British Muslim parents to get Internet advice

A new guide will be distributed in British mosques to give Muslim parents advice on computers and Internet.

The Muslim Parents' Guide on Responsible Use of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) at Home will be launched at the Islamic Centre, in Leicester, on Friday.

The guide includes include information about gambling websites, violent computer games as well Internet sites that claim to be about Islamic teachings.

It also addresses the dangers of paedophiles using chat rooms and bulletin boards, Internet addiction and computer viruses.

"This is the first published guide of its kind,“ said author Dr Mohammed Begg, of De Montfort University.

"It became apparent during my PhD research that there was a particular need for this kind of help for parents in the Muslim community where so many adults have no knowledge or experience of computers.

"The guide is tailored to the individual needs of the Muslim community and gives parents practical help on supervising their children to help them benefit from technology while reducing risk of misuse."

Dr Begg also said he expects the guide to be used by Muslim parents across the United Kingdom and beyond.

"There is a need for this type of help for the community with an easy to read and easy to understand book which will be distributed through the mosque network," he said.

"The central purpose of this guide is to inform parents of the growing influence of technology on our lives and make some suggestions on how they could supervise their children at home."