A newly launched internet search engine, Imhalal.com, enables Muslim web users to be spared from viewing offensive content.

The engine marks search terms like "sex" and "Wilders" as haram (banned). It will only return search results that are halal, approved by Islamic rules. The website name is a contraction of "I'm halal".

Many potential internet users in Islamic countries are shunning the web because they are worried that they might be acting contrary to their religion by viewing haram content.

Spokesman Reza Sardeha of the Zutphen, Netherlands-based AZS Media Group told reporters that first of all their engine blocks out sexually explicit search results like those displayed by Yahoo! and Google. The group is regularly consulting with Islamic scholars to determine what else might be considered haram. In addition to a search function, Imhalal is hoping to add Islamic widgets to the site, such as a prayer time reminder function.

Stars for sex
The Imhalal website uses a star rating system. One or two stars, for (Dutch anti-Islam politician) Geert Wilders or sex for instance, count as a warning for the users, although they can still click on the search result links if they want to. Three stars are given to search terms like "gay" or "porn" that are haram to such an extent that the search results will not even be displayed.

A similar search engine targeting Jewish web users was launched in June. Religious Jews who do not want to be confronted by un-kosher words or serach results can safely surf using Israel-based koogle.co.il.

• View the halal search engine: www.imhalal.com

RNW translation (rk)