WikiIslam
 | |
| Owner | Ex-Muslims of North America |
|---|---|
| Founder(s) | Ali Sina |
| URL | wikiislam |
| Launched | 4 September 2006 |
| Current status | Active |
Content license | CC-BY-NC 3.0 |
| Part of a series on |
| Islamophobia |
|---|
 |
WikiIslam is a wiki focused on Islam-related content.[1] WikiIslam offers what academics have called "scientific" and "valid" critiques of the religion of Islam, similar in many way to the critiques that have been made of Christianity for centuries.[2] Although clearly coming from a critical point of view, the website "remains neutral towards religions, world views, and issues of a political nature and likewise stays away from extremist, sensationalist or emotional commentary" according to its mission statement.[3] WikiIslam was founded by Ali Sina in 2006[1] and was acquired by the Ex-Muslims of North America in 2015.[4] As a "community-edited" website, WikiIslam's registered users may modify and edit its content.[1] In the past, it has been called an anti-Muslim[10] and anti-Islam[5][11] website.
Overview
The website was registered on October 27, 2005 and launched on September 4, 2006.[1]: 162 It was founded by Ali Sina, an Iranian ex-Muslim, and originally maintained by his organization, Faith Freedom International.[1]: 162
WikiIslam currently describes its purpose as " to provide accurate and accessible information from traditional and critical perspectives on the beliefs, practices, and development of Islam."[12] Wikiislam has recently undergone a major renovation starting in 2020, purging the site of much content found to be objectionable. WikiIslam currently has a zero tolerance policy on hateful or Islamophobic content.[13][14]
In December 2015, the Ex-Muslims of North America took over ownership and operation of WikiIslam.[4]
As a "community-edited website," WikiIslam may be edited and modified by its registered users.[1]: 162
Overhaul
After taking over the website, in March of 2021 WikiIslam announced the "re-launch" of the website following extensive renovations [15]. Thousands of pages were removed, hundreds were renovated and new content was added. The website also added in new policies to restrict objectionable speech and to focus on scholarly and objective information about the religion of Islam.
Historical Reception
WikiIslam described its purpose in 2015 as "collect[ing] facts relating to the criticism of Islam from valid Islamic sources without the effect of censorship that is common in Wikipedia" and claims to have started as a result of the difficulty in "presenting 'correct' (i.e., critical) information on [Wikipedia]."[1]: 162 [16] In drawing a contrast to Wikipedia, the website declared that "opinions critical of Islam" would not be censored on WikiIslam "for political correctness."[5]: 57 To be "critical," as used on WikiIslam, refered to holding preconceived negative opinions of Muslims and Islam.[5]: 57
In 2007, theologian Göran Larsson argued that the website should be seen as an Islamophobic web portal,[a] noted that it commits selection bias by collecting only negative or critical material,[5]: 59 and characterized the website as "strongly anti-Muslims and anti-Islam."[5]: 64 His article in Contemporary Islam states that "In relation to the criteria set up by the Runnymede Trust ... it should be quite easy to label most of the material published on WikiIslam as expressions of Islamophobia."[5]: 62 Larsson added that "my impression is that the stories reported by WikiIslam have merely been selected to show that Muslims are ignorant, backward or even stupid" and observed that the website encouraged visitors to criticize Muslims and spread negative information about them.[5]: 59 However, because WikiIslam contained a list of links to other websites, such as that of the Middle East Media Research Institute, the article notes that "it becomes much more difficult to argue that all information posted on WikiIslam is Islamophobic by nature."[5]: 63
In 2013, both Daniel Enstedt and Göran Larsson wrote that the apostasy testimonies on WikiIslam were a part of a "negative and biased"[6]: 64 representation of Islam and "an important element in an Islamophobic world view that presents Islam and Muslims as diametrically opposite to all other world views."[6]: 88 The authors remarked that despite the material on WikiIslam being "presented as authentic" and derived from Islamic sources and Muslim spokespersons, the selection and presentation was "very one-dimensional" with "alternative interpretations [being] seldom represented."[6]: 64–65 They explained that because the website highlighted skewed perceptions of Muslims and Islam, it "is often perceived as being anti-Muslim, if not Islamophobic."[6]: 65
In a 2014 survey of "anti-Muslim websites,"[1]: 161 WikiIslam's apparent aim was described as "present[ing] Islamic history, theology, and practitioners in a way which leaves the reader with an exceedingly negative image of the faith, discouraging them from either taking up or continuing its practice. The focus, in other words, is on violence, sexuality and gender conflicts, leaving WikiIslam's potential visitors without easy access to material that might counterbalance its narrowly-focused view and/or convey the fact that Muslim theologians hold differing opinions about many of the site's topics."[1]: 162 In 2015, Nadia Khan cited WikiIslam as an illustration of growing anti-Muslim sentiment.[8]
In 2018, Enstedt again identified WikiIslam as a website containing anti-Muslim rhetoric.[9] In 2019, Asma Uddin described WikiIslam as a "rampantly anti-Muslim website."[7] Also in 2019, Syaza Shukri expressed that the lack of positive content on the WikiIslam demonstrated a "definite agenda" and that the website promoted a monolithic version of Islam, both violent and oppressive, unrepresentative of "how a majority of Muslims view their religion."[11]: 65
Notes
- ^ Larsson's view was summarized by Ruth Tsuria, an expert on Islamophobia and digital media: "Larsson argues that WikiIslam takes a closed attitude in its understanding of Islam, and so should be seen as an Islamophobic web portal." Tsuria, Ruth (2013-01-01). "The video Three Things About Islam: Islamophobia online or a religious dialogue". Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis. 25: 225. doi:10.30674/scripta.67442. ISSN 2343-4937.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Larsson, Göran (2014). "Islamophobia or Legitimate Concern? Contrasting Official and Populist Understanding of Opposition to Muslims". In Mays, Christin; Deland, Mats; Minkenberg, Michael (eds.). In the Tracks of Breivik: Far Right Networks in Northern and Eastern Europe. Vienna: Lit Verlag. pp. 155–66. ISBN 9783643905420. OCLC 881140905.
- ^ "The scientification of Islamophobia: the case of WikiIslam" on YouTube
- ^ "WikiIslam - WikiIslam". WikiIslam. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Ex-Muslims of North America takes ownership and operation of WikiIslam". Ex-Muslims of North America. 2015-12-03. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Larsson, Göran (1 June 2007). "Cyber-Islamophobia? The case of WikiIslam". Contemporary Islam. 1 (1): 53–67. doi:10.1007/s11562-007-0002-2. ISSN 1872-0226. S2CID 144896607.
- ^ a b c d e Enstedt, Daniel; Larsson, Göran (2013). "Telling the Truth about Islam? Apostasy Narratives and Representations of Islam on WikiIslam.net" (PDF). CyberOrient. 7 (1): 64–93. doi:10.1002/j.cyo2.20130701.0003. ISSN 1804-3194. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- ^ a b Uddin, Asma T. (2019). When Islam Is Not a Religion: Inside America's Fight for Religious Freedom (First Pegasus Books hardcover ed.). New York. ISBN 978-1643131740.
The rampantly anti-Muslim website, WikiIslam, connects Islam and pedophilia even more brazenly, 'Pedophilia is permitted in the Qur'an, was practiced by Prophet Muhammad and his companions, and some Muslims today continue to commit the crime, following their prophet's example.'
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b Khan, Nadia (Jan 2015). "American Muslims in the Age of New Media". In Smith, Jane; Haddad, Yvonne (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of American Islam. New York: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199862634.013.005. ISBN 9780199862634.
American Muslim organizations use new media both to address issues internal to their community and to counter growing anti-Muslim sentiment. For example, in 2005, Wiki Islam debuted, claiming to provide a 'politically incorrect' alternative to Wikipedia.
- ^ a b Enstedt, Daniel (2018). "Understanding Religious Apostasy, Disaffiliation, and Islam in Contemporary Sweden". In van Nieuwkerk, Karin (ed.). Moving in and out of Islam (First ed.). Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-4773-1748-8.
Anti-Muslim rhetoric on internet sites such as WikiIslam.net ... and faithfreedom.org ... reproduce[s] a negative image of religion that is associated with Islam.
- ^ [5][6][1][7][8][9]
- ^ a b Shukri, Syaza Farhana Mohamad (2019). "The Perception of Indonesian Youths toward Islamophobia: An Exploratory Study". Islamophobia Studies Journal. 5 (1): 61–75. doi:10.13169/islastudj.5.1.0061. ISSN 2325-8381. JSTOR 10.13169/islastudj.5.1.0061. S2CID 213425625.
...specifically the anti-Islam portal WikiIslam. Unlike Wikipedia, WikiIslam only produces content that are critical to Islam. While the owner does not consider the website to be a hate site, the fact that there is nothing positive about Islam on it proves that it has a definite agenda.... WikiIslam is of course promoting Islam as a monolithic religion that is violent and oppressive, and more importantly, does not represent how a majority of Muslims view their religion.
- ^ "WikiIslam - WikiIslam". WikiIslam. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
WikiIslam aims to provide accurate and accessible information from traditional and critical perspectives on the beliefs, practices, and development of Islam.
- ^ "The scientification of Islamophobia: the case of WikiIslam" on YouTube
- ^ "WikiIslam:Policies and Guidelines - WikiIslam". WikiIslam. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- ^ @@ExmuslimsOrg (March 23, 2021). "WikiIslam relaunch date" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 December 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Gardell, Mattias (2012). Islamofobi (in Swedish). Stockholm: Leopard förlag. ISBN 9789173434027.
WikiIslam – en 'islamkritisk encyklopedi' som skapades av antimuslimska cyberaktivister som slutit sig till att deras inlägg på Wikipedia 'censurerades' av politiskt korrekta redaktörer och motsades av muslimer som lade sig i samtalet om islam och muslimer – anser att 'termen islamofobi är avledande, uppeggande och ofta används för att förhindra mycket legitim kritik av islam'.