The online world is forever evolving, new opportunities for growth, business, learning and connectivity. But with these new opportunities come new threats. It is our responsibility to face these threats and overcome them.
Faith Associates has developed an innovative idea, preventing the threats that arise in the online world.
The guide will remind Muslims of their Islamic responsibilities when online. In doing so, the hope is that they can impact the online world as model citizens of the internet. The ‘Muslim Digital Citizen’s Guide’ aims to encourage good behaviour online with 5 basic Islamic principles Honesty, Kindness, Respect, Excellence and Patience.
The Five Islamic principles as laid out in the guide.
Animated Guide
The animated guide introduces 5 characters into reader’s lives- Sara, Ali, Haris, Maryam and Adam, are on journeys to becoming model online citizens. Faced with the trials and tribulations we all face online, they think back to the Islamic principles being taught in the guide, and overcome the negativity, providing us with an alternative reaction or solution.
Through detailed scenarios, relatable to the day to day engagement of Muslims and guidance using the Quran and Hadith the guide aims to encourage positive actions and behaviour online. Ultimately, it helps us understand that our actions and behaviour online holds the same importance as offline.
Maryam
Maryam, one of the 5 characters. Representing Honesty
Maryam comes across someone using social media to portray a fake persona but addresses it.
Sara
Sara is representing the value of Kindness
Sara is in a situation where someone writes an unethical post and she asks them to remove it.
Haris
Haris represents the Islamic Principle of Respect
Haris reminds us of a popular saying, ‘If you dont have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all”
Ali
Ali represents the Islamic principle of Excellence
Ali here shares a toolkit with his online friends, hoping it can benefit them
Adam
Adam represents the Islamic principle of Patience
Here we see Adam using his patience to stop himself from replying negatively to hate comments
Infographic Guide
The infographic guide can be aimed at teachers in schools, madrassah or parents. It contains the same 5 Islamic principles, but discusses them through ahadith and ayat, with their respective translations. The English and Arabic are juxtaposed, acting brilliantly as exemplar lessons. Each principle is broken up into 4 situations, teamed with a hadith, or ayat from the Quran.
This shows an example of the situation of using a fake persona for popularity online, and emphasises the need for the Islamic principle of Honesty
Chief Editor – Shaukat Warraich
Shaukat Warraich, Founder of Faith Associates and co-writer of the guide said: “We are proud to officially launch the Muslim Digital Citizens Guide supported by Google and ISD, a unique guide that helps to develops an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of Muslims in the online world”
“Contextualizing the Islamic faith within the fast moving online world is a debate many people are grappling with and we wanted to help to frame the narrative to support young Muslims in their digital journey.”
“This guide has started a discourse on the subject of digital citizenship and its increased importance.
“The hope is that the guide helps to close the gap, which can sometimes exist between faith and online culture reinforcing a stronger sense of identity and helps to develop a new age of model digital citizens.”
The Muslim Digital Citizens Guide by Faith Associates has been developed with the support of Google.org’s innovation fund administered by the Institute of Strategic Dialogue (ISD) to counter hate and extremism in the UK.
The guide has been covered by National Press, and more information can be found at :
Imam Qari Asim MBE, Chair of Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) and Senior Editor of ImamsOnline.com, said:
“Being part of the consultations to develop the Muslim Digital Citizens Guide has been refreshing. This guide is the first of its kind in developing a discourse around digital citizenship of Muslims. Many internet users often forget that the online world is now part of our real world; it has become an extension of our lives, it’s therefore important to appreciate the etiquettes of Internet usage and observe behaviours online which are mindful of other citizens’ rights.”
Both guides can be downloaded here:
Animated Version: https://bit.ly/2CP5jM8
Infographic Version: https://bit.ly/2Wl0G5z
