Islamic Search Engine Launched That Blocks 'Haram' Content Forbidden Under Shariah law

A search engine has been launched that blocks forbidden content “according to Islamic law.”

Using search results from Google and Bing, "halalgoogling" has a built in advanced filtering system that blocks "haram content," i.e. that which is forbidden according to the Shariah law of Islam. "Halal" means permitted.

A press release said that the search engine blocks “pornography, nudity, gay, lesbian, bisexual, gambling, anti-Islamic content.”

“Everyone has the right to enjoy the possibilities that the Internet offers, to learn or to use it for work, to share the fruits of scientific achievements, different literature, technical information, to trade products or offer different services etc. However, we have the right to preserve our faith, our moral and the interest of our brothers and sister worldwide. We are here to ensure that such content is not contrary to the principles of Islamic religion,” says the site's self-description.

According to the report, the website took years to develop and used experts from all across the world. With 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, the need for a search engine like this arose from the worry of exposing young Muslim children to forbidden content.

The system is being updated continuously and comes with options for self-reporting when haram content is found, and has in-country filtering for places with stricter laws, such as Pakistan.