Islam and Online Piety in Bangladesh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26555/ijish.v3i2.2222Keywords:
Islam, Bangladesh, communalism, online piety, Muslim, social mediaAbstract
Due to various social advancements, Bangladesh has become more welcoming to digital technologies. Thus, a significant online community is flourishing here. Almost half of the country’s entire population uses the internet. The digital neighborhood is becoming larger the mediated interaction. What we now call online is nothing but a reflection of offline except its physicality. Like other social phenomena, religion and religious discourse is also a part of cyber society. Belief in cyberspace is often dubbed as “cyber-religionâ€. Debates on religion often harm the opposite group and contend faiths transform peace into communal animosity beyond cyberspace. Thus, society gets heated by hostile collective performances. In contemporary Bangladesh, online piety is an exclusive phenomenon that has considerable importance. By observing the dynamics of online religiosity, this paper focusing more on social media tries to present a concise overview of digital Islam(ism) and the social psychology of online Islamic piety in the context of Bangladesh.References
25,000 Muslim rioters torch Buddhist temples, homes in Bangladesh. (September 30, 2012). RT. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2nbJZs4
Ammerman, Nancy T. (2003). Religious Identities and Religious Institutions. In Dillon, Michele (ed.). The Handbook of the Sociology of Religion. London: Cambridge University Press, available at: Google Books.
Al-Zaman, M. S. (2019). Digital Disinformation and Communalism in Bangladesh. China Media Research, 15(2), 68-76, doi: 10.31235/osf.io/8s6jd.
Al-Zaman, M. S. (2020). Religious Communication in Digital Public Sphere. Jurnal Penelitian, 17(1), 29-42, doi: 10.28918/jupe.v17i1.2450.
Badal, Liakat Ali. (November 10, 2017). Mob sets upon Hindu village over rumoured Facebook post. Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2CqKQhK
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). (2014). Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011. Bangladesh: Ministry of Planning, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2ruGS0e
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). (October, 2018). Internet Subscribers. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2rbNSjA
Bauwens, Michel. (1996). Spirituality and Technology: Exploring the Relationship. First Monday, 1 (5), doi: 1.10.5210/fm.v1i5.496.
Bell, David. (2001). An Introduction to Cybercultures. London: Routledge, doi: 10.4324/9780203192320.
Bunt, Gary R. (2009). iMuslims: Rewiring the House of Islam. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, available at: Google Scholar.
Campbell, Heidi A. (2010). When Religion Meets New Media. London: Routledge, doi: 10.4324/978020369537.
Carlisle, Clare. (December 02, 2013). Is religion based on fear? The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2HxNkKo
Chartrand, T. L., & Bargh, J. A. (1999). The chameleon effect: The perception-behavior link and social interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(6), 893-910, doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.76.6.893
Durkheim, Emile. (2008). The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life (J. W. Swain, Trans). New York: Dover Publications, Inc, available at: Google Books.
Graner, Elvira, Yasmin, Fatema S., & Aziz, Syeda S. (October, 2012). Giving Youth a Voice: Bangladesh Youth Survey 2011. Dhaka: Institute of Governance Study, BRAC University, doi: 10361/10985.
Griffin, M. (2012). A First Look at Communication Theory (8th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill, available at: Google Books.
Harari, Yuval Noah. (2018). 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. London: Jonathan Cape, available at: Google Scholar.
Hindu households, temple attacked in Bangladesh. (May 05, 2014). The Times of India. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2EwEyyq
Horten, M. (December 19, 2018). ‘Falsafa’. In M. Th. Houtsma, T.W. Arnold, R. Basset, & R. Hartmann (ed.). Encyclopedia of Islam (1913-1936). doi: 10.1163/2214-871X_ei1_SIM_2269.
Islam, Md. N., & Islam, Md. S. (2018). Politics and Islamic revivalism in Bangladesh: The role of state and non-state actors. Politics, Religion and Ideology. Doi: 10.1080/21567689.2018.1493382.
Jamal, Eresh Omar. (December 19, 2017). Why is youth extremism on the rise? The Daily Star. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2EJK2Gt
Jordan, Tim. (1999). Cyberpower: The culture and politics of cyberspace and the Internet. London: Routledge, available at: Google Books.
Luft, J., & Ingham, H. (1955). “The Johari window, a graphic model of interpersonal awarenessâ€. Proceedings of the Western Training Laboratory in Group Development. Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles Extension Office, available at: Google Scholar.
Manik, Julfikar Ali, & Barry, Ellen. (November 02, 2016). Hindu temples and homes in Bangladesh are attacked by Muslim crowds. The New York Times. Retrieved from: https://nyti.ms/2GzIvoO
McLeod, S. A. (2018). Cognitive dissonance. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2t2YT5x
Middle-class burgeoning. (February 04, 2018). Daily Sun. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2QFFdov
Minority Rights Group International. (2016). Under Threat: The challenges facing religious minorities in Bangladesh. Sweden: Minority Rights Group.
No Hindus will be left in Bangladesh after 30 years: Professor. (November 22, 2016). The Hindu. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2A7T1Ou
Ovi, Sayeed. (October 08, 2018). Rise of online piety in Bangladesh: How extremism found a new nest cyberspace? The Independent. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2E5Tp4s
Ovi, Sayeed. (October 31, 2018). Digital religion and “othering†the co-cultures. The Asian Age. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2OZL9b3
Prensky, Marc. (October 2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9 (5), 1-6. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424816.
Rahman, Syedur. (1963). An Introduction to Islamic Culture and Philosophy (3rd ed.). Dhaka: Mullick Brothers.
Rogers, Everett M. (1983). Diffusion of Innovations (3rd ed.). New York: The Free Press, available at: Google Books.
Russel, Bertrand. (1996). Why I am Not A Christian. London: Routledge, doi: 10.4324/9781315099552.
The Fund for Peace. (2018). Fragile States Index 2018. Washington: The Fund for Peace (FFP). Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2Qzs3ss
Topu, Ahmed H. K. (November 03, 2013). Hindus attacked in Pabna. The Daily Star. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2LzigOl
Travis, Alan. (February 06, 2012). Internet biggest breeding ground for violent extremism, ministers warn. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2EL1OJV
World Bank. (2018). GDP Growth. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2CldbWO
Ammerman, Nancy T. (2003). Religious Identities and Religious Institutions. In Dillon, Michele (ed.). The Handbook of the Sociology of Religion. London: Cambridge University Press, available at: Google Books.
Al-Zaman, M. S. (2019). Digital Disinformation and Communalism in Bangladesh. China Media Research, 15(2), 68-76, doi: 10.31235/osf.io/8s6jd.
Al-Zaman, M. S. (2020). Religious Communication in Digital Public Sphere. Jurnal Penelitian, 17(1), 29-42, doi: 10.28918/jupe.v17i1.2450.
Badal, Liakat Ali. (November 10, 2017). Mob sets upon Hindu village over rumoured Facebook post. Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2CqKQhK
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). (2014). Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011. Bangladesh: Ministry of Planning, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2ruGS0e
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). (October, 2018). Internet Subscribers. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2rbNSjA
Bauwens, Michel. (1996). Spirituality and Technology: Exploring the Relationship. First Monday, 1 (5), doi: 1.10.5210/fm.v1i5.496.
Bell, David. (2001). An Introduction to Cybercultures. London: Routledge, doi: 10.4324/9780203192320.
Bunt, Gary R. (2009). iMuslims: Rewiring the House of Islam. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, available at: Google Scholar.
Campbell, Heidi A. (2010). When Religion Meets New Media. London: Routledge, doi: 10.4324/978020369537.
Carlisle, Clare. (December 02, 2013). Is religion based on fear? The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2HxNkKo
Chartrand, T. L., & Bargh, J. A. (1999). The chameleon effect: The perception-behavior link and social interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(6), 893-910, doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.76.6.893
Durkheim, Emile. (2008). The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life (J. W. Swain, Trans). New York: Dover Publications, Inc, available at: Google Books.
Graner, Elvira, Yasmin, Fatema S., & Aziz, Syeda S. (October, 2012). Giving Youth a Voice: Bangladesh Youth Survey 2011. Dhaka: Institute of Governance Study, BRAC University, doi: 10361/10985.
Griffin, M. (2012). A First Look at Communication Theory (8th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill, available at: Google Books.
Harari, Yuval Noah. (2018). 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. London: Jonathan Cape, available at: Google Scholar.
Hindu households, temple attacked in Bangladesh. (May 05, 2014). The Times of India. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2EwEyyq
Horten, M. (December 19, 2018). ‘Falsafa’. In M. Th. Houtsma, T.W. Arnold, R. Basset, & R. Hartmann (ed.). Encyclopedia of Islam (1913-1936). doi: 10.1163/2214-871X_ei1_SIM_2269.
Islam, Md. N., & Islam, Md. S. (2018). Politics and Islamic revivalism in Bangladesh: The role of state and non-state actors. Politics, Religion and Ideology. Doi: 10.1080/21567689.2018.1493382.
Jamal, Eresh Omar. (December 19, 2017). Why is youth extremism on the rise? The Daily Star. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2EJK2Gt
Jordan, Tim. (1999). Cyberpower: The culture and politics of cyberspace and the Internet. London: Routledge, available at: Google Books.
Luft, J., & Ingham, H. (1955). “The Johari window, a graphic model of interpersonal awarenessâ€. Proceedings of the Western Training Laboratory in Group Development. Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles Extension Office, available at: Google Scholar.
Manik, Julfikar Ali, & Barry, Ellen. (November 02, 2016). Hindu temples and homes in Bangladesh are attacked by Muslim crowds. The New York Times. Retrieved from: https://nyti.ms/2GzIvoO
McLeod, S. A. (2018). Cognitive dissonance. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2t2YT5x
Middle-class burgeoning. (February 04, 2018). Daily Sun. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2QFFdov
Minority Rights Group International. (2016). Under Threat: The challenges facing religious minorities in Bangladesh. Sweden: Minority Rights Group.
No Hindus will be left in Bangladesh after 30 years: Professor. (November 22, 2016). The Hindu. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2A7T1Ou
Ovi, Sayeed. (October 08, 2018). Rise of online piety in Bangladesh: How extremism found a new nest cyberspace? The Independent. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2E5Tp4s
Ovi, Sayeed. (October 31, 2018). Digital religion and “othering†the co-cultures. The Asian Age. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2OZL9b3
Prensky, Marc. (October 2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9 (5), 1-6. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424816.
Rahman, Syedur. (1963). An Introduction to Islamic Culture and Philosophy (3rd ed.). Dhaka: Mullick Brothers.
Rogers, Everett M. (1983). Diffusion of Innovations (3rd ed.). New York: The Free Press, available at: Google Books.
Russel, Bertrand. (1996). Why I am Not A Christian. London: Routledge, doi: 10.4324/9781315099552.
The Fund for Peace. (2018). Fragile States Index 2018. Washington: The Fund for Peace (FFP). Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2Qzs3ss
Topu, Ahmed H. K. (November 03, 2013). Hindus attacked in Pabna. The Daily Star. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2LzigOl
Travis, Alan. (February 06, 2012). Internet biggest breeding ground for violent extremism, ministers warn. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2EL1OJV
World Bank. (2018). GDP Growth. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2CldbWO
Downloads
Published
2020-10-17
How to Cite
Al-Zaman, M. S. (2020). Islam and Online Piety in Bangladesh. IJISH (International Journal of Islamic Studies and Humanities), 3(2), 67–73. https://doi.org/10.26555/ijish.v3i2.2222
Issue
Section
Articles
License
Authors who publish with IJISH (International Journal of Islamic Studies and Humanities) agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.Â
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
