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{"id":602,"date":"2006-05-31T14:53:29","date_gmt":"2006-05-31T14:53:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/akramsrazor\/2006\/05\/31\/virtually_islam\/"},"modified":"2013-05-07T18:41:32","modified_gmt":"2013-05-07T23:41:32","slug":"virtually_islam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/akramsrazor\/2006\/05\/virtually_islam\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtually Islamic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Thought I\u2019d share a very interesting blog that charts the intersection of Islam and the Internet called Virtually Islamic<\/a>.\u00a0 It\u2019s by Gary Bunt, the author of a number of cutting-edge books and articles on Muslims and the Internet.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a techie like me, you\u2019re sure to find it entertaining.\u00a0 For example, he reports <\/a>on a stink in Saudi Arabia at the moment over an imam who was punished for using his laptop during the khutbah <\/em>(Friday sermon).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s inelegant and undesirable in most situations, sure.\u00a0 But haram?\u00a0 The Khutbah is the Muslim community\u2019s most important forum and a place where practical matters are discussed and public announcements made.\u00a0 Some topics could require visual aids, which today in practice means laptops and projectors.<\/p>\n

Another example of how Saudi religious authorities\u00a0 (such as they are) go overboard in protecting Islam from \"corruption\", in the process illegitimately imposing their own arbitrary opinions on other Muslims.\u00a0 Not that it\u2019s a big surprise coming from the land of the mutawa<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

At least there\u2019s a debate in Saudi over this, though.\u00a0 That\u2019s a healthy sign.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"