EARLIER this month The Telegraph reported that a new search engine – I’m Halal – had been launched to protect Muslims from “offensive” and “inappropriate” websites.
I’m Halal’s founder, Reza Sardeha, said he got the idea after friends complained that the more popular search engines, including Google and Yahoo!, were flagging up naughty stuff.
First of all, we have blocked all sexually explicit content. We are also in talks with Imams to determine what might be considered haram and therefore be blocked.
I’m Halal is not a dictatorial or censorship website, we want people to be able to continue their online search. We use a two layer system, first of all the search engine analyses the content fetched by Imhalal.com and all websites that contain explicit material will be filtered out. Some websites will still be fetched and there the secondary, more aggressive and progressive filter kicks in and that is when you will see the haram level.
Sardeha hopes his website will become the home page in all Muslim households and, despite only going live on September 1, already has plans to expand the product.
He said:
In one month’s time we hope to add Islamic widgets such as prayer time so that you can easily find out when to pray or when you come to the website you will see a quote from the Koran. We are marketing Imhalal as a social home page for Muslim households.
Well, this immediately sent mischievous Freethinker reader and contributor Dr Robert Stovold on a quest to discover how effective I’m Halal is. His findings are surprising – and hilarious.
First, he found that The FT blog is HALAL, as is richarddawkins.net, www.thereligionofpeace.com and jesusandmo.net – and it even displays a “blasphemous” cartoon into the bargain!
Says Robert:
There’s a specialist image search facililty which prefaces all search results with the following warning: Caution! The image search of imhalal.com is stil in it’s early Beta(β) days and doesn’t filter perfectly yet. We advise you to choose your search terms carefully. And well it might, given what happens when you type ‘Mohammed cartoons’!
Anyway, back to the text-searching. ‘How to make a bomb’ yielded several pages of hits, as did ‘how to kill infidels (see for example, “How to slow poison infidels with fecal matter”, at http://www.news.faithfreedom.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1754)
In desperation I resorted to ‘Bacon sandwiches’, which provoked the following warning: Oops! Your search inquiry has a Haram level of 1 out of 3. This means that the results fetched by ImHalal.com could be haram!
‘Quran is bollocks’ gets 2 out of 3. But what might trigger that elusive Level 3? If it’s not bomb-making, poisoning infidels with faeces or mocking the Quran, it’s got to be something far, far worse. You know, like nudity?
Yes, the word “Nudity” gets 3 stars: Oops! Your search inquiry has a Haram level of 3 out of 3! I would like to advise you to change your search terms and try again.
Curious to see how smart this search engine really was, Robert gave it a few brainteasers.
‘Virgin’ was deemed to be a little risque (1 out of 3 on the Whitehouse scale), but ‘72 virgins’ was fine, presumably because of the latter’s Islamic connotations. Impressive! Similarly, ‘Pig’ has a haram level of 1, but ‘Jewish Pig’ turns out to be OK! Impressive again!
How about something less extreme than full nudity? The phrase ‘Woman’s face’ didn’t set off any alarm bells. Which is unfortunate for unwary Muslims, given that the third link returned by this search engine is entitled ‘Is sperm good for the Woman’s face? My wife like me to spray her every …‘ When I typed the same innocuous phrase (‘Woman’s face’) into Google, I was unable to find this link, despite trawling through several pages of hits.
We should point out that, since Robert did his research, I’m Halal has grown a little smarter. “Woman’s face” throws up a few innocuous links, but “is sperm good …” activates the “Oops! Your search inquiry has a Haram level of 3 out of 3! I would like to advise you to change your search terms and try again” warning.
Our prediction is that I’m Halal is gonna give filthy infidels hours of fun!
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
September 10th, 2009 at 11:37 am
Islamic search engine ImHalal.com is using yahoo BOSS index, it's adding a filter layer for some keywords specially that related to the porn and adultery or gambling. when you search for "kill infidels" it gives result because this keyword didn't add to the black list and many other keywords some of them are offensive for the Muslims them selfs at the end it's a human edited list.
September 10th, 2009 at 11:39 am
i got a haram rating of 2 out of 3 with the search terms "breast cancer" and "breast feeding". "Breastfeeding" in just one word was ok though.
September 10th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
"the satanic verses" gets 2/3. salman rushie is halal though.
September 10th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
A couple of months ago about a kosher version of google; why don't these people team up and build an interfaith search-engine. That might give us some extra laughs.
September 10th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
A search for both 'goatse' and '2 girls 1 cup' return a haram level of just 1/3, along with the stomach wrenching pictures. Yet a search for blue tits (I'm a keen ornithologist, honest), gives 3/3.
Odd people these muslims!
September 10th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Oh this is fun!
If you click in "feedback" you can see some discussions… here is a nice little topic, a lesbian muslim
http://getsatisfaction.com/imh.....ics/gay_...
Criticism of islam? Well, some muslims would love to live in a dictatorship
http://getsatisfaction.com/imh.....ics/ban_...
BAANNNNNN the bikini!
http://getsatisfaction.com/imh.....ics/set_...
Learn the enemy…
http://getsatisfaction.com/imh.....ics/jew_...
Haram methods to make money should be blocked
http://getsatisfaction.com/imh.....ics/isnt...
September 10th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Now back to the search engine
If you type "big bang" :
Oops! Your search inquiry has a Haram level of 2 out of 3. This means that the results fetched by ImHalal.com could be haram!
Evolution seems to be ok though.
transexual/Transsexual
Oops! Your search inquiry has a Haram level of 3 out of 3! I would like to advise you to change your search terms and try again.
Come onnnn!! Even lingerie!
Oops! Your search inquiry has a Haram level of 2 out of 3. This means that the results fetched by ImHalal.com could be haram!
Pamela Anderson
Oops! Your search inquiry has a Haram level of 1 out of 3. This means that the results fetched by ImHalal.com could be haram!
Osama Bin Laden… it is ok!
Gay?
Oops! Your search inquiry has a Haram level of 3 out of 3! I would like to advise you to change your search terms and try again.
Bikini is 1star
but ooooohhh my Thongs reach even higher!
Oops! Your search inquiry has a Haram level of 2 out of 3. This means that the results fetched by ImHalal.com could be haram!
September 10th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
This is more entertaining than most current British TV.
'Mr Gay UK' is a brutally offensive 3/3, but 'Suicide bombing' is only a '1' and 'Filthy sodomite' brings up results without a hitch.
'Beating your wife' is a '1', but chip off three letters and 'Beat your wife' helpfully provides links to domestic violence how-tos.
'Arse' is a '2', but animal lovers will find 'Ass' is a '3'.
'Honour killing', 'Acid attack' and 'Cut throats' get no warning lights at all, especially as the last is also a type of finch and a sixties film.
Are you sure it is a bad idea Barry? If you ask me this could be a landmark own goal.
September 10th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Spunk is bad – but Jizz is fine
September 10th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
This report has made it to No 3 on the front page of Reddit – thank you so much Peter Brietbart – and the comments are a joy! See http://www.reddit.com/r/atheis.....9j4q8/im...
September 10th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
This report has made it to No 3 on the front page of Reddit (atheism) – thank you so much Peter Brietbart – and the comments are a joy! See http://www.reddit.com/r/atheis.....9j4q8/im...
September 10th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
I'm with Stuart_W this must be a spectacular own goal, hours of fun for the stinking infidels.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
this is so much fun! how can 'Love' get a level 1? maybe i shouldn't be surprised!
September 10th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
big bang is a level 2!!
Osama bin laden nothing
Pamela Anderson level 1! hahahahaha
I did make a more detailed post, even with their "feedback" section asking to ban many things…but sadly, it seems it got lost.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
I too am an ornithologist, and also found searching for blue, great and coal tits got a score of three, Strangely "shag" only got 2. Blue Movies seemed all right.
September 10th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Geert Wilders = Bad – Fitna = OK
9 11 = Bad – WTC = OK
Alcohol = Bad – Absinthe = OK
why is islam shit? = Bad – why is islam poo? = OK
paedophile = Bad – Mohammed = OK
They really havent thought it through have they?
September 10th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
'Cannibalism' – fine
'Beheadings' – fine
'Blowing up trains' – fine
'Wine gums' – 1
September 10th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Surely, as these tossers find everything offensive, when they click in a blank screen appears?
September 10th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
People and nations all through history have used religion, even christianity for evil designs, so why don't we distrust christianity? because, we learn to look beyond that religion's miss use. England for example, it was the religious order that instigated a 300 year war against muslim I believe because they didn't see God the same way, that war came to be known as the crusades, a well known famous historian by the name Runciman who mention in his 3 vol. of 'A History Of The Crusades" about the religlous order did in fact instigate that 300 year war. America and other european countries seem to have follow the same mode, if you dress up a wrong or a lie you can make acceptable but, it's still wrong or a lie.
September 10th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
You can't have a blowjob (3*) but you can felate to your hearts content.
Wank (3*) but wanking is fine.
Hours of fun……
September 11th, 2009 at 12:10 am
you can have 'minge' and 'shlong' and 'pornografy' with an f, so those sexually frustrated muslims can still have some perving if they know where to look.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:17 am
Why not just have something like this, except for the Koran?
September 11th, 2009 at 2:10 am
Brilliant – 'suicide bomber' is rated 1 out of 3, but 'homosexual' gets the full 3 out of 3, reflecting a truly Islamic sense of moral priorities. Richard Dawkins is apparently halal, however. Put his name in and his official site pops up, top o' the list.
September 11th, 2009 at 11:29 am
Very good!!
September 11th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Aljizzera!
September 11th, 2009 at 11:47 am
"Homo" sapiens gets 2 out of 3, but Homo erectus (which you'd think would be worse) gets the same score.
September 11th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
That's very funny Buffy, but devout Jews actually DO "bind the scriptures" to their heads! (See phylacteries)
September 11th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I put in "stupid twat" just to see whether the word Muslim came up, and it didn't. Strangely enough though, the word cunt did! There is, indeed, hours of fun to be had here!!
September 11th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
imposed modesty is a prison
was ok
figures
September 11th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
You seem to have wandered a little off topic here but I think that if you explore this blog a little you will find that most of us here despise Christianity as much as we do Islam.
September 11th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
I think he's just promoting his own site, Stoneyground, so no wonder he's "wandered a little off topic"! Ignore him!!
September 11th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
I thought I'd just try something of interest to Barry and myself – Enormous Jamaican Bamboo! Lo and behold, hundreds of matches came up, including "Things to do and see in Montego Bay" – hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 11th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
This really IS fun , Barry! I put in "Mohammed Bomber", just to see what would happen, and the very first site it directs you to is one that features a Tee-shirt with that "offensive" cartoon on it – AND THER'E'S AN ILLUSTRATION OF IT TOO!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I think I'll go and have a lie down for a bit!)
September 11th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Great fun! I tried some innocent things, but got only one star on "Geert Wilders".
Then some noughty things:
- Buttplug: 0 stars.
- rimmen: 0 stars
September 11th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
I gotta tell you people the truth, I was all ready to slam the tar out of this thing – so of course I went and tried it. Did you?
To be honest, it's not even very strict in terms of censorship, and this is basically an engine for people who want their searches censored. Whether I can ever really comprehend why anyone would choose other than to decide for themselves on all counts (I can't) the fact is there isn't anything particularly nefarious about this.
In fact, I have to confess that I was fairly able to use it to find plenty of open debate on politics and religion (yes, seriously). And again this is for people who want that.
Seriously though go check it out at least before you start throwing things.
So I guess if someone wants a censored search engine, (can't believe I'm saying this) good job ImHalal.
September 11th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Great fun! I tried some innocent things, but got only one star on "Geert Wilders".
Some noughty stuff got no stars whatsoever. Like b*ttplug and r*mmen.
September 12th, 2009 at 1:48 am
You'll be pleased to know that the phrase "come stain on blue dress" is halal. However, the phrase "great tits hunt for bats" is totally haram (a score of 3/3).
September 12th, 2009 at 6:25 am
It would be obvious to any right-thinking person, remigius, that blue tits are what Muslim women get when they stupidly divest themselves of those very practical burqas!
September 12th, 2009 at 6:28 am
They're banning sites like answeringislam "since they spread hate and nonsense." Obviously, that's the job of Islamists!
September 12th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
"Blue footed booby" is also OK
September 12th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
They are Muslims. They are incapable of thinking for themselves.
September 13th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Having seen, thanks to this enormously informative search engine, some of the delights on offer at Montego Bay, Barry and I were thinking of organizing a sort of "fact-finding mission" to Jamaica! If any other gay (or straight, or bisexual, or…well, you get the picture) readers of this blog would like to accompany us on this trip, please put your names forward ASAP, so that we can ascertain what the demand might be. If only half the pics we have seen on the net are genuine you will not be disappointed!!
September 13th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
The search term "no clothes picture strip" gives some rather revealing results if you scroll down a bit…
The filter(s) needs some more work in my opinion.
September 13th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Struth! Some people have an even more fertile imagination than mine!!
September 13th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I just discovered that “Fanny Craddock” earns a one-star warning, but “Dick Tracy” gets two!
I must get away from I'm Halal – it's exposing my age!
September 13th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
I tried Presidential aide Randy Bumgardner, and there was no problem at all! It even directs you to Randybum's Place (randybum.com) which is evidently "under construction" – the mind boggles!!
September 13th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
"Knockers" is OK – but the first page obligingly flagged by I'm Halal is entitled: “breasts, tits, juggs, funbags, hooters, knockers!” and gives this link:
http://www.spike.com/video/bre.....uggs/294...
Damn, is that the time? I've got a magazine to knock out!
September 13th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
"Knockers" is OK – but the first page obligingly flagged by I'm Halal is entitled: “breasts, tits, juggs, funbags, hooters, knockers!” and gives this link:
http://www.spike.com/video/bre.....uggs/294...
Damn, is that the time? I've got a magazine to knock out!
September 13th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
"Dick Cheney" only gets a two-star warning. I was hoping it would blow every fuse over at I'm Halal, and let me get on with some proper, productive work.
September 14th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Whilst researching "Jamaican Bamboo" in connection with the forthcoming works outing, I accidentally stumbled across a site called rudejam. I was immediately sorry that I had not been using the search engine ImHalal, in the belief that my innocent eyes would thus have been shielded from the salacious images which I had been forced to peruse. Imagine my surprise on putting rudejam into the so-called halal search engine, only to find that these same corrupting images were presented to my gaze, and further precious hours were wasted looking through them all again! In my opinion ImHalal isn't all that it's cracked up to be, and I shan't be using it again!!
September 17th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
The words 'gay' 'queer' 'lesbian' and 'homosexuality' now no longer have a 3/3 haram rating.
Check out this article on my website: I'm a Halal Homosexual
They listened!
Ali