Deadline for submissions: Friday, March 14, 2025

- The symposium offers the flexibility of both in-person and virtual participation.
- In our commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, we are pleased to offer free registration for all accepted presenters.
- For any questions or concerns, please contact the symposium organizers at kurulsekreterya@diyanet.gov.tr


IMPORTANT DATES

Abstract Submissions Due
March 14, 2025

Notification of Acceptance
March 17, 2025

Full Paper Submissions Due
April 28, 2025

Announcement of Symposium Program
May 2, 2025

Symposium Date
May 12–13, 2025

Publication of Symposium Proceedings
2025

Please submit your abstracts to kurulsekreterya@diyanet.gov.tr


OVERVIEW

Human beings, by their very nature, have a tendency to acquire information and news from their surroundings and to communicate. The most basic form of this communication is word-of-mouth transmission. However, throughout history, humanity has managed to convey information and news to places beyond the reach of sound—first through signals such as smoke and later through letters. Following the invention of the printing press, mass communication was further developed and widely utilized. The human pursuit of knowledge and news gained new momentum in the last quarter of the 20th century. Internet technologies, initially conceived on the eve of World War II to decode enemy plans and ciphers, developed in the 1970s and made accessible to the global public from the 1990s onward, laying the groundwork for the rapid rise of social media in the 2000s. The continuous enhancement of social media through constantly evolving and increasingly powerful algorithms, along with support from smart devices, has strengthened its influence over traditional media. With these and similar advantages, its rapid global rise has profoundly impacted many established concepts, representations, and experiences. Fundamental transformations aligned with social media have been observed in various fields such as commerce, politics, education, entertainment, and communication.

The rapid spread of digital transformation can be easily tracked through statistics related to information technologies. According to international research conducted as of 2024, the number of social media users worldwide has exceeded 5 billion. The same research also indicates that the average time people spend on social media has surpassed two hours. Studies on household information technologies conducted by TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute) reveal that these trends are also applicable to Türkiye. Accordingly, 88.8% of the Turkish population has internet access, and approximately 70% use social media. In fact, the country surpasses the global average in terms of social media participation and time spent. At this point, several questions arise: What needs does social media fulfill for individuals? What problems does it solve? What ideals does it help people achieve? It is not only possible but also necessary to ask similar questions in relation to religious beliefs and the experience of religiosity.

Social media, which is suited for displaying text, sound, photographs, and videos—or, in other words, for exhibition—does not support centralization or institutionalization due to its decentralized structure; instead, it promotes individualization and particularity. The unique operational dynamics of social media erode and relativize concepts such as time, space, distance, authority, hierarchy, culture, art, entertainment, and even human nature. How can these processes, driven by social media platforms, be evaluated in terms of religious experiences? It is widely acknowledged that works produced with the intention of being "seen and heard" hold no religious value. Despite this, how should the psychology of a devout Muslim individual be understood when they share a selfie with the Kaaba in the background, even at the cost of turning their back on it? Similarly, how should we interpret religious social media figures who are more active than the average content creator, motivated by their strong desire to spread their beloved faith? To what extent is it possible to explain the supporter or opposition identities and audiences formed by such representations through their internal disputes using Islamic sciences and classical social sciences?

In addition to the environmental pollution caused during the production processes of smart devices, numerous new concepts and issues have emerged in the agendas of social sciences, including digital democracy, digital fascism, digital oligarchy, deceptive and manipulative digital advertising, echo chambers, the digital panopticon, the consumption of privacy, surveillance, and control. What do these discussions mean for religious consciousness? Is it sufficient to simply say, “Social media technologies provide a new opportunity to learn, convey, and represent Islam”? What risks and pitfalls exist within the opportunities offered by social media? Within this framework, the High Board of Religious Affairs of the Presidency of Religious Affairs will organize a symposium titled "International Symposium on the Exploitation of Religion in Media" to discuss these and similar issues.

OBJECTIVE of the SYMPOSIUM

The aim of the symposium is to analyze the dimensions of the exploitation of religion in the media from an interdisciplinary perspective. The symposium seeks to address the issues arising from increasing instances of exploitation while fostering an academic discussion on religion’s explanatory, interpretative, and problem-solving potential. Another key objective is to discuss the findings of relevant studies and provide recommendations to social policymakers and practitioners.

SYMPOSIUM TOPICS

Potential topics include, but are not limited to;

- Digital exploitation of religion
- The transformation of religious language in media
- Othering, takfir, and lynch culture as a form of religious exploitation in media
- The exploitation of Tasawwuf in media
- The exploitation of religious authority
- The exploitation of radical religious movements
- The exploitation of privacy in media
- Examples of exploitation in astrology, healing practices, etc.
- Ideology, propaganda, religion, and social media
- Atheist and orientalist trends in media
- The exploitation of religion by atheist movements
- Islamophobia in media
- (Self-)orientalism in media
- The vulgarization of Turkish-Islamic cultural arts in media
- Representation of religious identity in media
- Examples of exploitation by social media influencers
- Religious groups and virtual communities in media
- Consumerist and performative piety in media
- Representation of disadvantaged groups on social media
- Identities exploited in subscriptions, likes, and comments
- Religious disinformation and social media as a news source
- Examples of exploitation of religion by social media preachers
- Perception of the Presidency of Religious Affairs in media
- Child exploitation in media
- Strategies for coping with exploitation of religion
- Othering and hate speech in media
- The exploitation of family and values in media
- Religious manipulation and perception formation in media
- Social media addiction and religion
- The isolation of religion in media

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

- Abstracts should be submitted via email to kurulsekreterya@diyanet.gov.tr
- Abstracts should be written in Turkish or English (for international participants).
- Abstracts should provide a concise overview of the topic and be between 200–400 words.
- Page layout: Submissions should be formatted on A4-sized paper with 2.5 cm margins on all sides (top, bottom, right, and left).
- The abstract title should be in Times New Roman, 12-point font, bold, and centered.
- The abstract text should be in Times New Roman, 11-point font, with 1.15 line spacing.
- If an ethical statement is required (e.g., if the study is derived from a thesis or supported by an institution), it should be indicated with a footnote marked by an (*) next to the abstract title.
- Citations, references, and formatting should follow the Chicago citation system (17th edition). See: https://www.mvcc.edu/learning-commons/pdf/Chicago_Manual_of_Style_17_Notes_and_Bibliography.pdf

FULL PAPER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

- Full papers should be submitted via email to kurulsekreterya@diyanet.gov.tr.
- Papers should be written in English
- Papers should be scholarly, original, and between 5,000–8,000 words in length.
- Page layout: The page size should be A4, with 2.5 cm margins on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right).
- The paper title should be centered on the page.
- Following the title, the author(s)’ academic title, full name, institutional affiliation, email address, and ORCID number should be written in 10-point font size.
- Papers must include: A title, an abstract, keywords (minimum 5, maximum 8), and a "references" section listing the sources used
- The main text should be written in Times New Roman, 11-point font size, with 1.15 line spacing.
- Headings within the main text should be in the same font (Times New Roman), bold, and 12-point font size.
- Arabic texts should be written in Traditional Arabic font.
- The "Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı İslam Ansiklopedisi" should be used as a reference for the spelling of names and concepts.
- Citations, references, and formatting should follow the Chicago citation style (17th edition). Please see: https://www.mvcc.edu/learning-commons/pdf/Chicago_Manual_of_Style_17_Notes_and_Bibliography.pdf