The Siyana charter

Preamble

Siyana is an app for listening to Islamic sermons, lectures and classes. It was designed as a place of serenity, in the service of passing on knowledge, with respect for imams, speakers and listeners.

This charter sets out the spirit of Siyana, everyone's commitments and the rules that apply to all users. Using Siyana means accepting this charter.

1. The spirit of Siyana

• Siyana is a place for listening, not a social network: there are no comments, no messaging and no “like” counter.
• Siyana shows no advertising.
• Siyana treats all publishers equally: no content is promoted by an algorithm, and content is shown from newest to oldest.
• Siyana remains neutral: the app takes no side for any movement, mosque or speaker, and relies on this charter to govern content.

2. Who can use Siyana

Listeners

• Creating an account is reserved for people aged 15 or over.
• Below 15, Siyana is used only in the presence and under the responsibility of a parent. Content intended for children can be listened to as a family, with their parents.
• Listening is free.

Imams

• Every imam account is checked and approved manually by the Siyana team.
• Every imam is linked to a guarantor mosque, which vouches for his identity and role.
• Before his first publication, every imam goes through a compulsory training mode.

Speakers

• Lecturers, teachers and associations have a speaker account, also checked and approved manually by the Siyana team.
• An imam can ask to switch to a speaker account, for example if he no longer serves as an imam.
• A speaker account can never become an imam account again: the role of imam relies on being linked to a guarantor mosque and on a verification specific to this type of account.

3. Siyana's commitments

• Check every imam and speaker account before any publication.
• Collect only the data strictly necessary for the app to work, and never sell it.
• Hold no bank data: payments are handled by a specialised provider.
• Have every report reviewed by a team member, never letting an algorithm impose a sanction automatically.
• Protect content reserved for sisters.
• Inform users of any change to this charter.

4. Commitments of imams and speakers

• Publish only their own words, or content for which they have the author's consent.
• Provide accurate information: title, topic, date, mosque and language.
• Respect French law and this charter in each of their publications.
• Take responsibility for the content they publish.
• Use the “sisters only” label only for content truly suited to it; only women speakers can use it.

5. Prohibited content

The following are strictly prohibited on Siyana:

• any call to hatred, violence or discrimination against anyone;
• any statement contrary to French law;
• defamation, insults and attacks against named individuals;
• partisan political propaganda, including calls to vote for a candidate or party;
• publishing someone else's content without their consent;
• advertising and commercial promotion, except for the link teachers may add to their profile;
• any content unrelated to Siyana's purpose.

6. Listeners' commitments

• Listen with respect, in the spirit of serenity that is Siyana's own.
• Respect each imam's and speaker's choice regarding the sharing of their content.
• Not record, cut or redistribute content outside Siyana without the author's consent.
• Report in good faith, only what truly breaches this charter.

7. Control over distribution

• A share link only opens the Siyana app: no audio file ever circulates on its own, out of context.
• Each imam and speaker chooses, content by content, whether to allow link sharing of their content.
• Content downloaded for offline listening stays in the app and cannot be transferred to other apps.

8. Reporting and moderation

• Any content can be reported from the player, with a reason.
• A person can only report the same content once.
• Every report is sent to the Siyana team and reviewed by a human.
• When reports about an imam or speaker become significant, they are informed, without ever knowing the identity of those who reported.

9. Sanctions

In the event of a breach of this charter, the Siyana team may, depending on the seriousness of the facts:

• remove the content concerned;
• send a warning to its author;
• temporarily suspend the account;
• permanently close the account.

In serious cases, the guarantor mosque of the imam concerned is informed.

Anyone subject to a sanction may ask for explanations and challenge the decision with the Siyana team, from the “Help & support” section of the app.

10. Deleting content and accounts

• Every imam and speaker can freely delete their content, at any time.
• Every listener can delete their account at any time; deletion is immediate.
• When deleting their account, every imam and speaker chooses:
• to close their account and leave their content: it remains available to listeners, and their profile shows that the account is closed;
• or to delete everything: their account, content, series and public profile.
• The request takes effect 28 days later. Until then, simply signing back in to Siyana cancels it. Reminder messages are sent during this period.
• Exception: content under review following a report is removed from public view but kept in a protected area, inaccessible to users, for up to 90 days while it is reviewed. It is then permanently deleted.
• Every deletion is recorded in an internal register.
• In the event of death:
• the content of a deceased imam or speaker remains published, so that the knowledge they passed on continues to benefit listeners;
• their family may, on presenting proof, ask the Siyana team from the “Help & support” section either to remove all their content and close the account, or to keep it with a discreet mention on their profile, in their memory.
• Published content is never removed solely because the subscription is no longer paid.

11. A respectful space for sisters

• Content reserved for sisters does not appear for men's accounts: not in the library, the search, the profiles or the notifications.
• A series reserved for sisters is so for all its parts.

12. Protecting the youngest

• Siyana has no messaging and no comments: no user can contact another through the app.
• Creating an account is reserved for people aged 15 or over; below that age, the app is used with a parent.

13. Changes to the charter

This charter may evolve with the app. Each new version is dated, and users are informed of it in the app.