Conference Programme

This is a provisional programme and timings are subject to change. It will be updated closer to the conference date. You can register for the conference here.

Day 1 – Wednesday 5th February 

10 am – 10.30 am  Registration and Refreshments 
10.30 am – 10.45 am  Welcome from Prof. Gary Bunt and Prof. Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor (Digital British Islam Team) 
10.45 am – 11 am  Guest Welcome from Prof. Elena Gaura (Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor, Coventry University) 
11 am – 12.15 pm Digital British Islam Plenary 1: Concepts, Methods and Impact (Chair: Hafza Iqbal)
12.15 pm – 1.30 pm Lunch 
1.30 pm – 3pm Parallel Sessions 1 & 2 
Panel 1 – Online vs Offline: Challenges and Opportunities (Chair: Sadek Hamid) 
Sofia Tsourlaki Digital Reformation of Islam: The Tip of the Iceberg  
Christoph Günther “Your Page is Like a Mosque to Me”: Religious Media Practices of German Muslims  
Iman Dawood Cyber Da‘wah: Salafis Bridging the Online/Offline Divide in the UK  
Hafza Iqbal Between the Digital Murid and Distant Murshid  
Panel 2 – Identity and Community Formation (Chair: Gary Bunt) 
Muhammad Nabil Translocal/Transnational Muslims: Telegram Channels as Newer Diasporic-Mediated Spaces in Britain 
Muhammad Salim The Impact of Mobile Apps on the Daily Socio-Religious Experiences of the Shia Ismaili Muslim Community
Sana Patel Muslims Can Be Cool Too!: Humanizing Muslims in Times of Rising Islamophobia  
Khalid Ansari Navigating Dual Identities: The Lived Experiences of Queer Muslims in London  
3 pm – 3.30 pm  Coffee Break 
3.30 pm – 5 pm  Coventry Cathedral Tour (optional) 

Day 2 – Thursday 6th February 

9.30 am – 10 am Refreshments 
10 am – 11.15 am Digital British Islam Plenary 2: Findings (Chair: Talha Bhamji)
11.15 am – 11.45 am  Coffee Break 
11.45 am – 12.45 pm Roundtable Session on Digital Influence – Nafisa Bakkar and Hamza Tzortzis in conversation with Sadek Hamid and Khadijah Elshayyal 
12.45 pm – 1.45 pm Lunch 
1.45 pm – 3 pm Parallel Sessions 3 & 4 
Panel 3 – Religious Leadership and Authority (Chair: Alamgir Ahmed) 
Riyaz Timol Exploring the Digital in the Lives of British Imams  
Frank Peter Riba, Interest-Based Mortgage and Homeownership: Identifying (Re)configurations of Authority and Space in French Digital Debates  
Talha Bhamji Beyond Boundaries: Hijra Digitalised on Deoband Websites  
Panel 4 – Art, Aesthetics and Visual Culture (Chair: Laura Jones) 
Andrea Stanton Mosques of Instagram: Visuality, Piety, Experience, and Agency 
Sabah Uddin Decolonizing the Muslim Self: Gen Z British Muslims ‘Talk-Back’ on Social Media 
Reyhab Patel Conceptualizing Muslim Futurism: Digital Art and Storytelling Amongst North American Muslims  
3 pm – 3.30 pm  Closing Thoughts 
3.30 pm – 4 pm Coffee / Delegates Depart