Virtually Islamic: Research and News about Islam in the Digital Age
Gary R. Bunt

Archive: News about Islam, Muslims and Cyberspace

To recommend a news story for this page, please contact . Related themes are discussed and developed in my research on Islam, Muslims and cyberspace. 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. The selection and placement of stories on this page were determined by the site's author (not a computer program!). 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. The most recent stories can be found on the Virtually Islamic blog.

UNDP - Arab States The Arab Human Development Report in English, Arabic and French contains references to the net/IT access. Also see:

SciScoop || Fuzzy Math And Fuzzy Thinking By The Numbers refers to "the latest volume of the Arab Human Development Report" including the following: "There are 18 computers per 1,000 people in Arab countries, compared with a global average of 78.3 per 1,000 ... Internet access is available to 1.6 percent of the population in Arab countries. Telephone line access in the countries is barely one-fifth that of developed countries."

Middle East Online: "Dubbed by Time magazine as the most important study in 2002, this year's UN's Arab Human Development Report expands on the need for governments to reform economically, politically and socially as well as engage globally or else trail behind the rest of the world.

"Unlike last year's version, which concluded the region faced freedom, gender inequality and knowledge deficits, the 210-page report published this week and compiled by Arab intellectuals and analysts covering the 22 Arab countries, stresses the untapped potential of knowledge."

MEMRI, New Al-Qa'ida Online Magazine Features Interview with a 'Most-Wanted' Saudi Islamist, Calls for Killing of Americans and Non-Muslims, October 17 2003 Extracts from 'The Voice of Jihad'.

Middle-East-Online, Taraweeh in English live from Mecca, 30 Oct 03 "The Saudi Ministry For Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Dawa and Guidance has launched the first ever live English translation of Ramadan 'Taraweeh' prayers from TV studios at the Sacred Mosque in Mecca.

"The project was launched under the directives of the Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdel Aziz Al Sheikh and with the cooperation of team of Islamic scholars and translators led by Sheikh Wajdi Bin Hamza Al Ghazzawi who developed the translation system being used for this historic project."

Study finds gaps in digital divide theory - News & Technology - CNETAsia: "Charting and Bridging Digital Divides" report on the so-called 'digital divide' paints a more complext picture. There are no references to 'Islamic' contexts in the report.

IHT: Brazil, the new hotbed for hackers, 28 Oct 03

BBC NEWS, Photo Journal: Baghdad family, 30 Oct 03 Not quite Salam Pax, but an interesting insight nevertheless into daily life. Let's hope the BBC paid Mr Kadhim for his contribution.

Globetechnology, Information production on rise: Study, 29 October 2003 " ... the worldwide production of information has increased by 30 per cent each year between 1999 and 2002, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley." Enhanced information overload, already an issue for those of us studying Islam on the net.

Straits Times, Seductive voice of political Islam - OCT 27, 2003: "After Dr Mahathir spoke, the Muslim heads of state gathered at the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference gave him a standing ovation for the speech, which ultimately criticised the Islamic world for failing to modernise.

Dr Mahathir is unlikely to remain quiet or uninfluential in retirement.

Mercury News | 10/25/2003 | A hidden voice of Islam A reference to Silicon Valley got this interesting profile of a Muslim community in America into the site

Middle East Online, Cheap Ramadan calls for Thuraya subscribers in Iraq (good photo!) Middle East Online 50% of Arab satellite TVs are loss making

TerraNet Portal Site, Ramadan dinners go online in Turkey, 24 Oct 03 Great headline! "Turkish people lacking time to prepare the traditionally lavish dinners served during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan can this year count on the services of a website which promises to deliver a movable feast at the exact time of fast-breaking."

Pravda, Who Trains Suicide Bombers? - 23 Oct 03: "In 2000, Chechen suicide bombers appeared on this black list for the first time. On July 2nd that year, four blasts perpetrated by suicide bombers in Argun, Gudermes and Urus-Martan left 33 people dead and over 80 wounded. The Internet site of the al-Qaeda cell operating in Chechnya hurried to declare the suicide bombers 'shahids' or martyrs."

albawaba.com: Close to 90 satellite channels compete over 71 million viewers in the Arab World, 22 Oct 03

AP, Bin Laden Hiding but Striking With Words, 21 Oct 2003 " ... Saturday, an al-Qaida-style recording surfaced on the Internet featuring what is described as audio of militants launching a suicide bomb attack in Saudi Arabia in May, killing 26 people in a Western housing compound. A speaker dedicates the attack to bin Laden and the audio includes what appear to be old statements from him calling on Muslims to wage a holy war on the United States and its allies."

MSNBC, Asian terrorists quickly regroup, 17 October 2003: "A leadership vacuum left by the arrest of al-Qaida-linked terrorists in Asia has been quickly filled with a new operations chief and top bomb makers who are plotting deadly attacks on international hotels and other Western targets in the region, intelligence officials tell the Associated Press."

Now, maulvis' fatwa spins out of control: This wasn't an electronic fatwa, but was circulated on the net (including in newspaper articles): "The fatwa, issued by Imam of Hazrat Khwaja Dana Saheb Mufti Mohammed Murtazakhan Razwi of the Sunni sect and Mufti Ismail Wadiwala of the Tablique sect, states: 'Idol worship is against Islam. Any Muslim found worshipping idols should be boycotted from the community. If he has to return to the community, he should remarry and apologise to the Almighty.' The similarity in both the fatwas is striking and they both do not name anyone. "

Times Online - Comment, How to be an Islamic reformer: blame the Jews, 17 October 2003

Independent, General promises to stop talking of Satan and Islam, 18 October 2003 "A Pentagon general criticised for portraying military conflicts as religious battles has said he will desist from his evangelical rhetoric in an attempt to keep his job."

Straits Times, Islam through the eyes of the Western media - OCT 20, 2003

albawaba.com: Bin Laden urges Muslim youths to join jihad against US, 18 October 2003 that's an audio tape - although the article is accompanied by a tv picture of bin Laden.

Libraries revisit Islam - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics

Khilafah.com - Troop Magazine Offers Sex Tips For GIs in Muslim Countries

aljazeerah.info, Muslim Scholars Call for Fairplay in Resolving Conflicts, 16 Oct 2003

Tallahassee Democrat | 10/10/2003 | Shedding tears for the gruesome sacrifice of Haifa refers to "The Trouble With Islam," Irshad Manji's new book, and her website www.Muslim-refusenik.com.

Straits Times, Islam as seen through the eyes of the Western media - OCT 11, 2003"All around the world, the Western media stimulates, corrupts, influences, shapes and challenges Muslims. Television, radio, the Internet and newspapers are inundated with negative images of Muslims, who are routinely portrayed as being fundamentalist, conservative, extremist, uncivilised or despotic."

Straits Times, Radical Islam still being taught in madrasahs - OCT 11, 2003 Refers to a study by the Institute of Policy Studies in Islamabad; "An IPS survey shows that students from such religious schools are hostile to other sects - 20 per cent said they had no tolerance for them.

FrontPage magazine.com, Who Bombed the Baghdad Hotel?

Islam Online, Jewish Websites Under U.S. 'Terrorism' List, 13 October 2003

CNN.com - Egyptians following twins surgery - Oct. 12, 2003: The separation of Ahmed and Mohamed Ibrahim was followed on the net:

Brunei-Online, Muslim countries can have democracy: Nobel prize winner, 13 October 2003 refers to net

BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | The 'university of holy war', 10 October 2003: "Its students and principal call it the University of Jihad (Holy War).

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Despair of Palestinian children, 10 October 2003 Relevant to my discussion on the 'cyber-interfada' in Islam in the Digital Age.

BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Mahathir calls for peaceful Islam, 10 October 2003

Reason.com, Really Creative Destruction: Economist Tyler Cowen argues for the cultural benefits of globalization Discussion of a new book: Creative Destruction: How Globalization Is Changing the World's Cultures

MPAC, Tablighi Jamaat, Political Jihad & the biggest Mosque in Europe???

MPAC, 'British' and 'Muslim'? article originally in Islam Online

Reuters, Nobel panel sends bold message with Ebadi prize, Fri 10 October, 2003

MSNBC, FBI sent money to Hamas in late ?90s tracking alleged cash routes to Hamas.

IPS News, RIGHTS: U.S. Muslims Warn of New Government Crackdown, 9 October 2003 on Islamophobia.

Wired News: Cloaking Device Made for Spammers, 9 October 2003 'Hidden websites' would have a number of applications for some of the sites/platforms discussed in Islam in the Digital Age.

Commondreams.org, It's the Policy, Stupid, 9 October 2003 Article by Lawrence Pintak.

The Register "Warning: virus terrorism stories may contain nuts", 8 October 2003 "Deadly attacks on the Internet, as we're all aware, are almost entirely the work of isolated dysfunctionals, aided in no small part by woefully secured and supervised computer systems. High tech computer crime, as we're sure the NHTCU is well aware, is largely the work of insiders."

Gamla, A Muslim Reformation? transcript of a radio programme, with a reference by Daniel Pipes to the internet. Also refers to Irshad Manji's new book.

Yorkshire Today, Mosque chief 'beat boy, eight, for not learning lessons', 5 October 2003 not a 'technical' story in relation to Islam, but this relates to notions of religious authority - a key theme of my work to date.

AP/CBS 2: National Wire, Doll offers image of modesty and self-esteem for Muslim girls, 8 October 2003 Muslim 'Barbie', known as Razanne, has achieved most of its sales on the web. My detailed research on this - OK, I admit it, a Google search - revealed a Razanne site.

BBC NEWS | Business | Iraq awards mobile phone licences, 6 October 2003

MSNBC, Quest for the Muslim niche market, 5 October 2003 Discussion on 'spoof' Internet publication Islamica News.

WashingtonPost.com, After Shock use of net cafes in Iraq referred to

Cyberdissent: The Internet in Revolutionary Iran Paper by Babak Rahmi, originally published by the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal: "Abstract: This paper argues that the internet, as an advancing new means of communication, has played an important role in the ongoing struggle for democracy in Iran. While outlining its history in Iran amidst an ambiguous state response to its rapid development since 1993, the paper also attempts to show how the internet has opened a new virtual space for political dissent. The paper claims that the internet is an innovative method for resistance in that it essentially defies control and supervision of speech by authoritarian rule seeking to undermine resistance."

OrlandoSentinel.com: News: More on allegations surrounding Ahmed Fathy Mehalba, a Guantanamo Bay translator, and allegations relating to the hiring of staff at the facility: "Describing the recruitment process in June 2002, a Titan official said some candidates for the translator jobs were found through the Internet, newspaper ads, language associations and word-of-mouth."

ic Wales - Islamic Net cafe aims to build bridges, 2 October 2003 An Islam and the net story from Wales. There's a new Islamic cybercafe in Cardiff (more info at www.theserenity.org)

Progressive.org, Edward Said Interview, by David Barsamian, 1 October 2003 Interview from February 2003 with the late Edward W. Said, whose comment about the net and its impact on his own writings was interesting (the whole interview is worth reading): "There's a form of censorship here in the U.S., which is that you're marginalized. You can't appear in the mainstream media. But my stuff is published in the Arab countries, and then it appears on the Internet. It's picked up and people read it. When I got a request to write an article for The New York Times Magazine about my idea of a solution, a binational state for Palestinians and Israelis, that was because an editor there had read me on the Internet."

The EastAfrican on the Web, Who's Reading My Mail? Everybody, it Seems!, 1 October 2003 "[But] ... under the guise of tracking the bad guys, many self-serving African governments would love to develop a culture of "cyber-security", particularly if that UN summit gives them the excuse. It was only this month that Tanzanian police freed a Pakistani national whose intercepted e-mails to a friend in Pakistan were found suspect."

Washingtonpost.com, Guantanamo Bay Prison Interpreter Arrested for False Statements : "Federal agents at Boston Logan Airport arrested an interpreter from the Guantanamo Bay prison camp for making false statements earlier this week after finding classified computer discs about the jail's operations in his baggage as he returned from a foreign trip, U.S. officials "

Beliefnet: A Joke Becomes a Muslim's Chance to Proselytize Jews"Unlike Jews for Jesus, Ghounem has no sponsors and no missionaries; he relies solely on the Internet for outreach. His Web site, which has had more than one million visitors since it was launched three years ago, has attracted about 200 "converts" who use it as a support group. It also provides a forum for Ghounem to address misconceptions about Islam, like the idea that Islam was spread by the sword, that the Quran is anti-Semitic and that Jews and Muslims worship different gods." Discussion on jewsforallah.com

Yahoo! News - Canada Author Causes Stir with 'Trouble with Islam'The application of the term "Islamo-fetishist" caught my attention here, as well as the author's interest in 'ijtihad' - something I write about in Islam in the Digital Age.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Discord at digital divide talks, 29 September 2003

albawaba.com: Qatar leads IT connectivity in the Middle East, 26 September 2003 as discussed in Islam in the Digital Age

HindustanTimes.com, Women muftis issue fatwa on parlours, 28 September 2003 : "Dar-ul-Iftah, a collegium of muftias (women muftis or religious teachers) formed for the first time in the country in Hyderabad this week, has issued a fatwa, declaring that patronising beauty parlours is unIslamic."

Windy City Media Group, Gays in Azerbaijan Struggle with Tradition, Not Religion, 17 September 2003 "Both Anar and Zaur prefer to go to one of the dozens of Internet cafes that populate the city, and talk to people online for 2000 manat (about 40 cents) per hour. Even in cyberspace, you have to be careful. There are no local gay sites, and the two men have honed their cyber-gaydar. “You learn to hear code,” when exchanging messages online, says Anar. There are also several dating sites that accept men-for-men ads."

Ialbawaba.com, Summer lovin' - Arab Gays, Lesbians coming out of the closet...?, 7 August 2003 refers to several web sites and chat channels (some of which I've discussed in my Virtually Islamic book and other publications), including the LEGAL Institute Website, GayMiddleEast.com, GLAS, Ahbab, gayarab.org, Al-Fatiha, Huriyah and Queer Jihad. There is room for more detailed research in this field.

Inter Press, RELIGION-MALAYSIA: Debate Rages on 'E-divorce', 5 August 2003 More on the SMS controversy: "For all the furore 'e-divorce' has caused, Malaysia is not the first country where SMS 'talaq' has been accepted. Media reports say the first case of an SMS divorce took place in the United Arab Emirates.

"But Islamic authorities in neighbouring Singapore - where using SMS is an everyday habit -- have declared 'talaq' by SMS unacceptable due to "elements of doubt" over the sender's identity and sincerity."

Clearly this opens up a whole range of issues (technical, legal, ethical, gender relations). It is interesting that, in Singapore, emphasis was placed on a sender's identity. There are other issues: what if the intended recipient's phone is non-functional (signal failure, battery dead, phone off, number changed)??

Internet Haganah: Who is Taking Credit for Attacks on the U.S. Army in Western Iraq? Jonathan D. Halevi's overview (hosted on Internet Haganah, originally in Jerusalem Issue) on al-Jam'iya al-Salafiya al-Mujahida includes reference/screenshots of related websites: " ... in an Iraq that is currently in transition after the iron-fisted rule of the Baath party, al-Jam'iya al-Salafiya is likely to find a receptive audience for its ideological platform among a considerable number of Iraqi Sunnis who want to see the removal of the occupying American forces and greatly fear the rise in power of the Shiites, who constitutes a majority in Iraq and who until now had been ruled by force by the Sunni minority."

TECHNOLOGY-AFRICA: Poverty an Impediment to Internet Growth, July 18 2003 Just clocked this one, clearly still a relevant story, access to the net being a key issue when discussing cyber Islamic environments.

The Register, Pentagon pulls Kill-An-Arab futures trading website, 30 July 2003 Essentially this is a follow-up to stories posted below about the DARPA fiasco. One wonders how much money (if not thought) went into this project. The pages were pulled, but remain online thanks to Cryptome.

Wired News: Forums Point the Way to Jihad, 6 August 2003 discussed message boards and websites associated with al-Qaida. Refers to SITE Institute.

Christian Science Monitor, Tailor Muslim practices to fit life in America, 4 August 2003 "Over the Internet, progressive Muslim mailing lists and websites are becoming increasingly popular. Groups like the Progressive Muslim Network and the Network of Progressive Muslims engage in discussions - on everything from matters of ritual to social relationships - that would be unheard of in neighborhood mosques. The online magazine MuslimWakeUp.com which I cofounded, has featured articles that are openly critical of conservative interpretations of Islam - and according to the web-ranking company Alexa, it has become the highest-ranked website geared to Muslim Americans in just six months of operation." This article refers to Omid Safi's book "Progressive Muslims", which is well worth reading. There's an interview with Omid here: MuslimWakeUp, Washing our dirty laundry, 4 August 2003

MEMRI: Latest News, August 04, 2003 "According to the newspaper Al-Shira',supporters of Saddam Hussein sent an email to Paul Bremer, 'copied to Saddam Hussein,' threatening to take revenge against the coalition forces and declared to Saddam that they were all his sons. The alleged revenge, they wrote, would continue for a week, reaching its peak on July 30, 'the Day of Revenge.'" One wonders whether Saddam Hussein is picking up his mail, if messages are being "c.c."-ed to him

Daily Times, Indian hackers duel Pakistanis, 4 August 2003 This links into an issue discussed in Islam in the Digital Age, being the competitive element of hacking and defacement: "So far this year, 114 Pakistani sites have been hacked by pro-India operators while Pakistani groups have hacked or defaced as many as 766 Indian sites — 208 in June alone. Last year, 288 Indian sites were hacked. “For every Pakistani site defaced by Indian hackers, the Pakistanis hack into 10 Indian sites. There is a constant game of upmanship happening online,” said Anubhab Kalia of New Delhi’s flawfinder.com, a service monitoring attacks on Indian sites."

AP Wire, Saudi Arabia's Reformers Feel Under Fire, 3 August 2003 refers to the use of fatwas posted on Internet sites by "extremist clergy" (their term) and the persecution of an individual for making an "offensive" statement to an Internet magazine.

Gulf Daily News, Terror groups 'forged links', 1 August 2003 Links between Jemaah Islamiah Indonesia and al-Qaeda discussed in the Bali trial.

Gulf Daily News, Internet Chatting comes of age in Bangladesh, 3 August 2003 "Several hundred Bangladeshis have come out of the anonymous world of Internet chatting in a first-of-its-kind meet-and-greet for the country's increasing number of online enthusiasts."

Tech News - CNET.com, A high-tech bridge to Middle East peace?, July 31, 2003 Interview with Shimon Peres re the potential for high-tech as a 'bridge to peace'. "Israel will be happy to put at the disposal of its neighbors its know-how in the field of high-tech and develop ties of cooperation in this and other fields." Peres does not use a computer himself.

BBC, Saudi Arabia begins to engage in the war against terror, 31 July 2003 This is Frank Gardner's Newsnight report from Saudi Arabia, showing Saudi security forces in action. Gardner also reported from northern Saudi Arabia, where he discussed with al-Qaida supporters the use of pay-as-you-go phone SIM cards to facilitate communication.

Wired News: Kabul Goes Postal for Web Access, July 31, 2003 Net access is slowly improving in Kabul, although it will take some time for other areas of Afghanistan to be 'connected, given the lack of basic infrastructures in the region: "In the developed world, 1,000 people checking their e-mail may not seem like a big deal. But for people in this war-torn nation who, until the ousting of the militant Taliban government in late 2001, were forbidden from owning a computer, it is understandable why the program is generating excitement." The article has two photos, which are worth viewing.

Inter Press Service News Agency, 88,000 Mosques, One Sermon, 21 July 2003 'old news', relating to Egypt and the production of 'official' sermons written by government officials. The article raises some interesting issues: "... some critics say that confining the space for religious freedom could backfire as it may drive people into the arms of non-official religious groups. Critics say also that the government needs to take the deteriorating economic situation into account in order to fight extremism. Young men turn to violence not because they go to mosques but due to official atrocities and the poor economy"

silicon.com - 'Divorce by text message' up for a re-think, 31 July 2003 - previously discussed on this blog: "...the government is planning to put the brakes on the SMS divorce system, according to Malaysian daily newspaper The Star". GB: Would the lack of a phone signal invalidate the SMS divorce?

albawaba.com: Jewish group urges US administration to ban Hizbullah Al-Manar TV station, 30 July 2003

albawaba.com, Cyber War Against Mubarak & Son??, July 27, 2003 The email group Free Egyptians has been active against the Mubaraks. Echos of the Al-Assad succession here.

'ABC, 'I divorce you' SMS troubles PM', July 30, 2003 This is not the first time this topic has emerged. There was a case a couple of years ago in Singapore, I recall. According to this report: "Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has directed the Islamic Advancement Department to verify the method of SMS divorce. "I can understand why the women are very worried," he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency. "There's possibility of being duped through SMS.""

Gulf News, Internet chatting is becoming an addiction, July 29, 2003 News from Sharjah about Internet use: "A survey of cyber cafes revealed that many young Internet users spend most of their time chatting and searching "useless" sites. However, some do use Internet cafes for educational purposes." Nothing unusual there, then. Not sure about the survey's source.

Gulf News, IT is leading the way to the future, July 29, 2003 Sample students' projects from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Straits Times, Moderates in Indonesia find their voices, July 29, 2003

WorldNetDaily, Foreign holy warriors face shocking reality: Called to jihad against 'infidels,' but find out people side with U.S., July 29, 2003 discusses MEMRI report

Arutz Sheva, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, July 28, 2003 'Daniel' being Daniel Pipes, whose commentaries on Islam and Muslim Affairs can be found on his website.

CNET/MSNBC, World nearing Web address crunch, July 28, 2003 IPv6 clamour

CBS/AP, Betting On Terror, July 29, 2003. I think that Andrew Orlowski in The Register provides a more incisive analysis of this story: The Register, Kill a Middle East head of state, win prizes! - Pentagon shows how, July 29, 2003 "DARPA is launching an online gambling site called the 'Policy Analysis Market'." All in the best possible taste??? Decide for yourself by visiting Policy Analysis Market

Computerworld, Report: Inadequate IT contributed to 9/11 intelligence failure, July 24, 2003 referred to in Islam in the Digital Age

Wired, Iraqis Log On to Voice Chat, July 28, 2003

BBCi, Phone services spring up in Iraq, July 28, 2003 also see Reuters/Wired, Phones Come Alive in Baghdad, July 22, 2003

The New Yorker, The Search for Osama, July 28, 2003

MensNewsDaily, Radical Islamic Cleric Apparently Threatens British House of Commons, July 28, 2003

Reuters/MSNBC, Internet booms in Baghdad, July 25, 2003

FrontPage, Islamic Apostates' Tales, July 21, 2003

Australian IT, Ungodly attacks on the virtual Vatican, July 16, 2003 "The Vatican must also fend off web surfers who harbour no hostile intent whatsoever, such as an insomniac Franciscan friar ... who had repeatedly tried to enter the site."

FrontPage, A New Bin Laden Speech, July 18, 2003

BBCi, Hello Peace: phone network aims to help Middle East divide, July 18, 2003 (requires RealPlayer)

IslamOnline, French Report Condemns Web-based Anti-Arab Racism, July 17, 2003

BBCi, Linux reaches Afghanistan, July 15, 2003 also see UNDP, Linux Training, July 7 2003. In looking at this further, I found a great (as in amusing and fascinating) page on Religion, politics and Linux, which some readers might enjoy if they have a spare week.

BBCi, World's poor to get own search engine, July 15, 2003 an excellent idea from TEK, designed for those with a slow net connection. Also see their publications. Connectivity issues are discussed in my new book.

FrontPage, The Dawning of Dawa, July 15 2003 "Since September 11, Americans have learned, many groups with Dawa-derived names now operate and plot violence from bases in the U.S. But a greater danger may reside in Dawa’s largely invisible nationwide success..."

ChronWatch, Saudis Get Liberal With Gay Rights, July 12, 2003 "Amid pressure from the U.S., winds of change are blowing across one of the world's most notorious violators of human rights, Saudi Arabia, the only country in the world named after its rulers. One sign: The kingdom's Internet Services Unit blocked access to www.gaymiddleast.com on June 16, but after protest faxes and e-mails from the Web site's managers, believed to be based in Egypt, the site was unblocked as of July 1."

Wired, Bloggers Opening Western Eyes, July 11, 2003 news on blogging in Bosnia.

The Register, Iraq: the view from the ground, July 11, 2003

AFP/Taipei Times, Police unveil Bali attack suspect's computer files, July 8, 2003 "A statement claiming responsibility for the Bali bombings and pornographic photos of white women were found on a computer belonging to a key suspect, an Indonesian trial heard yesterday." Article refers to Istimata.com. Also see JoyJunction, Alb. ISP Hosts Terror Web Site Admitting Responsibility for Bali Bombing, n.d.

Christian Science Monitor, A militant who defies cease-fire, July 8, 2003 refers to use of email and net by Mounir Moqdah, a Palestinian who guides "rogue cells of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade" from the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon.

Internet Haganah, 4th July Greetings from al Qaida. This discusses a Shockwave Flash file that has been circulating on the net, which had been published on a UK computer company's website (since removed), which features a Du'a of Sheikh Muhammad Al Mohaisany recorded in Mecca. Internet Haganah have put up some screenshots to give an indication of the type of 'jihadi' content features on this 'presentation', which continues to circulate on other sites.

Arab News, Rules, What Rules? Ask Internet Cafe Owners, July 7, 2003

The Register, Pakistan to distribute free Net Porn filters, July 7, 2003

Arab News, Women Rights Revisited!, 6 July 2003

Arab News, Internet Regulations Tightened, July 6, 2003

Reuters, Livewire: Web Sites Try to Make Internet Dating Less Creepy, 5 July 2003 includes reference to MuslimSingles (http://www.muslimsingles.com)

Reuters, Search for WMD Finds 'Bomb' on Internet, 4 July 2003

FrontPage, Terrorism: Growing Wahhabi Influence in the United States, July 3, 2003 refers to the Al Haramain Foundation's use of the Internet as a dissemination tool

Reuters/Yahoo!, Campaign Changing Views on Female Circumcision, July 1, 2003 Campaign against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) aided by the Internet: "Aid workers say campaigns show success in other countries, helped by growing literacy in Africa, where access to the Internet and other information sources is more widely available. They say parents listen increasingly to warnings against FGM."

Straits Times, PAS presents its controversial future, July 2, 2003 refers to Parti Islam SeMalaysia, and related internet discussions

Asia Times, Who Killed Daniel Pearl?, July 2, 2003

Reuters/Taipei Times, Saudi Arabia reaches out to its religious minorities, July 2, 2003 refers to use of internet by al-Qaeda.

it-analysis.com, Web Censorship: Blocking Internet Porn in Iran, July 2, 2003

FrontPageMagazine.com, Portrait of a Wahhabi, 30 June 2003 A perspective on the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security, including some reference to Internet blogging.

New York Times/Mafhoum, Thomas L. Friedman: Google is a bit like God, 30 June 2003 refers to the use of Broadband by supporters of bin Laden.

Newsday, Saudis inch into debate linking Islam to violence, June 24, 2003 new debate on 'Wahhabism'

FindLaw.com, Hacking for Free Speech: A New Breed of "Hacktivists" Takes on Internet Censorship, 24 June 2003 refers to censorship in Saudi Arabia.

AP/Kansas City Star, Attacks in Saudi Arabia Spark Debate, 24 June 2003 discusses the role of the net in Saudi Arabia in relation to press freedom, linking the discussion to the dismissal of al-Watan's editor Jamal Khashoggi

Straits Times, Flexible face of terror, June 25, 2003 Written by Jessica Stern, lecturer in public policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government: "The Internet has also greatly facilitated the spread of 'virtual' subcultures and has substantially increased the capacity of loosely networked terrorist organisations ...

"The obstacles these websites pose for Western law enforcement are obvious. In one article on the 'culture of jihad', available online, a Saudi Islamist urges Osama's sympathisers to take action without waiting for instructions."[discussed in detail in Islam in the Digital Age]

The Guardian, Israel checks out website run by Russian racists, June 25, 2003 "The website says it is run by "Ilya from Haifa and Andrei from Arad", who describe themselves as "people who have pride in themselves and are sick of living among the dirty bastards". Also see earlier Haaretz article (in Google cache), Anti-Semitism, right here at home, n.d.

"They have drawn up a list of "enemies" collectively derided as "black arses". They include Jews, Arabs, foreign workers and, tellingly, immigrants from Muslim republics of the former Soviet Union.

Agence France-Presse/Australian IT, Pope takes on hackers, spammers, June 25, 2003 not so much about Islam, but will the application of Divine Intervention against spammers be effective?

ABC News, Statement of Facts: The Case Against Admitted Al Qaeda Member From Ohio, June 19, 2003 Regarding the USA v. Iyman Faris, a/k/a Mohammed Rauf "... In messages to C-2, those tools were to be referred to as "mechanics shops." The defendant indicated that he had email and was familiar with the internet. C-2 instructed the defendant never to access email immediately after logging on but only after opening other internet sites first." [GRB: I'm not sure how effective that advice would be ]

Newsday, Saudi Terror Plot Suspects Include Teens, June 22, 2003 discusses the "dangers" of the Internet:

""Osama bin Laden has said publicly in interviews that he is targeting people in the 15 to 25 age range. They are the most valuable and the most malleable of the organization's foot soldiers," said Abdul-Rahman al-Motawa, who recently published a book on Saudis detained at Guantanamo.

"Al-Motawa said many Saudi youth who end up as members of al-Qaida cells are recruited through Web sites and private gatherings.

""The Internet is very dangerous. Many of the young men were lured to Afghanistan with the promise of work with relief organizations. Once there, they were trained and sometimes sent back to Saudi Arabia to carry out attacks here," he said."

BBCi, Cyber award for jailed Tunisian, June 19, 2003 refers to Zouhair Ben Saïd Yahyaoui and his imprisonment (and torture); also see Zouhair Yahyaoui's site TUNeZINE.com and Reporters San Frontieres' pages, in particular their report The Internet under Surveillance : Obstacles to the free flow of information online [PDF file], or read one of their country-by-country reports or regional pages

Toronto Star, Al Qaeda mutating like a virus, June 22, 2003 "Using the Internet, the Islamists are spreading their gospel to potential new recruits in the West as well as in the developing world. For some, the Internet is a gateway to membership in militant groups; for others, it's an aid to studies they have already undertaken with local extremists." As discussed in Islam in the Digital Age.

Wired, Saddam's Homepage Gets Face Lift, June 20, 2003

BBCi, Iraq to open up airwaves, June 18, 2003

San Francisco Chronicle, North American media help Iran protests grow, June 20, 2003 "A growing network of Iranian American media outlets -- from television to radio to Web sites -- is helping spark the student-led protests erupting in that Islamic nation ..."

World Press Review, Double Vision, June 18, 2003 refers to Internet censorship in Iran, as does Reuters, Iran Internet Use at Risk from Conservatives, June 17, 2003 "The diary of a former prostitute is one of the hottest Web sites in Iran, a strict Islamic society where the Internet is coveted for the access it gives users to a forbidden world."

Christian Science Monitor, WMD terrorism: The next phase?, June 18, 2003 Reference to the use of the Internet by al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Islam: "It is undeniable that Al Qaeda, for example, is seeking to deploy the full arsenal of WMD. It would be difficult to conclude otherwise, given the discovery of notes, manuals, videos, hard drives, and Internet documents found in abandoned Al Qaeda safe houses, caves, and training camps in Afghanistan and more recently in the Ansar al-Islam camp in formerly Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq. This evidence contained material on conventional explosives, WMD (including dirty bombs), and potential target sites, such as nuclear power plants."

BBC News Online, Kabul's cyber cafe culture, June 16, 2003

Observer, Mobilising Islam against terror, June 15, 2003

AME Info, IslamicFinder portal offers prayer timings in over 5 million cities and towns across the globe, June 16, 2003 This article is not exactly 'news', but an interesting overview of IslamicFinder nevertheless.

Azcentral, New bride defends deported husband, June 15, 2003 Convert's story (influence of the web?)

BBC News Online, India gears up to fight hackers, June 16, 2003

UPI, Interview: Hamas head Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, June 16, 2003 not directly web related, but associated with some of the sites I write about in Islam in the Digital Age.

Haaretz, Jerusalem bus attack death toll rises to 17, June 12, 2003 refers to the use of the Internet to announce the bomber's name (on the Hamas and al-Kassam websites)

The Register, Al-Jazeera cracker charged, June 12, 2003 illustrates a Network Solutions' 'vulnerability'. Also see AP/Mercury News, Web designer charged with rerouting Al Jazeera material to patriotic site, June 12, 2003 and BBC News, Al-Jazeera hacker pleads guilty, June 13, 2003 Coincidentally, a related scam is detailed on The Register/Security Focus, Cracking down on cyberspace land grabs, June 11, 2003

ChannelNewsAsia, France says arrested German Islamic militant is top man in al-Qaeda, June 12, 2003 "Christian Ganczarski, 36, is a "high-ranking al-Qaeda official" and "computer and telecommunications expert" who was "in contact with Osama bin Laden", Mr Sarkozy told parliamentary deputies."

New York Times, E-Mail Message Blitz Creates What May Be Fastest Fad Ever, June 12, 2003 It's those Iraq 'most wanted' playing cards...

Egypt Today, Holier Than Thou, June 2003 issue "It seems that people are genuinely hungering for information and interpretations of the Quran, yearning for a stronger sense of belonging to their religion. This demand has helped to create a new breed of nontraditional Islamic preachers who aim to fill the void that Al-Azhar created by years of apathy regarding the way religion was taught. These new preachers are everywhere: in mosques, on television, on the Internet, in private homes and even in sporting clubs." Also refers to Amr Khaled and his preaching.

BBC News, In search of profitable connections, June 12, 2003 Useful article, discussing the 'digital divide' in Ghana

The Guardian,The Audrey look is very in and the mood is defiant, June 12, 2003 Article about Iran: "On the internet, young women express their frustrations in anonymous weblogs, complaining about discriminatory laws and patriarchal attitudes. In the workplace, female graduates are making inroads as lawyers, doctors and managers. But Iran's laws have failed to keep pace with social change, according to Shirin Ebadi, a human rights lawyer."

The Guardian, Mobile calling: Mobile phones occupy a special place in the lives of Pakistanis, June 12, 2003

IRNA, Abdullah Sultan al-Qahtani issues internet 'threat' in Saudi Arabia, June 12, 2003

Washington Post, In Karbala, postwar successes, June 12, 2003 contains a reference to 'improved' net access in Karbala

"While online diaries, or weblogs, have captured headlines, with writers such as Salam Pax lauded for his fascinating insights into life in Iraq during the recent war, there are many other kinds of personal sites on the web."

BBC News, Egypt bans 'too religious' Matrix, June 11, 2003. Also see MSNBC, Egypt censor unloads ‘Matrix’ sequel, June 12, 2003 which mentions that The Message (a film about Muhammad's life - which I use in my lecturing) has just been released in Egypt some 20+ years after being banned.

The Guardian, BBC suicide bomb drama fuels hatred, say Muslims, 11 June 2003 includes discussion on the email responses to the BBC programme 'Spooks'

YellowTimes, Israel's guide to making a suicide bomber, June 6, 2003 written by Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi, Chairman of Arab Media Watch

BBC News Online, CIA spies shun computers, June 6, 2003

The Guardian, I'll just check my diary..., June 5, 2003 relates to the Save the Children's Eye-to-Eye website... "For Mona and other young Palestinians writing on the Eye-to-Eye website, the internet offers the chance to tell the world about their daily lives, hopes and fears in refugee camps in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

MSNBC, Ashcroft wants Patriot Act widened, June 5 2003

BBC News Online, Cow pats fuel computers, 3 June, 2003 Refugees in Tanzania are using computers powered by cow manure ......

CNSNews.com, The Decline and Fall of Islam, June 6, 2003 discusses secularislam.org and the books of Ibn Warraq. The columnist Alan Caruba from the National Anxiety Center states: "... before this millennium is over, Islam is likely to have joined the myths of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome as a religion that was tested and failed." Further 'opinions' about Islam from the National Anxiety Center can be found on their website

The Electronic Intifada, The new anti-Semitism?, 3 June 2003

The Guardian, Highway to hell, June 2, 2003 refers to net censorship, in an article predominantly about heavy metal music in 'Islamic countries'.

Washington Post, Teens tutor FBI in cyber-slang, June 4, 2003 isn't about cyber Islamic environments, but raises some interesting issues regarding surveillance and 'slang'.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Analyst Speaks About 'Globalization' Of Islam, 28 May 2003 Interview with Olivier Roy, who states: "I am struck by the homogenization of what is circulating all over the world under the name of Islamic religious literature. The ideas, the teachings -- especially under the Wahhabi or Saudi influence -- the media are more and more homogenous and transnational. If you go to the Internet -- in English or in modern Arabic -- you find all the literature which has been produced by the [radical] Salafis, the Wahhabis and so on. It's very important to the extent that young educated Muslims who are going to other countries for studying and so and so look at these websites. They exchange information. And I cannot say the same with liberal Islam, [whose ideas are] less circulating." I discuss this issue in Islam in the Digital Age.

365Gay.com, Cairo Court Frees Four Convicted In Gay Club Raid, June 5, 2003 "Since the raid on the Queen Boat Egyptian police have arrested dozens of other gay men, many of them entrapped through internet personal ads placed by police informants."

American Daily, An al Aqeda Users Guide, June 2, 2003 Seems as if the membership listing of Islamic Awakening has been compromised, and passed through to the FBI by an 'unnamed source', according to this American Daily report. If they were interested, I think the FBI would have done this already, for the well-known site which is linked to Azzam Publications (discussed in Islam in the Digital Age). Any email address is likely to be of the hotmail variety (and therefore not particularly useful), rather than a pointer to 'al-Qaeda' 'supporters'.

AP, Saudi Cleric's Followers Face Charges, May. 31, 2003 "Sixteen months after his death, Saudi authorities still grapple with the legacy of a blind cleric who preached that the United States was the enemy of Muslims and that those allied with the West were nonbelievers." The cleric was Sheik Hammoud bin Oqla al-Shuaibi, whose edicts can be found on the net (for example, at aloqla.net). Also see Knight Ridder Newspapers. Arrests signal tougher stance by Saudis against extremists, May. 30, 2003

News24, Bali suspect 'knows' bin Laden, 28 May 2003 Comment from Bali bomb suspect Imam Samuda about Abu Bakar Bashir: "Samudra said Bashir, 64, had never ordered any bombings and dismissed the cleric as out of touch and boring. 'It's the age of the Internet but he still talks about mysticism while Muslims are being slaughtered.'"

National Post, Terror Web site sells Canadian firearms, June 3, 2003

MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute), Saudi Media Trends: In the Wake of the Riyadh Bombings, June 1, 2003 According to MEMRI's translation from Al-Watan's columnist Abd Al-Qadr Tash, it now seems that the Internet is being seen as a 'cause' of 'terrorism': "The Satans of the streams of violence and terror rely on the same flawed culture that young people draw from many sources, beginning with the educational institutions, through Fatwas... the pulpits of the mosques and the cassettes, and ending with television programs and what appears on the completely uncensored Internet forums. Unlike young people in the past, the young people of today no longer receive religious law from a single reliable source."

Here's a report I missed first time around: MEMRI, Saudi Religious Police Launch Website, May 13 2003 The Al-Madina regional branch of the Saudi religious and morality police, formally known as "The Authority for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vices," recently launched its new website. The site posts news items, citizens' violations, and includes a section that allows citizens to inform anonymously on persons they suspect of violating religious and moral laws."

The Daily Star (Lebanon), Washington’s likely plans to restore the Iranian monarchy are foolhardy, June 2, 2003 discusses 'The Internet Prince': "Reza Pahlavi had been living quietly in Maryland until Sept. 11, when he began to address the Iranian community via the internet and satellite television. This prompted the Iranian community to dub him the 'Internet Prince.'"

CNN, Iraqis scramble to restore Internet, May 31, 2003 "Because the Internet here will largely be rebuilt from scratch, it can be configured in the prewar manner with all traffic funneled through a central location -- making censorship easier -- or it can be rebuilt with multiple earth stations, which will make filtering more difficult to impose later." It will be interesting to see which option is selected.

The Guardian, Salam's story, May 30, 2003 Salam Pax, 'The Baghdad Blogger', has been tracked down, and will be writing for The Guardian. No sign of Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf writing a column yet, although he was tracked down by The Mail on Sunday according to a Sky News report ...

Dar al Hayat, Young Saudis Volunteer To Preach In 'Modern' Way, 27 May 2003: "Young Mohammed, who is a Saudi preacher, tells Al-Hayat that the variety of means that are used to spread Islam is a direct result of society's development in Saudi Arabia. According to him, had the means not been so multiple, they would have not been as attractive and persuasive... According to him, the most efficient means of preaching nowadays are the Internet and satellite channels, even though some people tried to spread other teachings by pretending to be them, and hence ruin their reputation. Mohammed admits that tapes and booklets are no longer sufficient, considering the wideness and quick development of cities. Thus, he believes that the direct call from the mosques, through preaching and orientation, has become more organized as it is happens under the supervision of the Mosque." [discussed in Virtually Islamic and Islam in the Digital Age]

BBC News Online, Muslims seek love online, 29 May, 2003 also see: The Guardian, How to net a husband, May 19, 2003 discusses Muslimmatch.com and muslim-marriages.co.uk.

Wall Street Journal (reproduced on FrontPage.com website), MSA Figure Seized By FBI, May 29, 2003 discusses at length the Muslim Students Association and the alleged links of some of its members. It also refers to the role of the MSA's website, which is a long-standing resource.

CBSNews.com, Muslim Foundation's Assets Frozen, May 29, 2003 refers to the Al-Aqsa Foundation

BBC News Online, Online communities get real, 29 May 2003 which discusses the publication of a report by the Work Foundation: "The notion that virtual communities would allow people to unite in a global village, creating false online personas and moving rapidly from one internet community to another are not being borne out." Something of a generalisation, perhaps, but the report ('You don't know me, but ... Social Capital and Social Software [PDF file] makes for interesting reading when considered in relation to Muslim communities.

Newsweek, Al Qaeda’s British Connection, May 29 2003 discusses 'Londonistan' and Saad al-Fagih's Alsaha.com.

Newsweek, Hard to Kill, May 30, 2003 which refers to the 'dismissal' of Al-Watan's editor Jamal Khashoggi: "Ever since the Riyadh bombing, Khashoggi had been on a virtual crusade against the clerics, blaming them for fomenting an atmosphere of religious intolerance and extremism that has helped fuel bin Laden’s terrorist movement."

AME Info, Islam Online goes with Comtrust, May 29, 2003 "According to Islam Online, its IT staff recently became concerned over possible downtime occurrences. “We realized the time zone differences between our existing service provider outside this region and our target audience in the Middle East left us vulnerable,” said Dr Yousef Alhorr, General Manager, Islam Online. “We have worked hard to create a portal that ultimately has become a reference for everything that deals with Islam, its sciences, civilization and nations."" Islam Online are featured in my new book New Book: Islam in the Digital Age

Herald News, Terror expert: People still need to be on alert, May 29, 2003 Cites Steven Emerson (NBC's 'terrorism expert'): "Emerson said terrorists have been using the Internet effectively to recruit people, raise money, indoctrinate and instruct." Article doesn't give any examples. [Emerson is discussed by CAIR in the following article: CAIR responds to Daniel Pipes anti-Muslim hysteria]

Computerworld, Study finds CIA falling behind in IT know-how, May 29, 2003 "A new unclassified report, titled "Failing to Keep Up With the Information Revolution," offers a withering assessment of the CIA's use of IT for intelligence analysis ..." [the report is here]

Reuters/Swiss Info, Attack warning after Saudi arrests, May 28, 2003 "The daily Okaz said five people had been arrested at an Internet cafe in Medina on Tuesday. It reported the alleged mastermind was a Saudi national who was among 19 men wanted by local authorities on terrorism charges following a shoot-out with security forces in Riyadh early this month"

Wired, Blogs Opening Iranian Society?, May 28, 2003

(Word Document) PRISM, YES to WMD: The first Islamist Fatwah on the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction, May 2003 written by Reuben Paz at the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center in Israel. According to Dr Paz: "The ruling of Sheikh Naser al-Fahd is a precedent in the case of the use of WMD. Since this was an answer to a question by an anonymous person we cannot know if the question was a real one or invited by the Sheikh or any element linked to Qa`idat al-Jihad. Yet, the clear acceptance of the use of WMD in the Western sense - nuclear, biological, and chemical - is very significant."

The Age, Still alive and kicking, May 28 2003 Rohan Gunaratna (author of 'Inside al-Qaeda: Global Network of Terror') provides his analysis of the current status of al-Qaeda.

The Age, Al-Qaeda No.3 captured, May 28 2003

The Age, Saudis target Islamic charities, May 23 2003

Atlanta Business Chronicle, Internet Security Systems' 'honeypot' site gets hacked, 19 May 2003 "A hacker-monitoring Web site run by Internet Security Systems Inc., whose business is keeping other companies' networks safe from hackers and security breaches, was itself hacked in early May by a group that posted derogatory anti-war messages against American, British and Israeli leaders"

International Policy Institute for Counter Terrorism, Al-Muhajiroun: The portal for Britian’s suicide terrorists, May 21, 2003 written by Michael Whine, Communications Director, Community Security Trust and Director of the Defence and Group Relations Division of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Whine has previously written about the Internet for the Board of Deputies. He discusses the impact of Al-Muhajiroun, Supporters of Shariah, and other organisations in relation to the beachbar suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. Whine's analysis suggests: "People who are recruited by AM [Al Muhajiroun] are taught by the organisation that Israel, the Jews and the West are evil and that it is their Muslim duty to fight them. This is not to state that AM is itself a terrorist organisation. It is not, at least in Britain, but it does serve as an important radicalising agent in the process of turning young British Muslims against Britain and into militant Islamists, and serves as a portal through which some of them have been encouraged to pass on their way to becoming terrorists." Al-Muhajiroun are discussed in Islam in the Digital Age and also in a piece I wrote in 1999 ("islam@britain.net: British Muslim Identities in Cyberspace", Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Vol. 10, No. 3, 1999, pp. 353-362). Al-Muhajiroun remain online at http://www.almuhajiroun.com.pk

Frontpage.com, The Real Roots of Islamic Extremism, 22 May 2003 A brief reference to the net here, in an article by Stephen Schwartz (author of The Two Faces of Islam: The House of Sa'ud from Tradition to Terror): " ... two generations of Saudi subjects are educated and entrepreneurial. They know how the real world works, have access to satellite television and the Internet, and are tired of their ambitions being blocked by the corrupt and sclerotic Saudi system. They want to live in a modern society, such as would most resemble Malaysia — a constitutional and parliamentary Islamic monarchy."

New York Post, Apartheid, Saudi Style, 22 May 2003

Wired, Pentagon Defends Data Search Plan, May 21, 2003

New Zealand Herald, Independent, Why suicide bombers die with a smile, May 23, 2003 Not really a net story, but it links into content on *some* sites discussed in Islam in the Digital Age.

Asia Times, A lesson to be learned, May 21, 2003 (re. Lebanon)

Islam Online/Cyber Counsellor, We met on the net, May 20, 2003 not strictly news... but an opinion on online Muslim 'relationships'.

Dar al Hayat, Why Did Bin Laden Emulate The New York Attacks in Riyadh?, May 17, 2003 refers to al-Qaeda's use of laptops.

Wired, Indian IT Success Sparks Backlash, May 20, 2003

Frontpage/Guardian, Terror Crackdown Has Not Reduced Al-Qaida Threat, May 19, 2003 Guardian article, discussing the International Institute for Strategic Studies' annual report, which refers to al-Qaeda:

"While its [al-Qaeda's] leaders had "blended" into Pakistani cities such as Karachi, new technology enabled it to operate as a "virtual entity", without the need for physical bases ...

"Otherwise, notebook computers, encryption, the internet, multiple passports and the ease of global transportation enabled al-Qaida to function as a 'virtual' entity that leveraged local assets - hence local knowledge - to full advantage in coordinating attacks in many 'fields of jihad'."

Arab News, 'People Claiming the Last Word on the Qur’an Pose a Problem’, May 17, 2003

Wired, "If We Run Out of Batteries, This War is Screwed", 11.06, June 2003 Seems the forces used Microsoft Chat...

New York Times, Video Game Mounts Simulated Attacks Against Israeli Targets, May 17 2003 discusses the game 'Special Force': "The hottest video game for the teenagers of Beirut's southern Shiite neighborhoods is "Special Force," a creation of Hezbollah...

"While not the first politically oriented video game to enter Middle Eastern cyberspace, "Special Force" is a sign of Hezbollah's elaborate propaganda efforts. Its popularity is also an indication of Hezbollah's success in permeating popular consciousness in Lebanon and in gaining political legitimacy here."

Details on the game can be found at specialforce.net [please note my site disclaimer]

Wired, The Baghdad blogger is back, 14 May 2003

BBC News, Africa's tech pioneers play catch up, 17 May 2003 discusses aspects of the 'digital divide'

Palestine Chronicle/Free Expression Policy Project, The Impact of the USA PATRIOT Act on Free Expression, 14 May 2003 "In conjunction with the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act, the U.S. Justice Department issued revised FBI guidelines in May 2002 that greatly increase the bureau's surveillance and data collection authority to access such information as an individual's Web surfing habits and search terms ...

"Just as people who borrow murder mysteries are unlikely to be murderers, so those seeking information about Osama bin Laden are not likely to be terrorists. "

Balochistan Post, Al-Qaeda is back and stronger than ever, n.d. This reproduces a Guardian article by Richard Norton-Taylor, and is interesting in that it is juxtaposed with a quote from Surah al-An'am: "Leave alone those who take their religion to be mere play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world. But proclaim (to them) this (truth): that every soul delivers itself to ruin by its own acts..."

IRNA, After US failed to encrypt message, Indian boy hacked Al-Qaeda, May 18, 2003 "The Americans had tried almost everything, but they just couldn't crack an encrypted message they came across while investigating the 9/11 attacks but finally, they approached a 17-year-old boy in Delhi, local press reported here on Sunday. Over the next 10 days, Ankit Fardia hunkered down in his room in Delhi and came up with the key to crack the message."

Open Democracy, Muslims and European multiculturalism, 15 May 2003

BBC News, Forget sci-fi and guns - The Matrix is really about religion, 14 May 2003 Neo-religious movements?

There has been substantial coverage of the use of e-mail by 'al-Qaeda' and its affiliates. For example:

ABC News, West on edge amid spike in Al Qaeda terror 'chatter', 17 May 2003 ""There has been a definite increase in chatter over the past couple of weeks," said one US official, referring to intercepted telephone and email conversations and interrogations of terror suspects by intelligence agencies."

Straits Times, Twisted terror: Prospect of Muslim deaths is no deterrent to Al-Qaeda which wants to show it is alive and well, May 21, 2003

AP/MSNBC, Some Saudis urge the government to crack down on radical Islamic clerics after Riyadh attacks, May 15 2003: "An Internet statement Wednesday signed only ''Islamic warriors'' was addressed to Abdullah, his family and his government, vowing to ''blow up your institutions and your palaces over your heads.'' ... 'We are the ones who proved to the whole world that we are people of action not words,'' the statement said. ''Do you, stupid people, understand or will the horrendous sound of explosions, of which we have plenty, make you understand?'' Some militant figures make extensive use of the Internet, which affords the fanatics a platform to incite and spread their radical messages."

Asia Times, Al-Qaeda: Dead or alive?, May 15 2003 "Last week, the Arab magazine al-Majallah said it had received an email from Thabet ibn Qais in which he proclaimed "an attack against America was inevitable"."

Also see Channelnewsasia, Al-Qaeda implied in email it carried out Riyadh attacks: report, 14 May 2003 and Arab News, Al-Qaeda Plans Attacks in the Gulf, 14 May 2003: "A senior Al-Qaeda leader has unveiled the organization’s long-term plans to carry out major terrorist attacks in Gulf countries. “We’ll attack the rear of the American Army,” he warned. In an e-mail message to Al-Majalla, a sister publication of Arab News, Abu Muhammad Al-Ablaj disclosed the presence of large quantities of weapons and explosives in Gulf cities to carry out the planned attacks."

BBC News, Al-Qaeda 'still a deadly threat', 15 May 2003

Khilafah.com, Differentiating between tradition and Islam, May 13, 2003 Some interesting interpretations and references to technology in this article: "Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’aala) allowed for us to use various types of technology as long as it is in a Halal way. "He it is Who created for you all that is on earth." (Al-Baqarah 2:29). This includes cars, mobile phones, the internet, satellites, missiles and DVD’s. The Prophet (SalAllahu Alaihi Wasallam) utilized the various technologies at his time, he even used the style of digging a trench which taken from Persians, in the Battle of the Ditch, otherwise known as Ahzab. Technology can be used for Halal or Haram, it is not the thing which is Haram it is what you do with it. As an example, the Internet and DVD’s can be used for Haram such as promoting indecency or can be used in a Halal way to promote Islam."

News Tribune/AP, Car bombs kill at least 3 in Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2003 "A previously unknown Saudi group, the Mujahedeen in the Arabian Peninsula, earlier vowed on an Internet site to strike against American targets worldwide, but it was not clear whether the explosions in Riyadh were linked to the group."

The Register, Al-Qaeda said to be using stegged porn, May 12, 2003 One of those stories that gets recycled from time to time. The Register cast their objective eye over proceedings, discussing the more sensationalistic New York Post, 9/11 Plot hidden in e-porn, 9 May 2003. This theme is discussed in my forthcoming book: Islam in the Digital Age

CNN, Al-Jazeera to probe whether Iraqi agents infiltrated staff, May 12, 2003

Newsweek, Murder at the Mosque, 19 May 2003 explores the murder of Abdel Majid al-Khoei.

Observer, Al Qaeda: And What it Means to be Modern (book review), May 11, 2003 A review of a book by John Gray: "John Gray's essay on the modern geo-political landscape is an immensely thought-provoking piece of work, not least for identifying the paradox at the heart of al-Qaeda, an organisation devoted to the destruction of the global civilisation that bore and nurtured it and without which it could not exist."

The Oregonian, Terror case draws two starkly different portraits of Hawash, May 11, 2003

Reuters, Iran blocks thousands of Web sites, May 12, 2003 and BBC News, Iran steps up net censorship, May 12, 2003 - refers to the detention of blogger Sina Motallebi. Also see BBC News, Bloggers unite to fight, May 2, 2003

Wired, Muslim TV Network in the Making, 19 May 2003. Also see WorldNetDaily, Muslim TV coming to America Network challenges Islam's image as 'religion of our enemies', May 2, 2003 There is a net link here: "Bridges TV's CEO is Muzzammil S. Hassan, most recently a bank vice-president in Buffalo, N.Y. Its chief investor is Omar S. Amanat, founder of Tradescape, an Internet brokerage firm sold to E*Trade last year for $280 million."

BBC News, Baghdad blogger re-appears, May 12, 2003 Dear Raed back online

BBC News, Rebuilding Iraq's media, May 11, 2003

BBC News, Delhi jail takes up computing, May 10, 2003

New York Times, What Drove 2 Britons to Bomb a Club in Tel Aviv?, 12 May 2003. Also see Times, Islam in Britain: Extremists are preying on disaffected young Muslims, May 2, 2003 doesn't refer directly to the web, but there is no doubt (in my view) that the type of materials available on some websites are significant influences on so-called 'disaffected' Muslims. This issue has brought out sentiment such as the following quote from Frontpage: "Like the printing press that helped Luther, modern global communication technology should make it possible to reach the hundreds of millions of Muslims who may be ready for such a needed change -- a change that will make the Muslims welcomed as equal partners in the modern world."Frontpage, Where Are the Moderate Muslims?, May 2, 2003. Plenty of terminology issues to consider here... (beyond the scope of this page)

BBC News Online, Gagging the bloggers, May 2, 2003 leads with a photo of women in hijab, before discussing the merits of blogging.

MEMRI, Al-Qa'ida Affiliated Website: The Shi'a Threat to Sunni Islamists is No Less than the 'Judeo-Christian' Threat, 2 May 2003

BBC News Online, Computers to Africa scheme criticised, May 1, 2003

Shia News, Saddam's letter asks for uprising, 30 April 2003 reports al-Quds al-Arabi receiving 'letter'

The Onion, CIA: Syria Harbouring More Than 15 Million Known Arabs!, 30 April 2003 satirical online perspective about current events.

Guardian, Drive to put in a good word, 1 May 2003 discusses the Bookmobile project organised by Brewster Kahle (Internet Wayback Machine creator). Significant in terms of how technology can reduce barriers to knowledge.

This is London, Londoner behind suicide bomb, 1 May 2003

Newsweek, Saudi Government: Bin Laden Loyalists: How High Do They Go?, May 5 2003 explores funding issues in Germany ...

New York Times, Saudi Arabia Awakes to the Perils of Inbreeding, 24 April 2003 not the most sensitive of headlines, but an interesting non-net related story (reflecting my interest in medical ethics)

Time Europe, Culture Clash, 27 April 2003 useful articles about Muslims in Europe - nothing net specific

Silicon Valley News, Broadcast/Internet Journalist Pinpoints Saddam Hussein's Location, 30 April 2003

Yahoo! News, CAIR: Readers of Right-Wing Site Threaten Muslims, April 30, 2003 "Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today reported that it has received numerous hate-filled and threatening messages from the readers of a right-wing Islamophobic Web site." Note that ACAIR (anti-Cair) have now emerged - complete with a website - details of which can be found in this article: WorldNetDaily, Group forces censure for 'Islamophobia' Party official's offending e-mail thanked God Muslims not majority, April 30, 2003

PRISM, PRISM No. 5: Rantisi vs. the United States, April 2003 Dr Reuben Paz's article discusses Hamas and the web (other related materials on e-prism.org). NOTE: this is a Word Document.

National Geographic, Hunt for Stolen Iraqi Antiquities Moves to Cyberspace, April 30, 2003 more on the looting disasters

Payvand's Iran News, The Emergence of a New Axis: Los Angeles/Tel Aviv/Tehran, 29 April 2003 Interesting reference to the net and censorship here; the article's author Dr. Mohammad Sahimi writes: "The Tehran reactionaries have closed independent newspapers, and control most means of mass communications. Similarly, our die-hard royalists, with the funding that they receive from the Israeli lobby in the US, own almost all means of mass communications in the Iranian community (except, of course, the internet), and, taking a page from their Israeli allies, threaten everybody with economic boycott, if they deviate from their line (while they themselves are at each other's throats!)..."

Media Monitors Network, American Jihad, n.d. extracts from a new book on Osama bin Laden.

AFP/Middle East Times, Saudi mufti calls for boycott of Yahoo! over porn links, 17 April 2003

New York Times, A New Way to Catch a Hacker, April 29, 2003

New York Times, Suspect Charged With Plotting to Fight U.S. in Afghanistan, 28 April 2003 " ... Maher Hawash, a 38-year-old software designer in Portland, was accused of conspiring with a group of six others who had already been charged with trying to provide material support to Al Qaeda and the Taliban." Hawash had links to Intel. Also see Wired, Coder Charged in Terror Probe, 28 April 2003 and the Free Mike Hawash website

Reuters, Saudi Career Women Slowly Crack Brick Ceiling, 29 April 2003 refers to Saudi women as Internet engineers and also creating their own sites (marketed by men).

The Guardian, Winners in the war, April 21, 2003 discusses al-Jazeera and its future plans.

Wired, Mosaic Blows Out 10 Candles, April 29 2003 where would we be without Mosaic? this article includes some nostalgic screenshots... the browser still looks good

Guardian, Billy will be a hero, God willing, Bilal Shafayat is a precocious talent eager to play for England, 29 April 2003 Shafayet is seen as a phenomenal cricketing talent, whose progress is monitored by relatives in Pakistan via the internet.

MEMRI, Second Thoughts About Hating Jews?, 29 April 2003

Los Angeles Times, A road to Ansar began in Italy: Wiretaps are said to show how al-Qaida sought to create in northern Iraq a substitute for training camps in Afghanistan, 28 April 2003. Also see the related article Los Angeles Times, Militants' crude camp casts doubt on U.S. claims, 28 April 2003 and Los Angeles Times, In Italian jail, al-Qaida suspects curse U.S., 28 April 2003. They refer to the use of satellite technology and surveillance techniques. Amongst materials found on the bodies of Ansar al-Islam members were floppy disks containing strategic and tactical information.

Khilafah.com, Kyrgyz authorities outlaw access to Khilafah.com, 29 April 2003 "Kyrgyz authorities are bolstering their efforts to counter the growing influence of the extremist Islamic movement Hizb ut-Tahrir."

New York Times, As Iraqi Clerics Go Home, Talk of Schism With Shiite Hard-Liners in Iran, April 28, 2003 "This month in an article on a reformist Web site, Forouzan Assef Nakhai, an Iranian journalist, wrote, "The Islamic Revolution will suffer defeat if Qum fails to produce a model in which Islam would reconcile with democracy," in its competition with Najaf."

Wired, Looted Iraqi Art Displayed Online, 28 April 2003

alBawaba, British weekly: Documents link Saddam to al-Qaeda, 27 April 2003

MalaysiaKini, Islam is submission to God, regardless of race or language, 28 April 2003 discusses the Arabic word for God/Allah, and refers to the net as a 'research tool'

The Guardian, The paranoia that paid off, 24 April 2003 about the 'net benefits'(!) of concerns surrounding cyber-security prior to the invasion of Iraq.

New York Times/Star Tribune, Cairo cracks down on gay scene, 20 April 2003 refers to the use of the net by Cairo's gay community, in the wake of the 'Queen Boat' case

The Washington Dispatch, Politics, War and the Web: Exclusive commentary by W. James Antle III, 19 April 2003 discusses blogging in relation to so-called "radical Islam".

Wired, Army's Apple Shines in the Desert, March 8 2003 [new to this listing]

AP/MSNBC, E-mail spoofers target Arab activists, Provocative messages sent under their names to others, 20 April 2003 "Arab-American activist Nawar Shora checked his e-mail one day and found scores of angry messages asking why he hated Americans and Jews. The messages were responding to e-mails marked as coming from him. Only one big problem: Shora never sent the hate mail."

Independent Online (South Africa), Uday's passions: his mom, the Net and torture, 19 April 2003

AP/ABC, Arab Web Sites Plagued by Attacks, 17 April 2003 Islam-Online received 250 attacks a day...

alBawaba, Already missed..., 13 April 2003 more on Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf and the websites that have built up around him.

BBC News Online, Computers to Africa scheme criticised, May 1, 2003

Shia News, Saddam's letter asks for uprising, 30 April 2003 reports al-Quds al-Arabi receiving 'letter'

The Onion, CIA: Syria Harbouring More Than 15 Million Known Arabs!, 30 April 2003 satirical online perspective about current events.

Guardian, Drive to put in a good word, 1 May 2003 discusses the Bookmobile project organised by Brewster Kahle (Internet Wayback Machine creator). Significant in terms of how technology can reduce barriers to knowledge.

This is London, Londoner behind suicide bomb, 1 May 2003

Newsweek, Saudi Government: Bin Laden Loyalists: How High Do They Go?, May 5 2003 explores funding issues in Germany ...

New York Times, Saudi Arabia Awakes to the Perils of Inbreeding, 24 April 2003 not the most sensitive of headlines, but an interesting non-net related story (reflecting my interest in medical ethics)

Time Europe, Culture Clash, 27 April 2003 useful articles about Muslims in Europe - nothing net specific

Silicon Valley News, Broadcast/Internet Journalist Pinpoints Saddam Hussein's Location, 30 April 2003

Yahoo! News, CAIR: Readers of Right-Wing Site Threaten Muslims, April 30, 2003 "Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today reported that it has received numerous hate-filled and threatening messages from the readers of a right-wing Islamophobic Web site." Note that ACAIR (anti-Cair) have now emerged - complete with a website - details of which can be found in this article: WorldNetDaily, Group forces censure for 'Islamophobia' Party official's offending e-mail thanked God Muslims not majority, April 30, 2003

PRISM, PRISM No. 5: Rantisi vs. the United States, April 2003 Dr Reuben Paz's article discusses Hamas and the web (other related materials on e-prism.org). NOTE: this is a Word Document.

National Geographic, Hunt for Stolen Iraqi Antiquities Moves to Cyberspace, April 30, 2003 more on the looting disasters

Payvand's Iran News, The Emergence of a New Axis: Los Angeles/Tel Aviv/Tehran, 29 April 2003 Interesting reference to the net and censorship here; the article's author Dr. Mohammad Sahimi writes: "The Tehran reactionaries have closed independent newspapers, and control most means of mass communications. Similarly, our die-hard royalists, with the funding that they receive from the Israeli lobby in the US, own almost all means of mass communications in the Iranian community (except, of course, the internet), and, taking a page from their Israeli allies, threaten everybody with economic boycott, if they deviate from their line (while they themselves are at each other's throats!)..."

Media Monitors Network, American Jihad, n.d. extracts from a new book on Osama bin Laden.

AFP/Middle East Times, Saudi mufti calls for boycott of Yahoo! over porn links, 17 April 2003

New York Times, A New Way to Catch a Hacker, April 29, 2003

New York Times, Suspect Charged With Plotting to Fight U.S. in Afghanistan, 28 April 2003 " ... Maher Hawash, a 38-year-old software designer in Portland, was accused of conspiring with a group of six others who had already been charged with trying to provide material support to Al Qaeda and the Taliban." Hawash had links to Intel. Also see Wired, Coder Charged in Terror Probe, 28 April 2003 and the Free Mike Hawash website

Reuters, Saudi Career Women Slowly Crack Brick Ceiling, 29 April 2003 refers to Saudi women as Internet engineers and also creating their own sites (marketed by men).

The Guardian, Winners in the war, April 21, 2003 discusses al-Jazeera and its future plans.

Wired, Mosaic Blows Out 10 Candles, April 29 2003 where would we be without Mosaic? this article includes some nostalgic screenshots... the browser still looks good

Guardian, Billy will be a hero, God willing, Bilal Shafayat is a precocious talent eager to play for England, 29 April 2003 Shafayet is seen as a phenomenal cricketing talent, whose progress is monitored by relatives in Pakistan via the internet.

MEMRI, Second Thoughts About Hating Jews?, 29 April 2003

Los Angeles Times, A road to Ansar began in Italy: Wiretaps are said to show how al-Qaida sought to create in northern Iraq a substitute for training camps in Afghanistan, 28 April 2003. Also see the related article Los Angeles Times, Militants' crude camp casts doubt on U.S. claims, 28 April 2003 and Los Angeles Times, In Italian jail, al-Qaida suspects curse U.S., 28 April 2003. They refer to the use of satellite technology and surveillance techniques. Amongst materials found on the bodies of Ansar al-Islam members were floppy disks containing strategic and tactical information.

Khilafah.com, Kyrgyz authorities outlaw access to Khilafah.com, 29 April 2003 "Kyrgyz authorities are bolstering their efforts to counter the growing influence of the extremist Islamic movement Hizb ut-Tahrir."

New York Times, As Iraqi Clerics Go Home, Talk of Schism With Shiite Hard-Liners in Iran, April 28, 2003 "This month in an article on a reformist Web site, Forouzan Assef Nakhai, an Iranian journalist, wrote, "The Islamic Revolution will suffer defeat if Qum fails to produce a model in which Islam would reconcile with democracy," in its competition with Najaf."

Wired, Looted Iraqi Art Displayed Online, 28 April 2003

alBawaba, British weekly: Documents link Saddam to al-Qaeda, 27 April 2003

MalaysiaKini, Islam is submission to God, regardless of race or language, 28 April 2003 discusses the Arabic word for God/Allah, and refers to the net as a 'research tool'

Frontpage, The Antiwar Movement's Nazi Connection, 25 April 2003

The Guardian, The paranoia that paid off, 24 April 2003 about the 'net benefits'(!) of concerns surrounding cyber-security prior to the invasion of Iraq.

New York Times/Star Tribune, Cairo cracks down on gay scene, 20 April 2003 refers to the use of the net by Cairo's gay community, in the wake of the 'Queen Boat' case

The Washington Dispatch, Politics, War and the Web: Exclusive commentary by W. James Antle III, 19 April 2003 discusses blogging in relation to so-called "radical Islam".

Wired, Army's Apple Shines in the Desert, March 8 2003 [new to this listing]

AP/MSNBC, E-mail spoofers target Arab activists, Provocative messages sent under their names to others, 20 April 2003 "Arab-American activist Nawar Shora checked his e-mail one day and found scores of angry messages asking why he hated Americans and Jews. The messages were responding to e-mails marked as coming from him. Only one big problem: Shora never sent the hate mail."

Independent Online (South Africa), Uday's passions: his mom, the Net and torture, 19 April 2003

AP/ABC, Arab Web Sites Plagued by Attacks, 17 April 2003 Islam-Online received 250 attacks a day...

alBawaba, Already missed..., 13 April 2003 more on Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf and the websites that have built up around him.

ITN, Americans react to Ali airlift plea, 15 April 2003 also see International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Hopes left abandoned in Baghdad, 11 April 2003

Ananova, 'Most Wanted Iraqis' playing cards for sale on internet, 15 April 2003

Australian IT, Iraqi currency big on eBay, April 15, 2003

Liberal Slant, The Iraq War's Trashiest Piece of Propaganda, 15 April 2003

Arab News, Criminals Target the Unwary Online, 15 April 2003

AlBawaba, Iraqi refugees: Al-Sahaf committed suicide, 15 April 2003 Also see: Wired, Wacky Iraqi Minister a Web Star, 14 April 2003 refers to the new We Love The Iraqi Information Minister (Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf website (see cache which contains some of his quotes. Previously on these pages: The Guardian, 'Baghdad is safe, the infidels are committing suicide', 8 April 2003 discusses al-Sahaf, and his status in (some) internet chatrooms as "the "Harpo Marx" of Baghdad".

Robert Fisk: Library books, letters and priceless documents are set ablaze in final chapter of the sacking of Baghdad. Fisk managed to save some documents, but many were looted (including copies of the Qur'an). Also see BBC News Online, Prized Iraqi annals 'lost in blaze', 14 April, 2003

BBC News Online, Syrians join Iraq 'jihad', 14 April, 2003

BBC New Online, Britons seek war news on the net, 14 April, 2003

Guardian, Sony to cash in on Iraq with 'shock and awe' game, 10 April 2003 "Japanese electronics giant Sony has taken an extraordinary step to cash in on the war in Iraq by patenting the term "Shock and Awe" for a computer game." They didn't get the URL though, which belongs to an online commentary about conflict-related issues

Wired, IQ Test for Rebuilding Iraqi Net, 14 April 2003, previously reported at The Register, Iraq, its domain and the 'terrorist-funding' owner, 9 April 2003 gives the background to the .iq domain

CNSNews, Clerics Call for Jihad; Experts Ponder Terrorism Risk, April 14, 2003

alBawaba, Prominent Egyptian and Arab female artists exposed in pornography films. April 13, 2003 discusses an ongoing Internet scam.

New York Times, Cyberattacks With Offline Damage, 14 April 2003 " ... a recent paper by a computer security researcher at Johns Hopkins University suggests that there are plenty of gateways that connect the cyberworld with the more familiar terrain that some call "meatspace."

There is substantial online coverage of the murder of Abdel Majid al-Khoei. See the Al-Khoei Foundation's tribute and a video clip from BBC News. Also The Guardian's obituary and ABC, Murder in the Mosque, 14 April 2003

World Net Daily, Al-Qaida website bemoans fall of Baghdad, 13 April 2003 refers to al-Neda

Financial Review, The Cybercaliphate, 11 April 2003 "Each jihadi group in South-East Asia has its own website and is comfortable with mobile phones (provided they do not have a musical ring tone). What these groups envisage, then, is not the establishment of just any global caliphate, but a cybercaliphate ..." Paper by David Martin Jones (senior lecturer in the School of Government at the University of Tasmania).

AP image (right image) of man looting a computer monitor from a Baghdad warehouse; also see this AP image and this one showing technology being removed. Taken from Fox News and BBC News Online, 9 April 2003.

Stuart Hughes' Northern Iraq Weblog

AP, Arab Web Sites Bemoan Iraq 'Occupation', 10 April 2003

Reuters/Wired, Afghan Women Usher in IT Age, 8 April 2003

Washington Post, Ethics of War Blogging, 8 April 2003

BBC News Online, Kashmir anger over Iraq war, 8 April 200

Daily Princetonian, Students voice opinions on media coverage of Iraqi war, 7 April 2003

AP, Not Guilty Plea Entered For Accused Terror Professor: Al-Arian Accused Of Heading U.S. Operations For Palestinian Islamic Jihad, 8 April 2003. Also see Seattle Post Intelligencer, Idaho student eludes agents, 21 March 2003

The Guardian, Latest 'Bin Laden' tape urges suicide attacks, 8 April 2003 tape emerges in Pakistan - also see BBC News Online, 'Bin Laden tape' urges attacks, 8 April 2003 - these tapes often appear on the net too ... and here is the transcript from Jihad Unspun which originally appeared on Rightword.net (+ Arabic pages

Washington Post, Blogging the War: A Guide, 28 March 2003

Wired, Al Qaeda Website Refuses to Die, 7 April 2003 This is the latest episode in the al-Neda site saga, which is also referred to in my forthcoming book Islam in the Digital Age.

Salam Pax, W