Privacy Policy

Effective Date: October 11, 2025
Last Updated: October 11, 2025

IslamJourney.org (“this blog,” “I,” “me,” or “my”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how I collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit https://www.islamjourney.org.

This is a personal Islamic education blog operated by Rem Archi (pseudonym), an individual Muslim—not a company, organization, or institution.

Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you don’t agree with the terms, please don’t use this blog.

1. Information I Collect

A. Information You Voluntarily Provide

Email Newsletter Subscription (if/when available):

Email address
Name (optional)
Subscription preferences (topics of interest)

Contact Forms & Inquiries:

Name (optional)
Email address
Message content (questions about Islam, correction requests, etc.)
Any other information you voluntarily provide

Comments (if enabled):

Name or username (may be pseudonymous)
Email address (not publicly displayed)
Comment content
Website URL (optional)
IP address (automatically collected for spam prevention)

Islamic Question Submissions (if applicable):

Questions about Islam
Personal situation context (you should NOT include sensitive personal details)
Email for response

Donation Information (if/when implemented):

Payment information processed by third-party payment processors
Name and email for receipt and communication

B. Information Automatically Collected

Technical & Usage Data:

IP address (may be anonymized)
Browser type and version
Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
Operating system
Referring website
Pages viewed and time spent
Date and time of visit
Approximate geographic location (country/city from IP)
Internet Service Provider

Cookies & Tracking:

Session cookies
Persistent cookies
Analytics cookies (Google Analytics)
Advertising cookies (Google AdSense)

2. How I Use Your Information

To Provide Islamic Educational Content:

Deliver articles, resources, and Islamic knowledge
Process newsletter subscriptions
Respond to questions about Islam
Enable community discussion (comments)
Provide requested Islamic resources

To Improve This Blog:

Understand which Islamic topics interest readers most
Identify popular articles and resources
Optimize site navigation and user experience
Plan future content based on reader needs

To Communicate:

Send Islamic education newsletters (if subscribed)
Respond to questions and inquiries
Send important updates about the site
Provide receipts for donations (if applicable)

Analytics:

Analyze traffic and demographics
Understand reader geographic distribution
Measure content effectiveness
Generate anonymous aggregate statistics

Security & Legal:

Protect against spam and abuse
Enforce Terms of Service
Comply with legal obligations
Respond to legal requests where required

3. Third-Party Services

A. Services I Use

Google Analytics:

Tracks site usage and visitor behavior
Privacy policy: Google Analytics Privacy
Opt-out: Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on

Google AdSense:

Displays ads to support this blog
Uses cookies for personalized advertising
Privacy policy: Google Advertising Privacy
Ad settings: Google Ad Settings
Note: I don’t control which ads appear. Ads are automated by Google based on content and your browsing history.

Web Hosting Provider:

Hosts website files and databases
Collects server logs (IP, browser, pages accessed)
Has their own privacy policy

Email Service Provider (if newsletter launched):

Stores email addresses and manages subscriptions
Examples: Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Substack
Has their own privacy policy
Unsubscribe link in every email

Payment Processors (if donations enabled):

Process donations securely (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
I don’t store full credit card information
Payment processors have their own privacy policies

Islamic Content Providers:

May embed Quranic recitation players, hadith databases, or Islamic resources
These services may collect data
Review their privacy policies

B. When I Share Your Information

I do NOT sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

I may share in these circumstances:

Service Providers:

With vendors providing hosting, analytics, email delivery
They’re obligated to protect your data

Legal Requirements:

If required by law, court order, or government request
To protect legal rights or safety
To investigate abuse or violations

Aggregated Data:

Anonymous statistics (e.g., “50,000 monthly readers from 100 countries”)
Doesn’t identify you personally

Business Transfers:

If I sell or transfer this blog, data may transfer to new owner

4. Cookies & Tracking

Types of Cookies Used

Essential Cookies:

Required for site functionality
Remember your settings

Analytics Cookies:

Google Analytics tracking
Help understand site usage

Advertising Cookies:

Google AdSense ads
Personalized advertising

Your Cookie Choices

Browser Settings:
You can control cookies through browser settings:

Block all cookies
Delete existing cookies
Accept selectively

Opt-Out Tools:

5. Your Privacy Rights

A. EU/EEA (GDPR Rights)

You have the right to:

Access: Request copy of your data
Rectification: Correct inaccurate data
Erasure: Request deletion (“right to be forgotten”)
Restriction: Limit processing
Data Portability: Receive data in portable format
Object: Object to processing
Withdraw Consent: Anytime

To exercise rights: Email contact@islamjourney.org with “GDPR Request” in subject

Response time: Within 30 days as required by law

B. California (CCPA/CPRA Rights)

You have the right to:

Know: What data I collect and how it’s used
Delete: Request deletion of your data
Opt-Out: Opt out of “sale” (Note: I don’t sell data)
Non-Discrimination: No discrimination for exercising rights

To exercise rights: Email contact@islamjourney.org with “CCPA Request”

Response time: Within 45 days as required

C. Other Jurisdictions

Contact me to learn about rights under your local privacy laws.

6. Data Security

Security Measures:

SSL/TLS encryption (HTTPS)
Secure hosting providers
Regular security updates
Access controls
Regular backups
Malware scanning

No system is 100% secure. While I protect your data, I cannot guarantee absolute security.

You’re responsible for:

Protecting your devices
Using secure connections
Keeping passwords safe

Data breach response:

Prompt investigation
User notification as required by law
Steps to prevent recurrence

7. Data Retention

Email Subscriptions: Until you unsubscribe or request deletion

Contact Inquiries: 2-3 years for record-keeping

Comments: Indefinitely unless you request deletion

Analytics Data: Per Google Analytics settings (default 26 months)

Donation Records: As required by law and accounting standards

Request deletion: Email contact@islamjourney.org with “Data Deletion Request”

8. Children’s Privacy

This blog is NOT intended for children under 16.

I don’t knowingly collect information from children under 16. If I discover I have, I’ll delete it immediately.

Parents: Please supervise children’s internet use. If your child provided information, contact me at contact@islamjourney.org.

9. International Data Transfers

Servers may be located in:

European Union
United States
Other jurisdictions

By using this site, you consent to:

Transfer of data to these jurisdictions
Processing under their laws

I take steps to ensure adequate protection regardless of location.

10. Do Not Track Signals

Currently, there’s no universal DNT standard. I don’t specifically respond to DNT browser settings.

You can still opt out using methods in Section 4.

11. Third-Party Websites

External Links:
This blog links to Islamic resources, Quran websites, hadith databases, Islamic bookstores, etc.

I’m not responsible for:

Privacy practices of external sites
Content or policies of linked sites
Data collection by third parties

Review privacy policies of any sites you visit.

12. Email Communications

Newsletter (if available):

You consent by subscribing
Used only for Islamic education updates
Not shared with third parties (except email provider)
Unsubscribe anytime via link

Transactional Emails:

Responses to inquiries
Important site updates
Donation receipts

You can’t opt out of transactional emails, but they’re infrequent.

13. Islamic Content Considerations

Sensitivity of Religious Information

Some information you share may be religiously sensitive:

Questions about personal Islamic practice
Discussions of struggles with faith
Personal religious experiences
Questions about sensitive fiqh issues

Privacy commitments:

Your questions and comments remain as private as you make them (public comments are public; emails are private)
I don’t share personal religious information publicly without permission
Email inquiries are kept confidential
If I use anonymized examples in articles, all identifying details are removed

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