Accelerating the Digital Transition. European and Muslim Responses to Artificial Intelligence and ICTs

Abstract Investigating the potential compatibility between the ongoing shariʿa-compliant cyber reforms with the standards enshrined in the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles, the article regards the contemporary European digital agenda as a point of reference to examine the variegated Muslim responses to modern technologies, including virtual Islamic (e-)counseling. Comparing Western and Islamic attitudes toward the usage of robotics and a (human-centric) artificial intelligence, it becomes clear that these tools must support individuals, being Islamic scholars or Western legal professionals. While skillfully relying on different languages and transcending domestic borders, European Islamic bodies can also engage in synergetic collaborations with state institutions at inter/national levels by aligning themselves with the cyber reorientation of the digital public space.