WikiIslam:Frequently Asked Questions: Difference between revisions

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The [http://wikiislam.github.io/wiki/Islam_Science_and_the_Problems_at_Wikipedia.html Jagged 85 incident] is a good example of the problems faced by Wikipedia with respect to Islam-related articles. Jagged 85 was an editor who contributed to 8,115 separate articles with over 67,000 edits made over a period of 5 years until they were caught in 2010. Focusing efforts on improving the image of Islam and downplaying the achievements of the western world, for 5 years he/she was left largely unhindered, misrepresenting sources in various ways, misrepresentations which were then reproduced all over the net by other sites which use Wikipedia as a source.
The [http://wikiislam.github.io/wiki/Islam_Science_and_the_Problems_at_Wikipedia.html Jagged 85 incident] is a good example of the problems faced by Wikipedia with respect to Islam-related articles. Jagged 85 was an editor who contributed to 8,115 separate articles with over 67,000 edits made over a period of 5 years until they were caught in 2010. Focusing efforts on improving the image of Islam and downplaying the achievements of the western world, for 5 years he/she was left largely unhindered, misrepresenting sources in various ways, misrepresentations which were then reproduced all over the net by other sites which use Wikipedia as a source.


Wikipedia's policies have also allowed for the use of some very suspect "reliable" secondary sources. A prime example of this would be Paul Vallely's "[[How Islamic Inventors Did Not Change The World|How Islamic inventors changed the world]]". And they also host a [[List_of_Fabricated_Hadith#Muhammad.27s_Farewell_Sermon|fabricated version of Muhammad's farewell sermon]] which was created by an Indian/Pakistani author in the 80's, simply because the version often features in Islamic propaganda, all while ignoring the authentic version of the sermon found in Tabari.
Wikipedia's policies have also allowed for the use of some very suspect "reliable" secondary sources. A prime example of this would be Paul Vallely's "How Islamic inventors changed the world". And they also host a [[List_of_Fabricated_Hadith#Muhammad.27s_Farewell_Sermon|fabricated version of Muhammad's farewell sermon]] which was created by an Indian/Pakistani author in the 80's, simply because the version often features in Islamic propaganda, all while ignoring the authentic version of the sermon found in Tabari.


As WikiIslam concentrates on only one subject, it hosts fewer articles than Wikipedia. This enables the community to fine-tune the wiki's articles to a much higher standard.
As WikiIslam concentrates on only one subject, it hosts fewer articles than Wikipedia. This enables the community to fine-tune the wiki's articles to a much higher standard.
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Wikipedia focuses on "[{{Reference archive|1=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability,_not_truth|2=2012-02-10}} verifiability, not truth]". In essence, this means that anyone who falls under Wikipedia's classification of "notable/reliable" can make a statement about any subject, and regardless of its factual accuracy, it can be used in their articles. In regards to Islam, it has meant they accept what "notable/reliable" western commentators and apologists claim about Islamic scriptures and Muslims over what the religious text and Muslims actually say themselves.
Wikipedia focuses on "[{{Reference archive|1=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability,_not_truth|2=2012-02-10}} verifiability, not truth]". In essence, this means that anyone who falls under Wikipedia's classification of "notable/reliable" can make a statement about any subject, and regardless of its factual accuracy, it can be used in their articles. In regards to Islam, it has meant they accept what "notable/reliable" western commentators and apologists claim about Islamic scriptures and Muslims over what the religious text and Muslims actually say themselves.


These commentators who speak about Islam and who fall under Wikipedia's classification of "notable/reliable" tend to be apologists, because serious scholars, for instance [[Videos_on_Islam:_Quran#Bart_Ehrman_Explains_Why_He_Doesn.27t_Criticize_the_Qur.27an|Bart Ehrman]], are scared of violence against themselves or of being accused of bigotry if they criticize anything Islam-related. Thus, Wikipedia often uses notable apologists like Karen Armstrong (who is not a qualified historian or Islamic scholar) whilst ignoring some giant figures from the Islamic world and Islamic history as well as world-renown academic historians and scholars of religion, such as Michael Cook.
These commentators who speak about Islam and who fall under Wikipedia's classification of "notable/reliable" tend to be apologists, because serious scholars, for instance Bart Ehrman, are scared of violence against themselves or of being accused of bigotry if they criticize anything Islam-related. Thus, Wikipedia often uses notable apologists like Karen Armstrong (who is not a qualified historian or Islamic scholar) whilst ignoring some giant figures from the Islamic world and Islamic history as well as world-renown academic historians and scholars of religion, such as Michael Cook.


===What can I find at WikiIslam that I cannot find at Wikipedia?===
===What can I find at WikiIslam that I cannot find at Wikipedia?===
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Simply put, removing content that violates this website's policies is not censorship. If errors, incomprehensible English or bad formatting is inserted into articles, those edits are subject to reversion. If insults, threats and other forms of vandalism are inserted into articles, they will be wiped from the pages' history. The same principle applies to talk pages. If people violate the talk page guidelines, post insults, off-topic rants or questions on talk pages, they will be deleted or wiped from the talk page's history (depending on the nature of the comment itself). These are straightforward and commonsense policies, and in no way can they be construed as "censorship".
Simply put, removing content that violates this website's policies is not censorship. If errors, incomprehensible English or bad formatting is inserted into articles, those edits are subject to reversion. If insults, threats and other forms of vandalism are inserted into articles, they will be wiped from the pages' history. The same principle applies to talk pages. If people violate the talk page guidelines, post insults, off-topic rants or questions on talk pages, they will be deleted or wiped from the talk page's history (depending on the nature of the comment itself). These are straightforward and commonsense policies, and in no way can they be construed as "censorship".


People are entirely free to voice their complaints or concerns about WikiIslam (this is why an [[WikiIslam:Contact Us|email address]] is provided for anyone who would like to reach out). However, WikiIslam will not pander to time-wasters who disrupt editors with inane questions in the name of "dialogue" or hypocritical vandals who seek to ''delete'' valid material while adding their own.
People are entirely free to voice their complaints or concerns about WikiIslam (this is why an [[WikiIslam:Contact Us|email address]] is provided for anyone who would like to reach out). However, WikiIslam will not pander to time-wasters who disrupt editors with inane questions in the name of "dialogue" or vandals who seek to ''delete'' valid material while adding their own.


==Miscellaneous==
==Miscellaneous==
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===Does WikiIslam claim that Taqiyya allows Muslims to lie whenever they want?===
===Does WikiIslam claim that Taqiyya allows Muslims to lie whenever they want?===


No. Taqiyya does not mean "lying in Islam". It only refers to a specific doctrine, a predominantly Shi'ite one, used by Shi'ites in order to save their own lives or avoid some other form of severe persecution (often, historically, at the hands of Sunnis). Many tend to conflate this doctrine with that of lying in general, leading to the mislabelling of all forms of religious lying as an example of "taqiyya" (See, "[[Taqiyya]]" and "[[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Lying and Deception|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars: Lying and Deception]]" for more information on this subject).  
No. Taqiyya does not mean "lying in Islam". It only refers to a specific doctrine, a predominantly Shi'ite one, used by Shi'ites in order to save their own lives or avoid some other form of severe persecution (often, historically, at the hands of Sunnis). Many tend to conflate this doctrine with that of lying in general, leading to the mislabeling of all forms of religious lying as an example of "taqiyya" (See, "[[Taqiyya]]" and "[[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Lying and Deception|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars: Lying and Deception]]" for more information on this subject).  


===Islam has many sects and interpretations, so what definition of "Islam" does this site use?===
===Islam has many sects and interpretations, so what definition of "Islam" does this site use?===
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