‘Halal’ Internet is here for a better Muslim friendly browsing
A Malaysian startup to meet the growing need for a new browser which is in compliance with Islamic values has developed a new ‘Halal’ browser called ‘SalamWeb’. SalamWeb is a mobile and desktop browser designed to deliver a friendly web experience for Muslims. The app includes messaging, news and other features.
The world’s first Shariah certified web browser, SalamWeb, is designed & optimised with Muslim’s way of life in mind. Yes, you read that right, this browser will help you browse the Internet safely while keeping “haram” contents at bay. The term “haram” which translates as “forbidden”, refers to anything that is prohibited for Muslims, for instance, adultery, alcohol, gambling, pork, pornography and more.
According to Hasni Zarina Mohamed Khan, the managing director at Salam Web, the app is mainly being used in Malaysia and Indonesia. “We want to make the internet a better place,” Hasni Zarina said. “We know the internet has the good and the bad, so SalamWeb offers you a tool to create this window that lets you go to the internet to see the good,” said Hasni Zarina as quoted by Bloomberg.
The goal is to eventually capture 10 per cent of the 1.8 billion global Muslim population. Khan has pointed out challenges she faces as other leading technology companies such as Google and Facebook are under scrutiny for spreading fake news and releasing information.
SalamWeb heavily relies on community-vetted content that is marked appropriate with warning signals appearing to users when they land on websites containing gambling and pornographic content. There are also specific functions available on the website such as the Qibla direction and prayer timings.
It also has Muslim-specific functions, such as prayer times and an indicator for Qibla, or the direction that a Muslim must face when praying.
The products are certified compliant by the independent Amanie Shariah Supervisory Board, and is built on the open-source Chromium software that’s the basis of Google Chrome web browser.
