Here is a full transcript of her talk:

Brothers and sisters, respected Imams and community leaders,

Once again, thank you so much for being here today for this conference on such an important, timely, and crucial topic. Alhamdulillah, after a fruitful day for everyone, I don’t have to be the one to break the news to you: we are living through truly rapid and extraordinary changes. Technologies that once seemed distant and far off are now part of our daily lives. AI is no longer confined to laboratories or science fiction; it is shaping education, law, medicine, activism, and even how we interact with one another and how we engage with our Deen.

As Muslims—entrusted with truth and guidance—this moment is not one we can afford to ignore. We do not need to fear these tools, but we do need to understand them. We must ask how they are being used, whom they serve, and what it means to live faithfully in an age when models help decide what we see, what we value, and even what is considered to be true.

We have faced similar moments before. When social media exploded in the early 2010s, most Muslims and Muslim institutions were not ready. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube began shaping how Muslim youth think, see themselves, and understand their identities—and even how Islam itself is perceived. Unfortunately, western companies shaped this narrative, and as a result, we are still playing catch-up on the social media front. We allow algorithms created by others to define what “correct Islam” is. We watched as our scholars got shadowbanned, our activism censored, and our youth lost in confusion or suffered from hyper-visibility. All the while, many of our communities remained unaware of how this digital world was shaping our tangible, everyday reality.

When advanced surveillance technologies emerged, Muslims again were often the first targets. In the UK, the Prevent strategy used predictive technologies to flag young Muslims as pre-criminals based solely on their beliefs and online activities. In my home country, Canada, mosques were surveilled, and facial recognition technology was disproportionately tested in immigrant neighborhoods.

Today, AI is intensifying this trend. Models are being used to predict risk based on just names and locations. A model can decide that someone is a higher threat to British society simply because he carries the name of our Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) and was born near Al-Haram Al-Sharif. In many places, we witness one of the most disturbing uses of technology in modern warfare: AI systems developed by major tech companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are being used to generate bombing target lists delivered directly to cell phones. These are not abstract ethical dilemmas anymore—this is genocide being accelerated by AI.

None of this happens because technology itself is inherently evil. It happens because we were not there first to understand it and shape its use. This might sound bleak, but let me be clear: this is not a call to despair. It is a call to duty.

What we are witnessing now should shake each of us to our core—not just because of the immense human suffering of our Ummah, but because of what it reveals about the future of warfare, surveillance, and control in the AI age. If we sit back and wait for others to shape AI, these surveillance systems being tested on different people today will be exported tomorrow. We are witnessing the beta test of AI-powered oppression.

Crucially, these AI models are not only used for targeting—they are used to justify it. When a model flags a building as containing “threatening infrastructure,” that automated decision becomes sufficient justification to bomb it. The machine becomes a shield for actual war crimes. If we fail to become knowledgeable enough about AI and do not engage with it, we will accept these justifications in the future without question.

This is why we cannot afford to remain on the sidelines of the AI revolution. Each day we delay, each day we choose ignorance over engagement, we allow systems like these to be built without our Muslim voices, without our values, and without our resistance.

Today, the oppressed are crying—not just from physical prisons, but from algorithmic ones. They are crushed not only by bombs but by biased systems that see their very existence as a threat.

So, what is our response?

Are we building the tools to protect them? Are we training our youth and communities to understand these models? Are we developing alternatives rooted in justice rather than oppression? Or are we sitting back, hoping someone else handles the technical aspects while we focus on “more important spiritual matters”?

Let us be clear: in Islam, there is no separation between the spiritual and the technological. When Allah (Subhana wa Ta’ala) entrusted us with responsibility on this earth, He did not exempt certain domains. When He commanded us to enjoin good and forbid evil, He did not limit this commandment to mosques or madrasas alone.

The Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “Whoever among you sees a wrong action, let him change it with his hand. If he cannot, then with his tongue. If he cannot, then with his heart—and that is the weakest of faith.” Today, these wrong actions are automated. If we want to change them with our hands, we must understand who is building those hands. If we want to change them with our tongues, we must speak the language of those who deploy these systems.

We cannot afford to repeat history. We stand at the dawn of a technological revolution moving faster than any before it. This is no longer just about social media. Law, education, healthcare, theology, security—everything is being transformed by AI.

If we sleep through this beginning again, we will wake up merely reacting to damage—scrambling to recover rather than proactively shaping this technology to serve our communities. The good news is we are still early enough in this shift to do things differently.

We can prepare from the start. We can learn, build, and influence decision-making locally and globally.

What gives me hope today is that we have not only brilliant Muslim minds and resources but also moral clarity rooted in submission to Allah (Subhana wa Ta’ala) and a historical perspective spanning centuries.

When the Mongols destroyed Baghdad, it seemed like the end of Islamic civilization. When the Crusaders occupied Al-Quds, it seemed that Muslims would never recover. When colonialism carved up the Muslim world, independence seemed impossible.

But what did Muslims do? They did not despair. They did not retreat. They adapted, learned, rebuilt—and they came back stronger.

Today, as AI is used to accelerate oppression and injustice, we face the same choice. We can despair—or we can build.

So, concretely, what can we do starting today?

For our dear Imams: learn the basics of AI technology—not only to leverage it but to confidently guide your communities of all ages. Encourage your students and professionals not to shy away from this field but to engage responsibly. Use your platforms to raise important ethical discussions rooted in Islamic teachings. Frame this as a communal obligation, not an optional interest.

Just as our Ummah needs doctors, teachers, and engineers, we need Muslims who understand AI and can build ethical systems that protect our communities from algorithmic oppression. Make it clear that for a young Muslim to pursue computer science or AI research is not a departure from Islamic values—it is the fulfillment of them.

Our scholars and Islamic institutions should lead in formulating Islamic legal rulings tailored to AI’s unique challenges, both present and future. For example, at the Yaqeen Institute, where I currently work, scholars actively research and debate the permissibility of AI uses in Islamic content generation. We have developed “Bara’a,” a ChatGPT alternative trained exclusively on Islamic content to answer Muslim questions more authentically than generic models that do not consider Islam a source of truth.

This principled work is just the beginning of what all scholars and institutions globally should pursue in advance—not to play damage control later.

We must combine deep Islamic knowledge with technological literacy to provide clear guidance to our communities. We need Islamic jurisprudence addressing fundamental questions of AI ethics—such as how AI models should make decisions affecting Muslim lives and what our obligations are when we discover bias in AI systems.

These are not academic questions. Muslim organizations are adopting AI without clear scholarly guidance, and Muslim tech workers face ethical dilemmas without scholarly support. We need scholars who understand AI sufficiently to engage with these technologies and institutions supporting ethical AI development. We need fatwas guiding Muslims living with AI and algorithms.

For the tech professionals present: use your expertise to build ethical AI tools that uphold Muslim values. Build networks with fellow Muslim tech workers to advocate for justice and fairness in the industry. Remember, your work is more than a career—it can be a form of jihad.

When you write code that protects user privacy, you defend human dignity. When you build models that treat people fairly—especially people of color—you establish justice. When you create tools serving humanity rather than exploiting it, you fulfill the trust Allah (Subhana wa Ta’ala) has placed in you.

When decisions about AI deployment are made in corporate meetings, remember that your voice matters. Advocate for transparency, accountability, and for the vulnerable. We cannot separate “tech” from our Islamic ethics. Technical work is never morally neutral. Every line of code, every model, every dataset is a moral choice affecting lives.

Community leaders and activists: understand that the fight for justice today is not just protests and petitions—it is also algorithms and laws. Learn enough about AI to advocate effectively and build partnerships with Muslim technologists who can help reveal how these systems operate and how to change them.

No matter your advocacy, connect the dots between AI and your field. If you work on criminal justice reform in the UK, understand how AI influences policing and sentencing. Advocating for educational equity? Learn how AI tutoring systems can perpetuate or address learning gaps. Understand how AI surveillance and targeting oppress people, and how technologies developed by our communities can support resilience.

AI is everywhere. We cannot sit this one out.

Parents and families: support your children who choose tech paths. Don’t see technology careers as separate from Islamic values. See them as opportunities to serve Allah (Subhana wa Ta’ala) and the Ummah in new ways. Create environments where your children can excel academically while staying rooted spiritually, avoiding secular distractions.

For all of us, regardless of background, be informed consumers and citizens. Learn enough about AI to make wise choices about tools and policies. Ask critical questions about systems that affect your life. Demand transparency and accountability from governments and companies deploying these technologies.

Brothers and sisters, we are not powerless.

We inherit a tradition that has engaged with every tool of its time to serve truth and justice. Our scholars preserved knowledge, our architects shaped cities with geometry, our merchants upheld Islamic ethics in trade. This is our legacy—not passivity.

When early Muslims encountered Greek philosophy, they did not reject it; they engaged, improved, and deepened Islamic principles. When they encountered Persian administration, they adapted it for Islamic governance.

Today, instead of Greek philosophy and Persian systems, we face AI. Our response must be the same: engagement, not avoidance; mastery, not fear—so that we adapt AI in service of our values, not abandon our principles.

Let us rise to this moment.

Let us be among those shaping the tools of tomorrow, understanding and influencing the ethical conversations around them—not just to protect ourselves as Muslims but to fulfill our trust as witnesses to the truth in every age.

This time, we will not be left with damage control. We should be knowledgeable and ready to lead with purpose, inshallah.

The children of those enduring today’s AI-powered genocide will grow up in a world where AI is even more powerful and pervasive. We must consider: What kind of world will we leave them? A world where AI serves oppressors and harms Muslims, or one where AI is shaped to serve justice?

The answer depends on what we do today. Will we engage or avoid? Will we learn or wait? Will we lead or simply follow?

May Allah (Subhana wa Ta’ala) make us among those who recognize the stakes of our time, who leave behind legacies that serve His Deen and uplift our Ummah.
May He protect us from misguidance, empower us with beneficial knowledge, and accept our efforts as sincere service for His sake.

Who is Ibtihal Aboussaad?

Ibtihal Aboussad (also transliterated as Ibtihal Aboussaad or Abu Saad) is a Moroccan software engineer, Harvard graduate, and former Microsoft AI engineer who became internationally recognized for her activism on ethical issues in technology. She was fired from Microsoft after publicly protesting and calling out the company’s involvement in providing AI and cloud computing technologies to the Israeli military, which she denounced as enabling oppression and war crimes.macconvention+3

She is a leading organizer of the “No Azure for Apartheid” campaign, advocating against the use of AI for military and surveillance purposes that violate human rights. Her courageous stance has garnered widespread attention in technology ethics circles and pro-Palestinian activism.

Aboussad holds degrees in Computer Science and Psychology from Harvard University, and her interests focus on the intersection of AI, ethics, and youth empowerment. She was born and raised in Morocco and has previously participated in international STEM exchange programs. YouTube Mac convention

Her movement encourages tech professionals and the wider public to critically examine the ethical responsibilities of technology companies and to advocate for the use of technology in ways that respect human rights and justice.

Ibtihal gave a speech on “AI and the Future of Muslim Communities,” organized by the Muslim Council of Britain.

* The developer and the ICS do not endorse nor discourage what’s in this speech.