Ebooks for the Classroom+Faculty

Islam in the Digital Age: E-Jihad, Online Fatwas and Cyber Islamic Environments
ISBN: 9781849641944
Platform/Publisher: JSTOR / Pluto Press
Digital rights: Users: unlimited; Printing: chapter; Download: chapter
Subjects: Islam -- Computer network resources; Jihad; Fatwas;

The Internet is an increasingly important source of information for many people in the Muslim world. Many Muslims in majority and minority contexts rely on the Internet as a primary source of news, information and communication about Islam. As a result, a new media culture is emerging which is having a significant impact on areas of global Muslim consciousness. Post-September 11th, this phenomenon has grown more rapidly than ever.



Gary R. Bunt provides a fascinating account of the issues at stake, identifying two radical new concepts:



Firstly, the emergence of e-jihad ('Electronic Jihad') originating from diverse Muslim perspectives - this is described in its many forms relating to the different definitions of 'jihad', including on-line activism (ranging from promoting militaristic activities to hacking, to co-ordinating peaceful protests) and Muslim expression post 9/11.



Secondly, he discusses religious authority on the Internet - including the concept of on-line fatwas and their influence in diverse settings, and the complexities of conflicting notions of religious authority.