Jihadi Culture on the World Wide Web -- New on the shelf

Jihadi Culture on the World Wide Web, by Gilbert Ramsay

Review – Jihadi Culture on the World Wide Web, by Anne Stenersen,
"The book starts out with a simple, yet intriguing puzzle: Rather than asking why a few online jihadis eventually turn to violence, Ramsay asks why there are thousands who do not. The answer, he argues, can be found by seeing online jihadism as a subculture with its own practices, rewards, and self-justifications." continue reading E-International Relations (E-IR)

Book Description:

Examines "jihadi" content on the Internet by drawing on both Arabic and English primary source materials. After examining this content as digital media, the work looks at how it is productively consumed by online communities, including how "jihadi" individuals construct themselves online and how jihadism is practiced and represented as an online activity. The work also discusses the consumption of such jihadi media by those who are hostile to radical Islam and the relation between fantasy, pleasure, ideology, and ordinary life.

This unique survey features case studies, such as the cyberjihadi "Irhabi 007," pro-US and Israeli "patriots" who are often openly Islamophobic, and "Infovlad" --a forum that became the meeting place for radical Islamists and radical freelance "counter terrorists."

This innovative approach to studying violent content on the Internet is a significant contribution to the literature that will appeal to anyone interested in political violence, terrorism, and political communication.

Contents:
Chapter 1: Terror on the Internet?
Chapter 2: Alternative Media, and its Alternatives
Chapter 3: Jihadi Content on the Word Wide Web
Chapter 4: Jihadi Forums in their Own Words
Chapter 5: Disagreeable Disagreements
Chapter 6: Being a Jihadi on the Internet
Chapter 7: Some other ‘Jihadi’ Consumption Cultures: Crusaderism, War Porn, Shock
Chapter 8: Jihadism between Fantasy and Virtuality: A Tentative Conclusion
Glossary of Arabic Terms

On the same shelf:

• How 10 years of social media has changed Islam
• Genie Uncorked: Social Media in the UAE

This volume examines "jihadi" content on the Internet by drawing on both Arabic and English primary source materials. After examining this content as digital media, the work looks at how it is productively consumed by online communities, including how "jihadi" individuals construct themselves online and how jihadism is practiced and represented as an online activity. The work also discusses the consumption of such jihadi media by those who are hostile to radical Islam and the relation between fantasy, pleasure, ideology, and ordinary life.

This unique survey features case studies, such as the cyberjihadi "Irhabi 007," pro-US and Israeli "patriots" who are often openly Islamophobic, and "Infovlad" --a forum that became the meeting place for radical Islamists and radical freelance "counter terrorists."

This innovative approach to studying violent content on the Internet is a significant contribution to the literature that will appeal to anyone interested in political violence, terrorism, and political communication. - See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/jihadi-culture-on-the-world-wide-web-9781441124395/#sthash.a9q38nxN.dpuf

New on the Spiritual Web Shelves - A select list of books

• Playing with Religion in Digital Games (Digital Game Studies) Gregory P. Grieve
• Exploring Religious Community Online: We are One in the Network (Digital Formations) Heidi Campbell
• Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in New Media Worlds Digital Religion Heidi A. (EDT) Campbell
• iGods: How Technology Shapes Our Spiritual and Social Lives Craig Detweiler
• Digital Religion, Social Media and Culture: Perspectives, Practices and Futures (Digital Formations) Pauline Hope Cheong
• The Digital Puritan - Vol.III, No.3 John Bunyan
• Byte Religion Christian Kirtchev
• Cyber Meltdown: Bible Prophecy and the Imminent Threat of Cyberterrorism Ron Rhodes
• Cyber Religion: An entry from MACM's Contemporary American Religion Brenda E. Brasher
• 13 Blasphemies: Cyber Attack on the Holy Bible S.R. Smith
• Religion and the Internet - current cult fundamentalist Cyber ??religion ( Internet Society) (1998) ISBN: 4000262742 [Japanese Import] Tosa Masaki
• Religion on the Internet (Religion and the Social Order) (Religion and the Social Order) (Vol 8) Jeffrey K. Hadden
• Cyber Evangelism Esther Ogbonda
• Cyber With Me God (First Edition) Lee Vosloo
• iMuslims: Rewiring the House of Islam (Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks) Gary R. Bunt
• Digital Amen: A Look into the New Cyber Congregation S. Antonio Moffett
• CyberQuest: The Complete Virtual Adventure Sigmund Brouwer
• eMinistry - Virtual Pathways for Spiritual Leadership: Taking Evangelism into the Cyber Frontier Rev. Dr. Lauren Speeth
• Cyber Snoop Nation: The Adventures Of Littanie Webster, Sixteen-Year-Old Genius Private EyeOn Internet Radio Anne Hart
• Saved In Cyber-Space: How One Man Found Salvation On-line & How the Internet Can Bring Christ to the Entire Planet Matthew Long
• Japanese Religions on the Internet: Innovation, Representation, and Authority (Routledge Research in Religion, Media and Culture) Erica Baffelli
• The First Cyber Death Extravaganza!: A Mock Passion Play Scott Douglas
• Super Cyber Box Scope and Sequence First Quarter: Cyber Wars, 7 Weeks of Fighting to Win Over the Enemy, Satan 6 Weeks of Faith, Responsibility, Self Charisma Life Publishers 

Identifying the major topics to find Internet resources on Muslims and Islam

"Religion is not just for churches, synagogues or mosques anymore -- it's a topic that is being actively searched for online, according to researchers at Penn State." (Web Searches for Religious Topics On the Rise, sciencedaily.com)

The purpose, here, is to identify and list major topics that relate to finding religion-online (aka faith-based web searches), example: Muslims and Islam. 

In short, the spiritual web has many resources (good, best and not so good) that are used for religious purposes. Here is a sample of topics that relate to Muslim and / or Islamic resources:

• Basic 101 - Iman (knowing), Islam (practicing), Ihsan (experiencing)
• Prayer / space location / direction / time (obligatory prayers)
• Fasting date and timing / Do's Don'ts
• Charity (obligatory = Zakat), other helping aids
• Hajj date and timing / Do's Don'ts
• Festival / celebration: date and timing
• Meditation / Zikr (other than obligatory prayers)
• Quran, recitation / Adhan / Hymns (Naat)
• Learning Islam: How to worship, how to resolve everyday situations 
• History, biography, Life of the Prophet Mohammed and his companions
• Law (jurisprudence), schools, sources, etc.
• Finding an expert / alim / Scholar / Imam
• Cultural matters (dress, diet, etc.) communities, etc. 
• Language based resources (Quran: translation and interpretation; Hadith, Fiqh, etc) 
• Necessities of daily life: housing, jobs, Halal and legal avenues, inheritance, wealth management, family life, marriage, birth, death, etc.
• Movements, groups, ideologies, etc.
• News, events, etc.

NOTE: If you want to see the websites on some of the above themes, then you have to look at my book in your library (using WorldCat), or order  from Amazon or Publisher:

Cyber Worship Resource for World Prayers

Here is a sample from inside the Book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives--full of resources that will facilitate building bridges in a Multifaith society. Table of Contents / Reviews

Chapter 1. 1. Cyber Worship/Meditation Webwise: Noah, Abraham and Beyond 

 Chapter 2. 'Cyber Worship As-Is On the Web'

On the same shelf:  

• Key Themes for the Study of Islam
  Jamal J. Elias (2010, ISBN 9781851687107)  [Contents: Art / Kishwar Rizvi -- Authority / Devin DeWeese -- Belief / R. Kevin Jacques -- Body / Shahzad Bashir -- Community / Ahmet T. Karamustafa -- Culture / Michael Cooperson -- Death / Amila Buturovic -- Gender / Kelly Pemberton -- God / Jamal J. Elias -- History / Snjezana Buzov -- Institution / Joseph E. Lowry -- Law / A. Kevin Reinhart -- Modernity / Bruce B. Lawrence -- Prayer / Shawkat M. Toorawa -- Prophecy / Devin Stewart -- Ritual / Amina M. Steinfels -- Text / İrvin Cemil Schick -- War / Sohail H. Hashmi -- Word / Walid A. Saleh. ] -- Other possible Islamic themes (potential keywords): Allah, fiqh, hadith, iman, islam, jihad, kitab, mithaq, nabi, qadr, Quran, salat, sharia, sufi, sunna, tawhid. umma (p. 4); prayer, fasting, alms-giving, judgement (p. 4); 
• Major Themes of the Qur'an: Second Edition, by Fazlur Rahman
  Chapter One : God
  Chapter Two : Man as Individual
  Chapter Three: Man in Society
  Chapter Four: Nature
  Chapter Five: Prophethood and Revelation
  Chapter Six : Eschatology
  Chapter Seven: Satan and Evil
  Chapter Eight: Emergence of the Muslim Community
  Appendix I: The Religious Situation of the Muslim Community in Mecca
  Appendix II: The People of the Book and Diversity of Religions
  
• Islam and Christianity: Theological Themes in Comparative Perspective, by John Renard
  Part I. Historical Dimensions: Interpreting God's Communication and Divine Engagement in Time and Space
  1. Sacred Sources and Community Origins; 2. Development and Spread
  Part II. Creedal Dimensions: Faith and the Development of Theology as a Religious Discipline
  3. From Story to Creed; 4. The Emergence of Theological Disciplines
  Part III. Institutional Dimensions: The Structures of Theologically Grounded Community
  5. Beneath the Brick and Mortar; 6.Institutions in Action
  Part IV. Ethical and Spiritual Dimensions: Mapping Outward and Inward Journeys of Faith
  7. Sources, Methods, and Social Values in Theological Ethics; 8. Sources and Models in Traditions of Spirituality; 9. Themes in Prayer and Mystical Theology
  Epilogue: Reflections on the Prospects for Christian-Muslim Theological Dialogue
  
• Islamic Theological Themes: A Primary Source Reader, by John Renard (Editor) CONTENTS:
  Part One: The Science of Interpretation: Reading the Sacred Sources
  1 Qur'an and Hadith; 2 Interpreting the Sacred Sources
  Part Two: The Science of Community: Mapping the Boundaries of True Belief
  3 Muslim Awareness of Other Religious Communities; 4 Creed and Polemic
  Part Three : The Science of Divine Unity: Schools and Themes in Systematic Theology
  5 Theological Schools and Principles; 6 Major Themes in Systematic Theology
  Part Four : The Science of Hearts: Spirituality and Literature
  7 Knowledge and the Spiritual Quest; 8 Poetic, Pastoral, and Narrative Theology
  Part Five: The Science of Character and Comportment: Ethics and Governance
  9 Ethics in Theory; 10 Ethics in Practice
  
• Yahoo Topics/Categories:

• http://classifile.com

Cyber Worship Revisited - Need to sort out your sins? There's an app for that

Herald Tribune, Thu 10 Feb 2011

Can your iPad or iPhone bring you closer to God? A new application for the devices aims to help Roman Catholics who haven't been to the confessional booth in a while keep track of their sins, one Commandment at a time. The $1.99 "Confession: A Roman Catholic App" can't grant forgiveness -- you still need to receive the sacrament from a real, live priest like always. The app's designers and some believers see it as a way to spur Catholics back into the habit of repenting. "There's a reason we designed it for these mobile devices: We want you to go to confession," said Patrick Leinen, one of the developers and a co-founder of the company Little... continue reading: Herald Tribune,

More Online Confessions, Resources here:

Here is a sample from inside the Book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives--full of resources that will facilitate building bridges in a Multifaith society. Table of Contents / Reviews

Chapter 2. 'Cyber Worship as-is On the Web'

Resource of the Week is: Museums of World Religions (see description, reviews, etc., page 70). Order with Publisher:

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My related posts:

Special Issue from Religious Studies Review on Religion & Internet

Cybersins and Digital Good Deeds

Christian Librarianship

Web Vastu or A Spiritual Worldview for Marketing Website

Online - Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet

Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives

Online religion and social media - The Church of Facebook

The Church of Facebook: How the Hyperconnected Are Redefining Community by Jesse Rice, David C. Cook; (2009)


Strength:

Overall it is very well researched and offers good insights that show whats-up in terms of the emotional and spiritual dynamics of Facebook (albeit, limited to Christian perspectives):

CPA - Continuous Partial Attention - This is the impulse to constantly check Facebook, Twitter, email, etc. It's motivated by the desire to not miss anything. It creates an artificial sense of crisis. It can cause a person to become over stimulated and unable to focus on what's right in front of him. (P 102)


"In affect the hyperconnection of Facebook changes the nature of our relationships by turning our friends into audiences and us into performances... Our actions are often based on what we think our invisible entourage might like best." (P 112)

People can become dependent on Facebook for their identity, self-worth, and decision making. (P 145, paraphrase)

"[Genuine] community is less about `best-friendship' and more about intentional engagement with the people in our lives... maybe it's not the increasingly online nature of our relationships that is affecting our relationships most. Perhaps it is our `relational consumerism' that needs changing." (P 172 & 173)

"Life can all to often feel like little more than a knee-jerk reaction to urgent emails, phone calls, meetings, and decisions." (P 190) -- extracts courtesy: Paul Steinbrueck "LiveIntentionally.org" (Safety Harbor, FL)

It shows the how Facebook is also allowing the open society to turn closer to God (this book is not about evils of Facebook)

Weakness:

Misleading title: For those who want to see the vertical religious resources (such as, Online Access to God, Online Temple, they have to go elsewhere); See my book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives and then go to the cited links for an online Temple, For a Online Ritual),

The book is simply about communitas (borrowing a title of scholarly book on online religion); but here communitas is just about the horizontal connection between the people (not necessarily faithful; and not necessarily congregational get-to-gether-ness)

On the same shelf:

The Church of Facebook: How the Hyperconnected Are Redefining Community [Unabridged] [Audible Audio Edition]

When Religion Meets New Media

Social Media and Religion @ Facebook

Pope Blesses Social Networking

Thy Kingdom Connected: What the Church Can Learn from Facebook, the Internet, and Other Networks (mersion: Emergent Village resources for communities of faith)
Dwight J. Friesen

GOD's FACE IN FACEBOOK - A Fascinating True Encounter, Joseph Rubbens

Who's In Your Orbit?: Beyond Facebook Creating Relationships That Matter, Mike Muhney

Vatican bans confession by iPhone / Vatican bans iPhone 'God app'

Prayer rug links high-tech, spiritual worlds

eRug has built-in sensors that alert the user to prayer time

Shauna Rempel
Toronto Star

Name: Wael Aboulsaadat

Age: 36

Program: Fourth-year PhD student, department of computer science at the University of Toronto.

Thesis: Computer user interfaces for religious practice.

The device: Aboulsaadat has designed a prototype of a digital device called eRug that Muslims can use to enhance their daily prayers. The rug has built-in sensors, lights and a display screen to show scripture, alert the user to the next prayer time and find the direction of Mecca. "It will increase their understanding of the scriptures and the quality of the prayer," says Aboulsaadat. continue reading

This tiny little prayer ... Sent up to GOD.com

Cyber worship (using cyber space for worship), continues to appear in different sites and appeal everyone. We have in the past included Rabbi offers prayer for Web porn surfers / God.com: Web Analytics Series no.2 / The Christian Prayer While Logging Onto the Internet. And, much more in my book: Cyber Worship.

Following is an interesting post by Bingkee:

"TO WWW.GOD.COM
An online buddy, John, at Multiply shared this little prayer with me. I intend to express this prayer by posting it here. Although the prayer is referring to online friends through email, I dedicate this prayer to all my friends, buddies, fellow bloggers and loyal readers I met here online through my blogsite and at Blog Catalog, MyBlogLog, Pijoo and Spicypage. Also my friends and readers from Friendster, Facebook, Multiply, Netlog, Moli, and Gather."

EXTRACT: And God, there is one more thing I wish that you could do. Hope you don't mind me asking, Bless my computer too.... When you update your heavenly list On your own CD-RomR emember each who've said this prayer. Sent up to God.com. Amen. continue reading

A note about This Tiny Little Prayer: Submitted By: Brenda S. (and I have no idea who that is...).

• See the true colors of this tiny little prayer with background music
  

Cyber Worship Resource of the Week is The Christian Prayer While Logging Onto the Internet

Here is a sample from inside the Book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives--full of resources that will facilitate building bridges in a Multifaith society. Table of Contents /Reviews

Almighty and eternal God,
who created us in Thy image and bade us to seek after all that is good,
true and beautiful,
especially in the divine person of Thy only-begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant we beseech Thee that,
through the intercession of Saint Isidore,
bishop and doctor,
during our journeys through the internet we will direct our hands and eyes only to that which is pleasing to Thee
and treat with charity and patience all those souls whom we encounter.
Through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Chapter 1. 'Mapping Webwise'

Resource of the Week is: A Prayer before Logging onto the Internet and the Catholic Online Forum (prayer on p. 18, quoted). Order with Publisher:

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Why musicians make us weep and computers don't?

New Study of Public Library of Science.
Info courtesy: Forhad @ Research Directory Headline

Music can soothe the savage breast much better if played by musicians rather than clever computers, according to a new University of Sussex-led study published in the online, open-access journal PLoS ONE.

Neuroscientists looked at the brain's response to piano sonatas played either by a computer or a musician and found that, while the computerised music elicited an emotional response – particularly to unexpected chord changes - it was not as strong as listening to the same piece played by a professional pianist. continue reading

Cyber Worship Resource of the Week is The Jewish Prayer While Logging Onto the Internet

Here is a sample from inside the Book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives--full of resources that will facilitate building bridges in a Multifaith society. Table of Contents / Reviews

"Please God, help me cleanse the computer of viruses and evil photographs that disturb and ruin my work ..., so that I shall be able to cleanse myself," reads the benediction by Shlomo Eliahu, chief rabbi in the northern town of Safed.

Chapter 1. 'Mapping Webwise'

Resource of the Week is: Rabbi offers prayer for Web porn surfers (prayer on p. 56, quoted from www.gnatoll.com). Order with Publisher:

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Cyber Worship Resource of the Week is Projek Cyber Mosque MPSJ

Here is a sample from inside the Book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives--full of resources that will facilitate building bridges in a Multifaith society. Table of Contents / Reviews

Chapter 2. 'Cyber Worship as-is On the Web'

Resource of the Week is: Projek Cyber Mosque MPSJ (see description, reviews, etc., page 96). Order with Publisher:

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Cyber Worship Resource of the Week is The Miraculous Winking Jesus

Here is a sample from inside the Book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives--full of resources that will facilitate building bridges in a Multifaith society. Table of Contents / Reviews

Chapter 2. 'Cyber Worship as-is On the Web'

Resource of the Week is: The Miraculous Winking Jesus (see description, reviews, etc., page 82). Order with Publisher:

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Cyber Worship Resource of the Week is Museums of World Religions

Here is a sample from inside the Book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives--full of resources that will facilitate building bridges in a Multifaith society. Table of Contents / Reviews

Chapter 2. 'Cyber Worship as-is On the Web'

Resource of the Week is: Museums of World Religions (see description, reviews, etc., page 70). Order with Publisher:

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Cyber Worship Resource of the Week is Trucker’s Prayer Room

Here is a sample from inside the Book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives--full of resources that will facilitate building bridges in a Multifaith society. Table of Contents / Reviews

Chapter 2. 'Cyber Worship as-is On the Web'

Resource of the Week is: Truckers' Prayer Room Persons of all faiths and walks of life are invited to Post A Prayer Request and/or View Posted Request (see description, reviews, etc., page 70). Order with Publisher:

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Cyber Worship Resource of the Week is Godulike

Here is a sample from inside the Book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives--full of resources that will facilitate building bridges in a Multifaith society. Table of Contents / Reviews

Chapter 2. 'Cyber Worship as-is On the Web'

Resource of the Week is: Godulike - An Irreverent Look at the Faith Industry (see description, reviews, etc., page 70). Order with Publisher:

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