MillatFacebook
Encyclopedia
MillatFacebook is a Muslim
-oriented social networking
website. It was launched in May 2010 in response to a controversial group on Facebook
entitled Everybody Draw Mohammed Day
.
banned Facebook
from being accessed in Pakistan, after a user of the website created a page for Everybody Draw Mohammed Day
, and Facebook did not remove the page despite complaints from users. Both this and the fact that Facebook had been criticized for its "confusing" privacy controls led to the setup of MillatFacebook, an independent site which offered Pakistani users a way to continue using a Facebook-style social networking site. The site attracted over 4,300 users, most of them Pakistani, in the first few days. This number was expected to grow further because of Pakistani Facebook users being unable to access Facebook as a result of the national ban on the site. On 30 May 2010, however, a Pakistani court ruled that the Pakistani government should restore access to Facebook.
The Urdu word "Millat" is used by Muslims to refer to their nation
.
MillatFacebook has criticized Facebook for ignoring complaints from Muslim users, who MillatFacebook says provide almost 50% of Facebook's revenue.
Chief operating officer
Mr.Usman Zaheer said of Facebook that "We want to tell [the] Facebook people 'if they mess with us they have to face the consequences'. If someone commits blasphemy against our Prophet Mohammed then we will become his competitor and give him immense business loss[es]. [We dream of making] the largest Muslim social networking website."
Chief executive officer
Omer Zaheer said that "Basically the objective is to provide a platform for all people, not only Muslims, but nice and decent people of all faiths, to come together and interact in a way that is socially responsible by providing them all the freedom of expression, however respecting each others’ sensitivities and faiths. [Facebook] seems to allow mockery of religions it has an issue with… The caricatures of the prophet Mohammed were uploaded, and instead of taking any consideration and action, they came out and said they were supporting it."
While additional features are under the works to make it similar to those of Facebook, it currently offers such similar features as a "Wall" and the ability to connect to "Friends."
The founder Mr Omer Zaheer Meer said its employees are "working around the clock to offer features similar to those pioneered by the wildly popular California-based prototype." Usman Zaheer, the chief operating officer
said "We want to tell [the] Facebook people [that] 'if they mess with us they have to face the consequences'. If someone commits blasphemy against our Prophet Mohammed then we will become his competitor and give him (sic
) immense business loss."
, said "The quality of user experience is so abysmal that it does not merit the humble title, 'Facebook clone'. To sum up, MillatFacebook is a bold effort... but it is unlikely to capture a large audience, judging by the online experience it offers currently."
One user said "It was a good idea... as it can give us a forum to connect, but its reach is too limited."
MillatFacebook was termed the "halal
" version of Facebook by the Indian media. Its success was also credited as it was "going strong with 333,000 users having signed up at the last count."
Millat Facebook has survived past its first anniversary. It has become the largest Muslim Social Network with over 500,000 members.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
-oriented social networking
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
website. It was launched in May 2010 in response to a controversial group on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
entitled Everybody Draw Mohammed Day
Everybody Draw Mohammed Day
Everybody Draw Mohammed Day was an event held on 20 May 2010 in support of free speech and freedom of artistic expression of those threatened by violence for drawing representations of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad...
.
History
On May 19, 2010, Lahore High CourtLahore High Court
The Lahore High Court is based in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was established as a high court on March 21, 1919. The Lahore High Court has jurisdiction over Punjab...
banned Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
from being accessed in Pakistan, after a user of the website created a page for Everybody Draw Mohammed Day
Everybody Draw Mohammed Day
Everybody Draw Mohammed Day was an event held on 20 May 2010 in support of free speech and freedom of artistic expression of those threatened by violence for drawing representations of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad...
, and Facebook did not remove the page despite complaints from users. Both this and the fact that Facebook had been criticized for its "confusing" privacy controls led to the setup of MillatFacebook, an independent site which offered Pakistani users a way to continue using a Facebook-style social networking site. The site attracted over 4,300 users, most of them Pakistani, in the first few days. This number was expected to grow further because of Pakistani Facebook users being unable to access Facebook as a result of the national ban on the site. On 30 May 2010, however, a Pakistani court ruled that the Pakistani government should restore access to Facebook.
The Urdu word "Millat" is used by Muslims to refer to their nation
Ummah
Ummah is an Arabic word meaning "community" or "nation." It is commonly used to mean either the collective nation of states, or the whole Arab world...
.
MillatFacebook has criticized Facebook for ignoring complaints from Muslim users, who MillatFacebook says provide almost 50% of Facebook's revenue.
Chief operating officer
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
Mr.Usman Zaheer said of Facebook that "We want to tell [the] Facebook people 'if they mess with us they have to face the consequences'. If someone commits blasphemy against our Prophet Mohammed then we will become his competitor and give him immense business loss[es]. [We dream of making] the largest Muslim social networking website."
Chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
Omer Zaheer said that "Basically the objective is to provide a platform for all people, not only Muslims, but nice and decent people of all faiths, to come together and interact in a way that is socially responsible by providing them all the freedom of expression, however respecting each others’ sensitivities and faiths. [Facebook] seems to allow mockery of religions it has an issue with… The caricatures of the prophet Mohammed were uploaded, and instead of taking any consideration and action, they came out and said they were supporting it."
Development
The web site describes itself as helping users to "connect and share with more than 1.57 billion Muslims and sweet people from other Religions." The site aims to become "the largest Muslim social networking website."While additional features are under the works to make it similar to those of Facebook, it currently offers such similar features as a "Wall" and the ability to connect to "Friends."
The founder Mr Omer Zaheer Meer said its employees are "working around the clock to offer features similar to those pioneered by the wildly popular California-based prototype." Usman Zaheer, the chief operating officer
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
said "We want to tell [the] Facebook people [that] 'if they mess with us they have to face the consequences'. If someone commits blasphemy against our Prophet Mohammed then we will become his competitor and give him (sic
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
) immense business loss."
Reception
The Pakistani paper The Express Tribune, an affiliate of the International Herald TribuneInternational Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
, said "The quality of user experience is so abysmal that it does not merit the humble title, 'Facebook clone'. To sum up, MillatFacebook is a bold effort... but it is unlikely to capture a large audience, judging by the online experience it offers currently."
One user said "It was a good idea... as it can give us a forum to connect, but its reach is too limited."
MillatFacebook was termed the "halal
Halal
Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
" version of Facebook by the Indian media. Its success was also credited as it was "going strong with 333,000 users having signed up at the last count."
Millat Facebook has survived past its first anniversary. It has become the largest Muslim Social Network with over 500,000 members.
External links
- Millat Facebook
- Islam has a branding problem: Millatfacebook CEO -- Interview with MillatFacebook's founder.
External links
- Millat Facebook
- Islam has a branding problem: Millatfacebook CEO -- Interview with MillatFacebook's founder.