Phoenix, why do you think it is isolate muslims? It makes good business sense to have a muslim specific facebook. There is demand for it, and it could even get into some untapped market(say conservative uncle/aunty who want to use halal facebook)
I just think that this social network's strategy as an "Islamic Facebook" may not aid it in gaining non-Muslim members. It's a good thing to interact with people of all backgrounds & religions, it promotes tolerance, friendship, & understanding. Of course some people might only interact with their own close friends on a social network. Maybe if I saw the steps Salamworld has taken to invite people of all backgrounds to join, I might change my mind. For now, I disagree with their marketing approach. I would suggest marketing the social network for all people while retaining Islamic principles in their management of the social network & its content.
I don't know if there is a demand for it, could it possibly be a niche market? I am not aware of such a market, but that does not imply that it's non-existent. As for that conservative aunty & uncle
; they can use Facebook to interact with their friends & family with full confidence of their privacy provided they make good use of its safety features. What could it possibly be about Facebook that makes a conservative aunty run away?
Nobody is forcing muslims to use it, and many can use both (facebook and salamworld). It can also have muslim specific features (say a button which can sing a random verse).
For many conservative muslim girls, this could be first step in social network.
I agree, no one is forcing them to use it. People can use more than one social network of course, but if they choose to use both Facebook & Salamworld, that might mean that they have no issue with Facebook at all. There are plenty of good Muslim or Islamic communities on Facebook as well by the way.
A digital Quran is a good idea, but most people interested in a digital Quran can easily find software catering them. Such software is widely available on Windows, OS X, iOS, & Android. Trust me, the vast majority of Muslims wouldn't be making use of such a feature on a social networking site anyway. People are more interested in socializing with their friends online instead of reading the Quran. Of course there are naturally going to be exceptions to the rule.
Conservative Muslim girls can continue to practice their faith & become Facebook members too. I myself know conservative Muslim girls & I never heard them complain about Facebook, especially with all the security features available on it. If you are talking about the girls whose parents forbid them from joining Facebook, don't you think they are going to forbid them from joining "Salamworld" too? After all, if the parents are worried that their daughters would communicate with men on Facebook, isn't it logical to assume that their daughters could do the same on Salamworld? Besides, most girls from conservative families join Facebook without their parents every finding out anyway.
