How has the historical tradition of Muslim networks and connectivity contributed to a wired Islam?
Historical Muslim networks now often have some form of online space, and/or use the Internet as a networking tool for dispersed communities and members. Even the previously most reluctant and quietist platforms — who resisted what they perceived to be the ‘dangers’ of the Internet — have adopted a level of pragmatism and established a presence online. What we are often looking at are a series of networks and communities reflecting diverse traditions and perspectives (allbeit with a common theme at times), rather than a single, monolithic network. Q: When did the Internet become an important networking tool in Islam? A: It is common to suggest that 9/11 had a galvanizing effect on online Muslim discourse, but — while that is a significant milestone — in some contexts the Internet was already an important adjunct to the Islamic information flow following the development of early browsers in the mid 1990s. Until the beginning of the twenty first century, online Islamic communication h
