E-Jihad and Gen-ISIS

This chapter discusses the emergence of ‘Islamic State’ and their application of social media in order to promote their activities. This was integral to the development of IS, which integrated and recorded its message for recruitment and propagation purposes. The chapter also explores how this viewpoint was contested online.

Status Update

This chapter explores how the Internet became digitally integrated into dynamics of Islamic religious issues and faith, often with a seamless divide between off-line and online components. It looks at specific dimensions of faith, including the Qur'an, pilgrimage, gender, and the different aspects of Muslim life as represented online. This includes different ideas about spirituality and religious authority.

Smartphone Jihad

This chapter introduces concepts associated with electronic jihad and their articulation within cyberspace. It draws on explorations of electronic jihad in diverse international settings, and includes a case study of an al-Qaeda online magazine. The chapter looks at the different ways in which technology has been integrated into campaigns.

Fatwa Machine

This chapter discusses at how specific worldviews of Islam are articulated online, and the ways in which religious authority has become a key driver within cyber Islamic environments. The chapter includes brief case studies of key online religious authorities, demonstrating different approaches towards 'fatwas' and other expressions of religious authority.

Introduction

An overview of the themes in Hashtag Islam, discussing some of the inspiration in its writing and responses to changes in discourse about cyber-Islamic environments.

Conclusion

This chapter addresses the central question of how electronic media has impacted on religious authority, interpretation, control, power and the dissemination of specific political and religious understanding. It considers how cyber Islamic environments may shift again in the future. It suggests that as the integration of online content into Islamic expression continues to develop, this has become an increasingly significant subject for future study.

Changing Digital Spaces

This chapter looks at different phases in the development of cyber Islamic environments and examines the impact of the digital divide on Muslim societies. It includes a discussion on censorship and information control, providing brief case studies on Saudi Arabia and Iran. It introduces ideas associated with apps and their implications within social media platforms.

Perspectives on Muslim Digital Worlds

This chapter explores the research approach towards defining cyber Islamic environments, and includes an overview of theoretical perspectives towards media and communications in general, and religion, media and the Internet specifically.