in jihad, 22 January 2003 [refers to Jihad Unspun website as channel for forthcoming 'bin Laden statement']
New York Times, 2 U.S. Computer Workers Are Shot, One Fatally, in Kuwait, 22 January 2003 [victims were software engineers]
Asia Times, Global jihad and the European arena, 23 January 2003 Author Reuben Paz, Senior Research Fellow at the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), Israel, from a May 2002 presentation.
The Age, Cable manners spark judge's wrath, 22 January 2003[Fazl Hadi Shinwari, Afghanistan's chief justice, 'outlaws' cable TV]. Also see BBC News Online, Afghans ban cable TV, 22 January 2003
BBC News Online, Computer virus author jailed, 22 January 2003[Welsh hacker jailed - contains general information about viruses.]
MSNBC, The Future of Internet Cafes , 22 January 2003[general article]
Star Online/AP, En route to the Haj, in Pakistani airport, 21 January 2003
Evening Standard/This is London, Mosque linked to key terror network, 21 January 2003[computers seized by police at Finsbury Park Mosque]. Also see contrasting general coverage of this story: Islam Online, Police Use Helicopters, Heavy Force to Raid London Mosque, 20 January 2003, Ummah News, British police raid London mosque, 20 January 2003 The Sun, Sling your hook, 21 January 2003, Muslim Council of Britain, We Muslims are also the victims of terror, 21 January 2003
Israel Defense Forces, The Upcoming Goals of Al-Qaida: Kidnapping Civilians and Attacking Embassies, January 20th, 2003 [cites Maalim Al-Jihad]. Also see Jornal da tarde, Al Qaida faz mais ameaças via internet, 21 January 2003
CBS News, Osama's Satellite Phone Switcheroo, 20 January 2003 Also see Islam Online, Moroccan Reveals Bin Laden's Escape: Washington Post, 21 January 2003
Associated Press/MSNBC,Profiling the hackers, 20 January 2003[profiles of network users can be generated through new software]
CNN, Bin Laden 'in jihad call' - paper, January 20, 2003[based on al-Sharq al-Awsat report, issued by Center for Islamic Studies and Research]
Islam Online, Islamic Gold Dinar Will Minimize Dependency on U.S. Dollar, 13 January 2003[e-dinar + transactions online]
Newsweek, The End of the Double Game, 13 January 2003[article on Saudi Arabia]
Arab News, Internet service to become free in Kingdom soon, 12 January 2003[free access for Saudi Arabia?]
Associated Press/ABC News, E-Mail Attributed to Bin Laden Deputy, 7 January 2003
Arab News, Using corporate resources to send personal e-mails, 7 January 2003 [Article about junk mail in Saudi Arabia, and computer marketing]
New York Times, On the Scent of Terrorists, 6 January 2003
SF Indymedia/Ha'aretz, Associated Press, Agence France Presse, About the "Tanzim Qa'edat al Jihad, 6 January 2003 [scroll down for article]
Wired, Is This the Face of a Terrorist?, January 4 2003
Newsweek, Al Qaeda's New Life, 23 December 2002
The Pluralism Project at the University of Michigan-Dearborn: World Religions in Metropolitan Detroit, December 2002 [link goes to Islam photos]. An article from the Detroit News about the project can be found here.
BBC Online, War on terror 'threatens' UK Muslims, 23 December 2002
AME Info, UAE to have its first batch of women e-commerce specialists by 2003..., 23 December 2002
Wired, Terrorists on the Net? Who Cares?, 20 December 2002
Sydney Morning Herald, Malaysian police arrest seven over internet terror rumours, 20 December 2002
ITN, Stars help Mandela fight Aids, 20 December 2002
News.com.au, Radicals recruit for jihad online, 19 December 2002
Newsweek, Khomeini’s Children, 23 December 2002
Washington Post, 5 in Texas Jailed in Hamas Probe, 19 December 2002
Wired, One Man's Info War on al-Qaida, 18 December 2002
BBC Online, Al-Qaeda: War fought in the shadows, 17 December 2002
Associated Press, Islamic Group Shows Battle Videos on Web, 17 December 2002
Associated Press, Muslim hop-hop group raps for Allah, 16 December 2002
MSNBC/Newsweek, Muhammad Atta's Neighbours, 16 December 2002
Al-Ahram, Preacher on the run, 12-18 December 2002
The Observer, From schoolgirl Emma to Asma, the Syrian icon, 15 December 2002
The Register, US! .gov! shuts Saddam! sprog! Yahoo! account!, 12 December 2002
Daily Telegraph, Al-Qa'eda 'recruiting in Holland', 11 December 2002
Canton Rep, Rogue Web sites spread threats, 11 December 2002
BBC, Al-Qaeda 'forms Palestinian branch', 6 December 2002. Also see Washington Post/MSNBC, Al Qaeda Web site targets Israel, 6 December 2002
Associated Press/CT Now, Terror probe targets software company: Boston company's clients reportedly include goverment agencies, 6 December 2002 Also see MSNBC, Al-Qaida link eyed in Mass. raid, 6 December 2002
The Inquirer, Islamic fundamentalist hackers launch 100+Web attacks, 5 December 2002
Arab News, Coke hoax fizzles out, 5 December 2002
Outthere News, Al-Qaeda threatens wider war, [regularly updated resource]
Wired, An Inside Look at China Filters, 4 December 2002 [includes official Saudi Arabian feedback to the related Harvard Law School report on filtering. Also see MSNBC, How to be censored by China online, 4 December 2002
BBC, Youth shapes Iran's economy', 3 December 2002
Spiegel Online, Bekennerschreiben der Qaida, 3 December 2002
Wired, Doubt Cast on bin Laden Tape, 3 December 2002
Wired 'Religion & Science' edition, December 2002
Silicon.com/Yahoo News, Hamas declares a 'digital jihad', 28 November 2002
New California Media, Method to His Madness - Why Bush is Obsessed With Saddam, 27 Nov 2002
Arab News, Dr. Nahed Taher — challenging the status quo, 25 November 2002
iafrica, Bali blast mastermind is computer buff, November 22 2002
Haganah b'internet November 2002 relaunch on Israeli URL of the 'online self-defence force' focusing on Islamic activists.
CT Now, Stolen Credit Drives Web Network, November 17 2002
Gulf News, Al Maktoum Institute signs deal with Dubai Internet City, November 11 2002
Yahoo News, How Al Qaeda Put Internet In Service Of Global Jihad, November 11 2002
The Register, Want to know what people email to Saddam Hussein?, October 30, 2002
BBC, Islamic hackers step up attacks, October 29, 2002
Wired, Dear Saddam, How Can I Help? , October 29, 2002
NY Times, Online in Cairo, with News, Views and 'Fatwa Corner', October 28, 2002
Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney-based Islamic Web site to be taken down, October 18, 2002
Wired, Terror Turns Real for Horror Site, October 18, 2002
USA Today, Militants wire Web with links to jihad, October 7, 2002
BBC, Tunisia's dissidents battle cyber-police, September 6, 2002
Reuters/Express India, 9/11 mastermind invited to Cairo Islamic seminar, 2 September 2002
Wired, Did FBI Bungle E-Mail Evidence? 30 Aug 2002
Wired, How Al-Qaida Site Was Hijacked 20 Aug 2002
Washington Post, Sleuths Invade Military PCs With Ease, 20 Aug 2002
BBC News Online, Waiting for the fatwa, 15 August 2002
Associated Press/Mercury News, Briton cleared over `jihad' site, 10 August 2002
BBC News, Saudis block 2,000 websites, 31 July, 2002
DotJournalism, Weblogs give voice to Iranian women, 30 July, 2002
Weblogs give voice to Iranian womenMSNBC, U.S. woos Arabs with pop music, 24 July, 2002
Guardian, Terrorism.com, 17 July, 2002
BBC News, Hackers could face life in jail, 16 July 2002
BBC News, Hackers target web censorship, 15 July 2002
BBC News, Villagers try out net on wheels, 15 July 2002
Dawn, Afghan girls learning IT to help develop country, 10 July 2002
CNN, Iranian village gets wired for the Web, 6 July 2002
Web Host Industry Review, Militant Islamic Web Site Avoided Shutdown, 2 July 2002
Europemedia, Virtual museum to promote Islamic culture, 1 July 2002
Arab News, Coffee, tea or chat friend?, 27 June 2002
CNN, Al Qaeda: New bin Laden video on the way [refers to drasat.com and alneda.com], 25 June 2002
BBC News, Pro-Islamic hackers join forces, 19 June 2002
MSNBC/Newsweek, Hiding (and Seeking) Messages on the Web, 17 June 2002
McKenzie Institute, Bin Laden's Terror Networks in Europe, May 26 2002
Wired, "Jordan Punishes Net Critic", May 17, 2002
Wired, "Turkey passes strict Net Law", May 15, 2002
BBC, Teaching goes virtual in Pakistan, 13 May 2002
Sydney Morning Herald, Cyber jihad' warning to terror experts, 8 May 2002
IT-Director, The e-Jihad against Western Business, 5 April 2002
,vnunet.com, Surfers take spiritual quest online, 2 April 2002
New York Times, Terror's Confounding Online Trail, 28 March 2002
BBC News, Bahrain blocks opposition websites, 26 March 2002
New York Times, Al Qaeda's Grocery Lists and Manuals of Killing, 17 March 2002
vnu.net/IT Director, Bin Laden steps up holy war via email, 30 March 2002
MSNBC, How al-Qaida keeps in touch, March 6 2002
Guardian, Iran nets another revolt, 21 February 2002
BBC, Tracing the kidnappers' e-mails, February 8, 2002
Wired/Associated Press, Talib's Anti-American E-Mails, February 7, 2002
New York Times, Hot-Synching With a Heavenly Presence, February 7, 2002
Salon, The Encrypted Jihad, February 4, 2002
Straits Times, New proof shows link to Al-Qaeda, 25 January 2002
Straits Times, Mosque raps Fateha for 'sign up for jihad' e-mail, 23 January 2002
MSNBC, E-mail ties Richard Reid to Pakistan, January 19, 2002
New York Times, Electronic Primer for an Afghan Language, January 7, 2002
MSNBC/Washington Post, Probe of Sept. 11 financing wraps up, January 7, 2002
Wired, Trolling the Web for Afghan Dead, 4 January 2002
MSNBC/Wall Street Journal, Computer in Kabul holds chilling memos, 31 December 2001
MSNBC/Associated Press, New technology unveils Arab views, 30 December 2001
The Register, How Carnivore Works, 19 December 2001
AFP/Hindustan Times, Al-Qaeda will strike again: Islamic sites, 3th December 2001
The Register, US assumes global cyber-police authority, 27 November 2001
BBC, US shuts down Somalia internet, 23 November 2001
Al-Jazeera, Arab Media and the Information Age [book review, in Arabic], 21 November 2001
New York Times, Companies Compete to Provide Saudi Internet Veil, November 19 2001
Wired, It's All Arabic-English to Him, November 12 2001
BBC News, Saudis pay to surf censored sites, 3 November, 2001
The Daily Star (Lebanon), Palestinians are taking the Intifada online, November 2 2001
The Register, Mideast 'cyberwar' veteran indicted, November 1 2001
Wired, Does Official Taliban Site Exist?, October 30 2001
SANS Institute, Hacktivism: Compromise Techniques Used by GFORCE-Pakistan, October 24 2001
BBC, Hacktivists take sides in war, 23 October, 2001
Salon.com, A thousand and one e-mails, October 12 2001
Agence France-Presse, Vigilante hackers find their own website hacked, October 12 2001
CNN, 'Muppet' producers miffed over Bert-bin Laden image
Jewish World Review, Crush American web sites of terror, October 11 2001
The Guardian, Battle Station, October 9 2001
Newsbytes, 'Terror Killers' Go On Site Defacement Spree, October 8 2001
The Register, iomart cashes in on WTC tragedy, October 11 2001
AlterNet, Bert Leaves Sesame Street for bin Laden?, October 11 2001
MSNBC, Dirty tricks of hunt for al-Qaida cash, October 8 2001
BBC, Islamic terror code 'breakthrough',October 5 2001
Le Monde Interactif, Des garde-fous contre la cybersurveillance,October 5 2001
MSNBC, U.K. shuts suspected terror Web site, October 4 2001
The Register, We've cracked into bin Laden's bank - UK hackers, October 1 2001
LA Times, The Terrorists are winning the cyber war, 21 September 2001
The Register, Hackers lash out at Islamic Usenet group, 19 September 2001
The Register, FBI condemns vigilante hacking, 19 September 2001
Spiegel Online, Deutsche Website rekrutiert Gotteskrieger, 19 September 2001
Spiegel Online, FBI-Steckbrief statt Taliban-Propaganda, 19 September 2001
The Mirror, Internet Threat: Web of Terror, 19 September 2001
NY Times, I.S.P.'s Curb Terrorist Postings and an Anti-Islamic Backlash, 18 September 2001
MSNBC, FBI: Beware ‘patriot’ hackers, 18 September 2001
ZD Net, Hackers strike at Islamic Web sites, 18 September 2001
La Liberte, L'Afghanistan serait le seul etat musulman, 18 September 2001
The Register, Bomb the ISPs - Daily Telegraph, 17 September 2001
E-Commerce, Hackers Mobilize for War against Islamic Web Sites, 17 September 2001
IslamOnline, IslamOnline Receives Terrorist Threat, 14 September 2001
IslamOnline, US Muslim Scholars Condemn Attacks, 14 September 2001
Cosmiverse, Did Echelon Overlook Terrorist Threat?, 14 September 2001
Newsweek, Did Encryption Empower These Terrorists?, 11 September 2001
MSNBC, Anti-Arab sentiment festers online, 11 September 2001
Ananova, Cybersex addiction causing marital problems in Malaysia, 16 July 2001
AFP, Malaysian Mulim men not allowed to divorce via mobile phone, 14 July 2001
Ananova, Taliban 'ban the internet', 13 July 2001
Arab News, Zeba Haider, Net has changed our attitude towards life, 8 July 2001
Salon/AP, CIA says hackers move too fast, 21 June 2001 News
Al-Quds Al-Arabi, 29 May 2001, Islamic Internet article (refers to Virtually Islamic) in Arabic, PDF File requires Acrobat Reader
Yahoo/Reuters, Marty Logan, Malaysian State Ponders Curbs on Cyber Cafe Menu, 21 June 2001
Al Azhar's library to get wired up to the Internet Middle East Times/Islam for Today, 9 March 2001
IslamOnline, Banned Islamist Newspaper Goes Online, 26 February 2001
Guardian, Losing the Saudi cyberwar, Brian Whitaker, February 26, 2001
ZD-Net, Crackdown: Are hackers terrorists? Will Knight, 20 February 2001
India Express, Rajasthan police to combat militants’ cyber-war, 19th Feb 2001
IslamOnline, U.S. Based Islamic Website Hacked, 16 February 2001
LA Times, Mark Fineman, Kuwaitis Are Facing a Conflict Between Morality and Freedom, 3 February 2001
eCountries, Simeon Kerr, "Online Trading Comes to Islam", 10 January 2001
MSNBC, Amy Tan, "Singapore mosques plug into Web", 7 January 2001
iDefense Intelligence Services, Special Report: Israeli-Palestinian Cyber Conflict, January 4, 2001
Business2.com, Emily Fitzloff, "Turkish Kids Arrested for Web Use", 9 January 2001
Newsbytes, Malaysia Takes Action on Anti-Islam Internet Surfers, 12 December 2000
BBC News Online, Wired Up Ramadan, November 24, 2000
Thomas Greene, Cyberwar in the Middle East, 30 October 2000
Newsbytes, Palestine takes the Middle Eastern War Online, October 25, 2000
Guardian, Cyberspace frees Iran's rebel cleric, August 5, 2000
Reuters, Saudi Arabia Blocks Internet Users From Yahoo Clubs, August 13, 2000
Guardian, Saudis claim victory in war for control of web, Thursday May 11, 2000
BBC News, "Internet cafe opens in Baghdad", 27 July 2000
BBC News, "Iranian conservative slams Internet", 23 Jan 1999
BBC News, "Online Investing for Muslims", 27 Mar 2000
Wired, "Virtual Refuge for Gay Muslims", 8 May 2000
Wired, "Report: Mideast Misses the Net", 8 Jul 1999
NZZ, "Internet Cafés Instead of Hit Squads - A Fragile Peace in Southeast Turkey", 9 August 2000
First Monday, Michel Bauwens, Spirituality and Technology, 1996
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