Two Muslim entrepreneurs, Shoaib Fadie and Rohail Amin M Shoaib, disclosed that the new social media platform will be launched soon and will be “socially responsible, safe for families and respectful of Islamic religious values”. The beta version of Muslim Face is currently being tested over the world by one thousand people and is expected to be launched by the second quarter of 2015. The social media site would be unique in the manner that it would feature several languages, such as Urdu, English, Arabic, Persian, the Malaysian language Bahasa, Turkish, and Indonesian language as well.
The co-founders made it clear that the project would be a global one, aiming to depict a network set up by Muslims presentable to the world. Fadie said: “This social platform is an international project. It is designed from a Muslim point of view, but also opens up new opportunities with the rest of the world. It is basically a network by Muslims, through Muslims, presented to the world.”
“In the modern age, you can’t avoid using the internet. A huge number of Muslims now use different social media platforms and it has become imperative for Muslims to establish a social platform that connects internet users, including their families, around value-based content, products and services that also respect Islamic principles.”
Owing to its content and ‘responsible’ as well as safe filters, Muslim teens aged as young as thirteen will be able to use the digital medium. Muslim Face will also not be restricted to only followers of the Islamic faith. “Our platform is designed to be a universal Islamic alternative to popular social networks but it is also open for non-Muslims who want to subscribe to platforms that are socially responsible and safe for children,” said Fadie. Fadie also elaborated as to why a separate social medium for Muslims was needed. “Many Muslim users voiced concern over anti-Islamic content and blasphemy posts in some other social media platforms but they didn’t quit because all their friends are members there. Muslim Face is now their alternative and once they become members, their friends will be encouraged to become members as well,” he said.
Lastly, the social media platform will also serve as a ‘Majlis’, a community where the young and old can gather to exchange ideas and discuss values. This experiment, according to the Muslim Face co-founders will strengthen contact among members and bring about a positive change in society.
Available in multiple languages, a morally strong social medium just might click with the sizable majority of Muslim users who currently have no other option but to use Facebook in order to network with the world. Only time will tell if Muslim Face will indeed dent Facebook or not.
Mark Zuckerberg, a competition is headed your way!
