Anonymity and digital islamic authority
Astor, Avi (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Sociologia)
Khir-Allah, Ghufran (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Sociologia)
Martínez-Cuadros, Rosa (Universitat de Barcelona. Departament d'Antropologia Social)

Date:	2024
Abstract:	Much of the literature on digital religious authority has focused on spiritual "influencers" and the challenges they pose to traditional religious hierarchies and structures of authority. Less attention has been dedicated to religious websites, social media pages, and digital feeds whose popularity and influence do not hinge on the personalistic qualities of their creators. There is a wide assortment of generic religious reference sites that, although developed and managed by largely anonymous webmasters and administrators, command significant audiences and exert substantial influence on religious interpretations and practices. We argue that anonymity affords certain advantages for bolstering visibility and influence that have hitherto received insufficient attention in the literature on religion, authority, and cyberspace. In contrast to spiritual influencers, who draw attention to their personal biographies, credentials, appearances, and connections to enhance their legitimacy and authority, individuals or groups who administer religious reference sites commonly employ alternative strategies that involve concealing personal identities, experiences, and affiliations. Their aim is to come off as neutral, impartial, and free of ideological baggage that might bias their interpretations. This facilitates their efforts to frame the content they share as a form of universal religious truth that transcends ideological and sectarian differences. Our analysis centers on websites and social media pages that provide guidance to Spanish speakers on Islamic theology, jurisprudence, and piety.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación PCI2022-134988-2
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Digital religion ; Authority ; Anonymity ; Internet ; Social media ; Islam
Published in:	Religions, Vol. 15 (december 2024) , p. 1507, ISSN 2077-1444

DOI: 10.3390/rel15121507

12 p, 233.4 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles