Consulting Shaykh Google

Click here to view the video.


Radical Middle Way has a new video up that is worth viewing. It's a discussion about the influence of the web on young Muslims. The UK panel discussion called "Wired Warriors," describes itself like this: "Welcome to Muslim 2.0 – a wired generation whose members would rather pose their tough questions to Shaykh Google than their local Imam and who feel more connected to the Facebook ummah than the congregation at the local mosque. Never has Muslim conversation buzzed with so many divergent, combative and off-the-wall perspectives."

During our research in 2008 for the Understanding Islam through Virtual Worlds project we interviewed Mohammed Baba of Dutch firm Mexit Intercultural Management. Mohammed described a dilemma his company faces in their intercultural relations work -- that of young Muslims who are children of recent immigrants "Googling their religion." The power and potential the Internet provides, combined with the fact that teenagers often go outside their family for information about the world, creates a unique challenge to organizations who are trying to provide accurate information about religion and culture. You can read more here.