WikiIslam: Difference between revisions

WikiIslam
Owner	Ex-Muslims of North America
Founder(s)	Ali Sina
URL	wikiislam.net
Launched	4 September 2006; 18 years ago
Current status	Active
Content license	CC BY-NC 3.0

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WikiIslam is an anti-Muslim^[7] and anti-Islam^[9] wiki.^[3] The website was founded by Ali Sina in 2006.^[3] Registered users may modify and edit its content;^[3] in 2015, the website was acquired by the Ex-Muslims of North America^[10] and underwent a major revision in 2020.^[11]

Overview

The website was registered on October 27, 2005 and launched on September 4, 2006.^[3]^: 162 It was founded by Ali Sina, an Iranian-born Canadian ex-Muslim, and originally maintained by his organization, Faith Freedom International,^[3]^: 162^[a] part of the counter-jihad network.^[12]^: 47 As of 2013, among the site's aim was to act in defence against a perceived "global threat" of Muslims and Islam;^[2]^: 65 the site described its purpose as "collect[ing] facts relating to the criticism^[b] of Islam from valid Islamic sources" without the effect of "[politically correct] censorship" that is common in Wikipedia.^[3]^: 162^[13]^[1]^: 57 It rejected concerns of Islamophobia by arguing that Islam has been proved to be a "dangerous ideology".^[13]

As a "community-edited website", the wiki was set to be edited and modified by (registered) approved netizens.^[3]^: 162 As of 2018^[update],^[c] information on (alleged) internal contradictions in the Quran, persecution of non-Muslims and ex-Muslims, follies of Muhammad etc. were held; a narrow focus is maintained on "violence, sexuality and gender conflicts".^[1]^[3]^: 162 Also as of 2018,^[c] apostasy testimonies were featured too^[2] and the site held a list of 101 provocative questions which are to be asked of any Muslim to prove that Islam is not a "true religion," running in tune with the site's active encouragement to criticize Muslims.^[1]^: 59 The same year, WikiIslam was noted to feature slurs about Muhammad.^[15] Translations of content into multiple languages are available.^[2] In December 2015, the Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA), a secularist organization, took ownership and operation of the site.^[10]

Around 2020, a major revision to WikiIslam took place with a stated aim to "provide accurate and accessible information from traditional and critical perspectives” on Islam, and stressing a "zero-tolerance policy on hateful, misleading, unencyclopedic, and polemical content."^[11]^: 2 As of 2022, WikiIslam did not "meet all the requirements stated in their own vision document," although some content was in line with the new vision.^[11]^{: 9–10, 16} Articles generally presented how Muslim scholars have addressed specific "questions or episodes in the history of Islam"; internal variations and differences among Muslim scholars are also "often presented."^[11]^: 10 However, there is "seldom (if ever)" content that includes modern discussions or "progressive interpretations."^[11]^: 10 In addition, there was a bias in the selection of topics covered on the website, some of which explicitly or implicitly linked Muslims with a non-rational worldview that is incompatible with a scientific outlook, and often tended to cast them or Islam in a negative light when voices of contemporary scholars or contextualisation of debates were lacking.^[11]^: 11, 3 WikiIslam continues to have "hardly any information that presents Muslims in a positive or neutral way."^[11]^: 11

Reception

In 2007, Göran Larsson, Professor of Religious Studies at University of Gothenburg, argued that WikiIslam is an Islamophobic web portal^[d] and that the stories on WikiIslam were selected only to show that Muslims are "ignorant, backward or even stupid".^[1]^: 59 In a 2014 survey of "anti-Muslim websites",^[3]^: 161 Larsson profiled WikiIslam's apparent aim as "present[ing] Islamic history, theology and practitioners in a way which leaves the reader with an exceedingly negative image of the faith".^[3]^: 162 He repeated his position in 2018, citing WikiIslam as an example of an "anti-Muslim webpage."^[14]

In 2013, Daniel Enstedt and Larsson wrote that the website has been "often perceived as being anti-Muslim, if not Islamophobic,"^[2]^: 65 describing the then-present content on WikiIslam as part of a "negative and biased"^[2]^: 64 representation of Islam that could "easily be turned into an important weapon in the hands of those who want to express anti-Muslim feelings"; the site propagated "an Islamophobic world view that present[ed] Islam and Muslims as diametrically opposite to all others."^[2]^: 88 Both Enstedt and Larrson have contended WikiIslam's selection and presentation of Islamic topics to be "very one-dimensional" with "alternative interpretations [by Muslim theologians] seldom represented".^[2]^: 64–65^[3]^: 162

In 2019, Asma Uddin, an advisor on religious liberty to the OSCE and a fellow at the Aspen Institute,^[18] reiterated WikiIslam to be a "rampantly anti-Muslim website".^[4] The same year, Syaza Shukri, Professor of Political Sciences at International Islamic University Malaysia, deemed the lack of positive content on WikiIslam to demonstrate a "definite agenda": the promotion of a monolithic version of Islam—violent, oppressive, and unrepresentative of "how a majority of Muslims view their religion".^[8]^: 65 Rabia Kamal, a cultural anthropologist based at University of San Francisco, finds WikiIslam to be of the many Islamophobic websites dedicated to "surveillance" of Islam and Muslims.^[19]

In 2023, a content analysis of WikiIslam by Edin Kozaric of Oslo Metropolitan University and Torkel Brekke, Research Professor at the Peace Research Institute Oslo, was published following what the researchers described as "a serious effort to reinvent itself as a scientific, neutral, and unbiased website in several ways."^[11]^: 2 Analysing how external websites had cited WikiIslam over many years, the researchers concluded that its articles had been "used to give legitimacy to arguments made on other websites, many of which contain Islamophobic messaging." Their analysis of the most widely disseminated WikiIslam articles found them "largely selective when it comes to topics covered, and to some extent selective in the choice of references." Some of the articles "could be said to espouse attitudes that are Islamophobic", though they noted "at the same time it is also important to underline that the articles often present alternative and conflicting opinions about the topics that are discussed." Kozaric and Brekke's overall impression of WikiIslam was that the information presented about Islam was "far from neutral"; their main concern was that "WikiIslam presents itself as an encyclopedic and scientific site without a political agenda and that it does not critically reflect upon how it can be used for serving other interests."^[11]^: 16

Notes

^ FFI has stated that its aim is to "unmask Islam and help Muslims leave [the faith]".^[3]
^ As used on WikiIslam, to be "critical" has meant holding preconceived negative opinions of Muslims and Islam.^[1]^: 57
^ ^a ^b Larsson's latest publication on the site is from 2018 where he asks readers to consult his publications from 2007 and 2013 for scholarship on WikiIslam.^[14]
^ Larsson's 2007 view was summarized by Ruth Tsuria, an expert on the intersection of digital media and religion:^[16] "Larsson argues that WikiIslam takes a closed attitude in its understanding of Islam, and so should be seen as an Islamophobic web portal."^[17] However, Larsson conceded that since WikiIslam contained a list of links to other websites—such as that of the Middle East Media Research Institute—, it was difficult to argue that all information posted on the site was Islamophobic.^[1]^: 63

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h 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 ^f ^g ^h 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 ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m 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.
^ ^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)
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ ^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]
^ ^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. Larsson (2007) did a research on Islamophobia on the Internet, 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.
^ ^[1]^[8]
^ ^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 Kozaric, Edin; Brekke, Torkel (2023). "The case of WikiIslam: scientification of Islamophobia or legitimate critique of Islam?". Ethnic and Racial Studies: 1–19. doi:10.1080/01419870.2023.2268154. hdl:10852/109661. S2CID 264331620.
^ Busher, Joel (2016). The Making of Anti-Muslim Protest: Grassroots Activism in the English Defence League. London: Routledge. ISBN 9781315661377.
^ ^a ^b 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'.
^ ^a ^b Larsson, Göran (2018-03-13). "Disputed, Sensitive and Indispensable Topics: The Study of Islam and Apostasy". Method & Theory in the Study of Religion. 30 (3): 201–226. doi:10.1163/15700682-12341435. ISSN 0943-3058. For example, the anti-Muslim webpage WikiIslam (on this homepage, see Larsson 2007; Enstedt and Larsson 2013) simply concludes: 'The punishment for apostasy in the Islamic faith is death.'
^ O'Brian, Peter (2018). "Islamophobia & Europhobia: Expanding Rhetorics of Exclusion". Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov, Series IV: Philology & Cultural Studies. 11 (1): 16. ISSN 2066-768X.
^ "Profile Ruth Tsuria". Seton Hall University. 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
^ 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.
^ Affairs, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World. "Asma Uddin". berkleycenter.georgetown.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Kamal, Rabia (18 July 2022). "Muslims and Social Media in North America". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.899. ISBN 978-0-19-934037-8. In fact, many Islamophobic websites have taken on the responsibility of nongovernmental surveillance as an element of their agenda. Internet hubs such as WikiIslam and websites such as Campus Watch, Jihad Watch, and thereligionofpeace.com are just a few of the digital platforms explicitly dedicated to the surveillance of Muslims and Islam both on- and offline.

External links

Official website

[12] FFI has stated that its aim is to "unmask Islam and help Muslims leave [the faith]".^[3]

[14] As used on WikiIslam, to be "critical" has meant holding preconceived negative opinions of Muslims and Islam.^[1]^: 57

[Larsson2018-17] Larsson's latest publication on the site is from 2018 where he asks readers to consult his publications from 2007 and 2013 for scholarship on WikiIslam.^[14]

[21] Larsson's 2007 view was summarized by Ruth Tsuria, an expert on the intersection of digital media and religion:^[16] "Larsson argues that WikiIslam takes a closed attitude in its understanding of Islam, and so should be seen as an Islamophobic web portal."^[17] However, Larsson conceded that since WikiIslam contained a list of links to other websites—such as that of the Middle East Media Research Institute—, it was difficult to argue that all information posted on the site was Islamophobic.^[1]^: 63

[CIWI-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h 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.

[CyberOrient-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h 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.

[Breivik-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m 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.

[Uddin-4] 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)

[InOutIslam-5] 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.

[Khan-6] 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.

[7] [1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]

[Shukri-8] 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. Larsson (2007) did a research on Islamophobia on the Internet, 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.

[9] [1]^[8]

[EXMNA-10] "Ex-Muslims of North America takes ownership and operation of WikiIslam". Ex-Muslims of North America. 2015-12-03. Retrieved 2020-05-26.

[KozaricBrekke2023-11] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Kozaric, Edin; Brekke, Torkel (2023). "The case of WikiIslam: scientification of Islamophobia or legitimate critique of Islam?". Ethnic and Racial Studies: 1–19. doi:10.1080/01419870.2023.2268154. hdl:10852/109661. S2CID 264331620.

[Busher-13] Busher, Joel (2016). The Making of Anti-Muslim Protest: Grassroots Activism in the English Defence League. London: Routledge. ISBN 9781315661377.

[:0-15] 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'.

[Larsson2018-16] Larsson, Göran (2018-03-13). "Disputed, Sensitive and Indispensable Topics: The Study of Islam and Apostasy". Method & Theory in the Study of Religion. 30 (3): 201–226. doi:10.1163/15700682-12341435. ISSN 0943-3058. For example, the anti-Muslim webpage WikiIslam (on this homepage, see Larsson 2007; Enstedt and Larsson 2013) simply concludes: 'The punishment for apostasy in the Islamic faith is death.'

[18] O'Brian, Peter (2018). "Islamophobia & Europhobia: Expanding Rhetorics of Exclusion". Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov, Series IV: Philology & Cultural Studies. 11 (1): 16. ISSN 2066-768X.

[Profile_Ruth_Tsuria-19] "Profile Ruth Tsuria". Seton Hall University. 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2021-12-26.

[Tsuria_225-20] 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.

[22] Affairs, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World. "Asma Uddin". berkleycenter.georgetown.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[Kamal-23] Kamal, Rabia (18 July 2022). "Muslims and Social Media in North America". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.899. ISBN 978-0-19-934037-8. In fact, many Islamophobic websites have taken on the responsibility of nongovernmental surveillance as an element of their agenda. Internet hubs such as WikiIslam and websites such as Campus Watch, Jihad Watch, and thereligionofpeace.com are just a few of the digital platforms explicitly dedicated to the surveillance of Muslims and Islam both on- and offline.

[7]

[9]

[3]

[10]

[11]

[a]

[12]

[2]

[b]

[13]

[1]

[c]

[15]

[d]

[14]

[18]

[4]

[8]

[19]

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[5]

[6]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Wiki covering selective topics on Islam and owned by Ex-Muslims of North America}}
-{{pp-pc|small=yes}}
+{{pp|small=yes}}
-{{Short description|Anti-Islamic wiki owned by Ex-Muslims of North America}}
 {{Infobox website
 | name = WikiIslam
@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 | logo_size = 135px
 | logo_alt = WikiIslam's logo
-| editor = Alan Smith
 | founder = [[Ali Sina (activist)|Ali Sina]]
 | owner = [[Ex-Muslims of North America]]
@@ Line 12: / Line 11: @@
 | launch_date = {{Start date and age|df=yes/no|2006|09|04}}
 | current_status = Active
-| content_license = [[CC-BY-NC]] 3.0
+| content_license = [[CC BY-NC]] 3.0
 }}
-{{Islamophobia|Media}}
-'''WikiIslam''' is an [[Islamophobia|Islamophobic]]<ref name="CIWI"/><ref name="Shukri"/>{{refn|<ref name="CIWI">{{cite journal |last1=Larsson |first1=Göran |title=Cyber-Islamophobia? The case of WikiIslam |journal=Contemporary Islam |date=1 June 2007 |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=53–67 |doi=10.1007/s11562-007-0002-2 |s2cid=144896607 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s11562-007-0002-2 |language=en |issn=1872-0226}}</ref><ref name="CyberOrient">{{cite journal |last1=Enstedt |first1=Daniel |last2=Larsson |first2=Göran |title=Telling the Truth about Islam? Apostasy Narratives and Representations of Islam on WikiIslam.net |journal=CyberOrient |date=2013 |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=64–93 |doi=10.1002/j.cyo2.20130701.0003 |url=https://cyberorient.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/04/CyberOrient_Vol_7_Iss_1_Enstedt_Larsson.pdf |access-date=12 July 2020 |issn=1804-3194}}</ref><ref name ="Breivik">{{Cite book|title=In the Tracks of Breivik: Far Right Networks in Northern and Eastern Europe |first=Göran |last=Larsson |chapter=Islamophobia or Legitimate Concern? Contrasting Official and Populist Understanding of Opposition to Muslims |publisher=Lit Verlag |year=2014 |isbn=9783643905420 |location=Vienna |oclc=881140905 |pages=155–66 |editor-last1=Mays |editor-first1=Christin |editor-last2=Deland |editor-first2=Mats |editor-last3=Minkenberg |editor-first3=Michael}}</ref><ref name="Uddin">{{cite book |last1=Uddin |first1=Asma T. |title=When Islam Is Not a Religion: Inside America's Fight for Religious Freedom |date=2019 |location=New York |isbn=978-1643131740 |edition=First Pegasus Books hardcover |quote=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.'}}</ref><ref name="Khan">{{cite book |last1=Khan |first1=Nadia |editor1-last=Smith |editor1-first=Jane |editor2-last=Haddad |editor2-first=Yvonne |title=The Oxford Handbook of American Islam |date=Jan 2015 |location=New York |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199862634 |chapter=American Muslims in the Age of New Media |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199862634.013.005 |quote=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.}}</ref><ref name="InOutIslam">{{cite book |last1=Enstedt |first1=Daniel |editor1-last=van Nieuwkerk |editor1-first=Karin |title=Moving in and out of Islam |date=2018 |publisher=University of Texas Press |location=Austin, TX |isbn=978-1-4773-1748-8 |page=74 |edition=First |chapter-url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Moving_In_and_Out_of_Islam/uPxzDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA74&printsec=frontcover |chapter=Understanding Religious Apostasy, Disaffiliation, and Islam in Contemporary Sweden |quote=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.}}</ref>}} [[wiki]] focused on criticizing [[Islam]].<ref name ="Breivik"/> The wiki was founded by [[Ali Sina (activist)|Ali Sina]] in 2006<ref name ="Breivik"/> and acquired by the [[Ex-Muslims of North America]] in 2015.<ref name="EXMNA">{{Cite web|date=2015-12-03|title=Ex-Muslims of North America takes ownership and operation of WikiIslam|url=https://exmuslims.org/ex-muslims-north-america-takes-ownership-operation-wikiislam/|access-date=2020-05-26|website=Ex-Muslims of North America|language=en-US}}</ref> As a "community-edited" website, registered users may modify and edit its content.<ref name ="Breivik"/>
+<!-- Please see ongoing discussion in article's talk page before changing introduction.  See WP:CON -->'''WikiIslam''' is an [[anti-Muslim]]{{refn|<ref name="CIWI">{{cite journal |last1=Larsson |first1=Göran |title=Cyber-Islamophobia? The case of WikiIslam |journal=Contemporary Islam |date=1 June 2007 |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=53–67 |doi=10.1007/s11562-007-0002-2 |s2cid=144896607 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s11562-007-0002-2 |language=en |issn=1872-0226}}</ref><ref name="CyberOrient">{{cite journal |last1=Enstedt |first1=Daniel |last2=Larsson |first2=Göran |title=Telling the Truth about Islam? Apostasy Narratives and Representations of Islam on WikiIslam.net |journal=CyberOrient |date=2013 |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=64–93 |doi=10.1002/j.cyo2.20130701.0003 |url=https://cyberorient.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/04/CyberOrient_Vol_7_Iss_1_Enstedt_Larsson.pdf |access-date=12 July 2020 |issn=1804-3194}}</ref><ref name ="Breivik">{{Cite book|title=In the Tracks of Breivik: Far Right Networks in Northern and Eastern Europe |first=Göran |last=Larsson |chapter=Islamophobia or Legitimate Concern? Contrasting Official and Populist Understanding of Opposition to Muslims |publisher=Lit Verlag |year=2014 |isbn=9783643905420 |location=Vienna |oclc=881140905 |pages=155–66 |editor-last1=Mays |editor-first1=Christin |editor-last2=Deland |editor-first2=Mats |editor-last3=Minkenberg |editor-first3=Michael}}</ref><ref name="Uddin">{{cite book |last1=Uddin |first1=Asma T. |title=When Islam Is Not a Religion: Inside America's Fight for Religious Freedom |date=2019 |location=New York |isbn=978-1643131740 |edition=First Pegasus Books hardcover |quote=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.'}}</ref><ref name="InOutIslam">{{cite book |last1=Enstedt |first1=Daniel |editor1-last=van Nieuwkerk |editor1-first=Karin |title=Moving in and out of Islam |date=2018 |publisher=University of Texas Press |location=Austin, TX |isbn=978-1-4773-1748-8 |page=74 |edition=First |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uPxzDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA74 |chapter=Understanding Religious Apostasy, Disaffiliation, and Islam in Contemporary Sweden |quote=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.}}</ref><ref name="Khan">{{cite book |last1=Khan |first1=Nadia |editor1-last=Smith |editor1-first=Jane |editor2-last=Haddad |editor2-first=Yvonne |title=The Oxford Handbook of American Islam |date=Jan 2015 |location=New York |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199862634 |chapter=American Muslims in the Age of New Media |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199862634.013.005 |quote=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.}}</ref>}} and [[criticism of Islam|anti-Islam]]{{refn|<ref name="CIWI"/><ref name="Shukri"/>}} wiki.<ref name ="Breivik"/> The website was founded by [[Ali Sina (activist)|Ali Sina]] in 2006.<ref name ="Breivik"/> Registered users may modify and edit its content;<ref name ="Breivik"/> in 2015, the website was acquired by the [[Ex-Muslims of North America]]<ref name="EXMNA">{{Cite news|date=2015-12-03|title=Ex-Muslims of North America takes ownership and operation of WikiIslam|url=https://exmuslims.org/ex-muslims-north-america-takes-ownership-operation-wikiislam/|access-date=2020-05-26|website=Ex-Muslims of North America|language=en-US}}</ref> and underwent a major revision in 2020.<ref name="KozaricBrekke2023">{{cite journal |last1=Kozaric |first1=Edin |last2=Brekke |first2=Torkel |title=The case of WikiIslam: scientification of Islamophobia or legitimate critique of Islam? |journal=Ethnic and Racial Studies |date=2023 |pages=1–19 |doi=10.1080/01419870.2023.2268154 |s2cid=264331620 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/01419870.2023.2268154?needAccess=true |language=en |doi-access=free |hdl=10852/109661 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
 ==Overview==
-The website was registered on October 27, 2005 and launched on September 4, 2006.<ref name="Breivik"/>{{rp|162}} It was founded by [[Ali Sina (activist)|Ali Sina]], an Iranian-born Canadian ex-Muslim, and originally maintained by his organization, Faith Freedom International.<ref name="Breivik"/>{{rp|162}}{{Efn|Sina argues Islam to be "an unreformable, violent, militant political cult" that was founded by a "a rapist, a pedophile, [..] a mass murderer, [..] a terrorist, [and] a madman"; he deemed all Muslims to be synonymous with "stupid, barbarian, thug, arrogant, brain dead, zombie, hooligan, goon, shameless, savage and many other ignoble things".<ref>{{Cite web|last=O'Malley|first=Nick|date=2017-01-27|title=One Nation, Australia's portal to Trump and the alt-right|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/one-nation-australias-portal-to-trump-and-the-altright-20170127-gu08q5.html|access-date=2021-12-25|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}}</ref> He is a board member of [[Stop Islamization of America]], classified as an anti-Muslim hate group by [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] (SPLC). FFI mentions its aim to lie in "'unmask[ing] Islam and help Muslims leave [the faith]".}} The site described its purpose as "collect[ing] facts relating to the criticism of Islam from valid Islamic sources without the effect of censorship that is common in [[Wikipedia]]" due to "political correctness".<ref name="Breivik" />{{rp|162}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gardell |first1=Mattias |author-link=Mattias Gardell |title=Islamofobi |date=2012 |publisher=Leopard förlag |location=Stockholm |isbn=9789173434027 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Islamofobi/vC6bCwAAQBAJ |language=Swedish |quote=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'.}}</ref><ref name="CIWI" />{{rp|57}} As a "community-edited website", it can be edited and modified by (registered) [[netizens]].<ref name="Breivik" />{{rp|162}}
+The website was registered on October 27, 2005 and launched on September 4, 2006.<ref name="Breivik"/>{{rp|162}} It was founded by [[Ali Sina (activist)|Ali Sina]], an Iranian-born Canadian ex-Muslim, and originally maintained by his organization, Faith Freedom International,<ref name="Breivik"/>{{rp|162}}{{Efn|FFI has stated that its aim is to "unmask Islam and help Muslims leave [the faith]".<ref name="Breivik" />}} part of the [[counter-jihad]] network.<ref name="Busher">{{cite book |last1=Busher |first1=Joel |title=The Making of Anti-Muslim Protest: Grassroots Activism in the English Defence League |date=2016 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |isbn=9781315661377}}</ref>{{rp|47|quote=He was particularly taken by the writings of Ali Sina, an Iranian ex-Muslim, the founder of Faith Freedom Initiative, a well-known counter-jihad website, and a board member of Pamela Geller's Stop Islamization of Nations.}}  As of 2013, among the site's aim was to act in defence against a perceived "global threat" of Muslims and Islam;<ref name="CyberOrient" />{{rp|65|quote=Besides providing critical information about Islam and Muslims, the aim of the site is also to build online [a] defensive position against Islam and Muslims as a global threat....WikiIslam provides Internet users with new ways of combating and criticising Islam and Muslims in both cyberspace and offline, by circulating critical information about Islam and Muslims.}} the site described its purpose as "collect[ing] facts relating to the criticism{{Efn|As used on WikiIslam, to be "critical" has meant holding preconceived negative opinions of Muslims and Islam.<ref name="CIWI" />{{rp|57|quote=Those who call up the homepage are also reminded that this is a critical site and that it does not contain any pro-Islamic content. In this specific context, to be critical is to hold a preconceived and negative opinion about Islam and Muslims.}}}} of Islam from valid Islamic sources" without the effect of "[politically correct] censorship" that is common in [[Wikipedia]].<ref name="Breivik" />{{rp|162}}<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last1=Gardell |first1=Mattias |author-link=Mattias Gardell |title=Islamofobi |date=2012 |publisher=Leopard förlag |location=Stockholm |isbn=9789173434027 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vC6bCwAAQBAJ |language=Swedish |quote=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'.}}</ref><ref name="CIWI" />{{rp|57}} It rejected concerns of Islamophobia by arguing that Islam has been proved to be a "dangerous ideology".<ref name=":0" />
-{{As of|2018}}{{Efn|Larsson's latest publication on the site is from 2018 where he asks readers to consult his publications from 2007 and 2013 for scholarship on WikiIslam.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Larsson|first=Göran|date=2018-03-13|title=Disputed, Sensitive and Indispensable Topics: The Study of Islam and Apostasy|url=https://brill.com/view/journals/mtsr/30/3/article-p201_1.xml|journal=Method & Theory in the Study of Religion|volume=30|issue=3|pages=201–226|doi=10.1163/15700682-12341435|issn=0943-3058}}</ref>}}, a wealth of information on (alleged) internal contradictions in [[Quran]], persecution of non-Muslims and ex-Muslims, follies of [[Muhammad]] etc. are held; a narrow focus was maintained on "violence, sexuality and gender conflicts".<ref name="CIWI" /><ref name="Breivik" />{{rp|162}} A corpus of apostasy testimonies were featured too at this time too.<ref name="CyberOrient" /> The site held a list of 101 "provocative" questions which were to be asked of any Muslim to prove that Islam is not a "true religion" — this ran in tune with the site's active encouragement to criticize Muslims and spread negative information.<ref name="CIWI" />{{rp|59|quote=WikiIslam also encourages its visitors to question and criticise all Muslims for their belief in Islam.... The visitor is also recommended to make use of the Internet to criticise Muslims and spread negative information about them and about Islam.}} Translations of content into multiple languages are available.<ref name="CyberOrient" />
+As a "community-edited website", the wiki was set to be edited and modified by (registered) approved [[netizens]].<ref name="Breivik" />{{rp|162}} {{As of|2018}},{{Efn|name=Larsson2018|Larsson's latest publication on the site is from 2018 where he asks readers to consult his publications from 2007 and 2013 for scholarship on WikiIslam.<ref name="Larsson2018">{{Cite journal|last=Larsson|first=Göran|date=2018-03-13|title=Disputed, Sensitive and Indispensable Topics: The Study of Islam and Apostasy|url=https://brill.com/view/journals/mtsr/30/3/article-p201_1.xml|journal=Method & Theory in the Study of Religion|volume=30|issue=3|pages=201–226|doi=10.1163/15700682-12341435|issn=0943-3058|quote=For example, the anti-Muslim webpage WikiIslam (on this homepage, see Larsson 2007; Enstedt and Larsson 2013) simply concludes: 'The punishment for apostasy in the Islamic faith is death.'}}</ref>}} information on (alleged) internal contradictions in the [[Quran]], persecution of non-Muslims and ex-Muslims, follies of [[Muhammad]] etc. were held; a narrow focus is maintained on "violence, sexuality and gender conflicts".<ref name="CIWI" /><ref name="Breivik" />{{rp|162}} Also as of 2018,{{Efn|name=Larsson2018}} apostasy testimonies were featured too<ref name="CyberOrient" /> and the site held a list of 101 provocative questions which are to be asked of any Muslim to prove that Islam is not a "true religion," running in tune with the site's active encouragement to criticize Muslims.<ref name="CIWI" />{{rp|59|quote=WikiIslam also encourages its visitors to question and criticise all Muslims for their belief in Islam.... The visitor is also recommended to make use of the Internet to criticise Muslims and spread negative information about them and about Islam.}} The same year, WikiIslam was noted to feature slurs about Muhammad.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=O'Brian |first=Peter |date=2018 |title=Islamophobia & Europhobia: Expanding Rhetorics of Exclusion |url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=698049 |journal=Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov, Series IV: Philology & Cultural Studies |language=English |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=16 |issn=2066-768X}}</ref> Translations of content into multiple languages are available.<ref name="CyberOrient" /> In December 2015, the [[Ex-Muslims of North America]] (EXMNA), a secularist organization, took ownership and operation of the site.<ref name="EXMNA" />
+Around 2020, a major revision to WikiIslam took place with a stated aim to "provide accurate and accessible information from traditional and critical perspectives” on Islam, and stressing a "zero-tolerance policy on hateful, misleading, unencyclopedic, and polemical content."<ref name="KozaricBrekke2023" />{{rp|2}} As of 2022, WikiIslam did not "meet all the requirements stated in their own vision document," although some content was in line with the new vision.<ref name="KozaricBrekke2023" />{{rp|9–10, 16}} Articles generally presented how Muslim scholars have addressed specific "questions or episodes in the history of Islam"; internal variations and differences among Muslim scholars are also "often presented."<ref name="KozaricBrekke2023" />{{rp|10}} However, there is "seldom (if ever)" content that includes modern discussions or "progressive interpretations."<ref name="KozaricBrekke2023" />{{rp|10}} In addition, there was a bias in the selection of topics covered on the website, some of which explicitly or implicitly linked Muslims with a non-rational worldview that is incompatible with a scientific outlook, and often tended to cast them or Islam in a negative light when voices of contemporary scholars or contextualisation of debates were lacking.<ref name="KozaricBrekke2023" />{{rp|11, 3}} WikiIslam continues to have "hardly any information that presents Muslims in a positive or neutral way."<ref name="KozaricBrekke2023" />{{rp|11}}
-In December 2015, [[Ex-Muslims of North America]] (EXMNA) took over ownership and operation of the site.<ref name="EXMNA" /> WikiIslam claims  that the new management initiated an overhaul in late 2018 that subsequently purged the platform of much of its satirical and polemical content, alongside ex-Muslim testimonies and op-eds<ref>{{Cite web| title = WikiIslam:Renovations - WikiIslam| author = | work = WikiIslam| date = | access-date = 28 December 2021| url = https://wikiislam.net/wiki/WikiIslam:Renovations| quote=}}</ref>; the website's about me page claims "As a non-political and non-religious wiki, the site remains neutral towards religions, world views, and issues of a political nature and likewise stays away from extremist, sensationalist or emotional commentary." The new, updated mission statement as of 2021 now reads "WikiIslam aims to provide accurate and accessible information from traditional and critical perspectives on the beliefs, practices, and development of Islam."<ref>{{Cite web| title = WikiIslam - WikiIslam| author = | work = WikiIslam| date = | access-date = 28 December 2021| url = https://wikiislam.net/wiki/WikiIslam| quote = }}</ref>
 == Reception ==
+{{Islamophobia}}
-Göran Larsson—Professor of Religious Studies at [[University of Gothenburg]]—argues WikiIslam to be an [[Islamophobic]] web portal;{{efn|Larsson's 2007 view was summarized by Ruth Tsuria, an expert on the intersection of digital media and religion<ref>{{Cite web|last=University|first=Seton Hall|date=2017-08-03|title=Profile Ruth Tsuria|url=https://www.shu.edu/profiles/RuthTsuria.cfm|access-date=2021-12-26|website=Seton Hall University|language=en}}</ref>: "Larsson argues that WikiIslam takes a closed attitude in its understanding of Islam, and so should be seen as an Islamophobic web portal."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tsuria |first=Ruth |date=2013-01-01 |title=The video Three Things About Islam: Islamophobia online or a religious dialogue |url=https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67442 |journal=Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis |volume=25 |pages=225 |doi=10.30674/scripta.67442 |issn=2343-4937 |doi-access=free}}</ref> However, Larsson concedes that since WikiIslam contained a list of links to other websites—such as that of the [[Middle East Media Research Institute]]—, it was difficult to argue that ''all'' information posted on the site was Islamophobic.<ref name="CIWI" />{{rp|63}}}} in a 2014 survey of "anti-Muslim websites",<ref name="Breivik" />{{rp|161}} he profiled WikiIslam's apparent aim 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".<ref name="Breivik" />{{rp|162}} Larsson and co-writer Enstedt wrote that the website has been "often perceived as being anti-Muslim, if not Islamophobic".<ref name="CyberOrient" />{{rp|65|quote=For highlighting negative and biased perceptions about Islam and Muslims, the site is often perceived as being anti-Muslim, if not Islamophobic.}}
+In 2007, Göran Larsson<!-- Do not wikilink [[Göran Larsson (theologian)]], who is not the same person -->, Professor of Religious Studies at [[University of Gothenburg]], argued that WikiIslam is an [[Islamophobic]] web portal{{efn|Larsson's 2007 view was summarized by Ruth Tsuria, an expert on the intersection of digital media and religion:<ref name="Profile Ruth Tsuria">{{Cite web|date=2017-08-03|title=Profile Ruth Tsuria|url=https://www.shu.edu/profiles/RuthTsuria.cfm|access-date=2021-12-26|website=Seton Hall University|language=en}}</ref> "Larsson argues that WikiIslam takes a closed attitude in its understanding of Islam, and so should be seen as an Islamophobic web portal."<ref name="Tsuria 225">{{Cite journal |last=Tsuria |first=Ruth |date=2013-01-01 |title=The video Three Things About Islam: Islamophobia online or a religious dialogue |url=https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67442 |journal=Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis |volume=25 |pages=225 |doi=10.30674/scripta.67442 |issn=2343-4937 |doi-access=free}}</ref> However, Larsson conceded that since WikiIslam contained a list of links to other websites—such as that of the [[Middle East Media Research Institute]]—, it was difficult to argue that ''all'' information posted on the site was Islamophobic.<ref name="CIWI" />{{rp|63}}}} and that the stories on WikiIslam were selected only to show that Muslims are "ignorant, backward or even stupid".<ref name="CIWI" />{{rp|59|quote=My impression is that the stories reported by WikiIslam have merely been selected to show that Muslims are ignorant, backward or even stupid.}}  In a 2014 survey of "anti-Muslim websites",<ref name="Breivik" />{{rp|161}} Larsson profiled WikiIslam's apparent aim as "present[ing] Islamic history, theology and practitioners in a way which leaves the reader with an exceedingly negative image of the faith".<ref name="Breivik" />{{rp|162|quote=[T]he apparent aim of this site is to present 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.}} He repeated his position in 2018, citing WikiIslam as an example of an "anti-Muslim webpage."<ref name="Larsson2018" />
-Stories were selected only to show that Muslims are "ignorant, backward or even stupid".<ref name="CIWI" />{{rp|59}} To be "critical", as used on WikiIslam, meant holding preconceived negative opinions of Muslims and Islam.<ref name="CIWI" />{{rp|57|quote=Those who call up the homepage are also reminded that this is a critical site and that it does not contain any pro-Islamic content. In this specific context, to be critical is to hold a preconceived and negative opinion about Islam and Muslims.}} Selection and presentation of Islamic topics remained "very one-dimensional" with "alternative interpretations [by Muslim theologians] seldom represented".<ref name="CyberOrient"/>{{rp|64–65|quote=Quotes are taken from Islamic sources and sayings from Muslim spokespersons and therefore presented as authentic, but selection and presentation of the material remains very one-dimensional, and alternative interpretations are seldom represented.}}<ref name="Breivik" />{{rp|162|quote=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.}} The grand aim of the site was to build a defense against the "global threat of Islam".<ref name="CyberOrient" />{{Efn|This conspiracy theory has been also propagated by Sina himself.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Politics Behind Misunderstanding Islam|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-politics-behind-misunderstanding-islam/|website=CBS News|language=en-US}}</ref>{{rs|reason=This is an opinion piece.|date=December 2021}}}}
+In 2013, Daniel Enstedt and Larsson wrote that the website has been "often perceived as being anti-Muslim, if not Islamophobic,"<ref name="CyberOrient" />{{rp|65|quote=For highlighting negative and biased perceptions about Islam and Muslims, the site is often perceived as being anti-Muslim, if not Islamophobic.}} describing the then-present content on WikiIslam as part of a "negative and biased"<ref name="CyberOrient"/>{{rp|64|quote=From the six testimonies it is clear that Islam is presented in a negative and biased way, as summed up in the following three points: (1) Islam is an irrational, illogical way of thought; the beliefs that Islam holds to be true are false; (2) Islam is not about peace, high standards and God; Islam is an evil, self-centered and morally corrupt religion, and Muslims are hypocrites; (3) Islam is an oppressive, misogynist and violent religion, and is negative for its followers, especially women.}} representation of Islam that could "easily be turned into an important weapon in the hands of those who want to express anti-Muslim feelings"; the site propagated "an Islamophobic world view that present[ed] Islam and Muslims as diametrically opposite to all others."<ref name="CyberOrient" />{{rp|88|quote=From this point of view these stories can easily be turned into an important weapon in the hands of those who want to express anti-Muslim feelings and so constitute an important element in an Islamophobic world view that presents Islam and Muslims as diametrically opposite to all other world views.}} Both Enstedt and Larrson have contended WikiIslam's selection and presentation of Islamic topics to be "very one-dimensional" with "alternative interpretations [by Muslim theologians] seldom represented".<ref name="CyberOrient" />{{rp|64–65|quote=Quotes are taken from Islamic sources and sayings from Muslim spokespersons and therefore presented as authentic, but selection and presentation of the material remains very one-dimensional, and alternative interpretations are seldom represented.}}<ref name="Breivik" />{{rp|162|quote=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.}}
-In 2019, a year after the claimed purge, Asma Uddin—advisor on religious liberty to [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|OSCE]] and a fellow at the [[Aspen Institute]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Affairs|first=Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World|title=Asma Uddin|url=https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/people/asma-uddin|access-date=2021-12-26|website=berkleycenter.georgetown.edu|language=en}}</ref>—reiterated WikiIslam to be a "rampantly anti-Muslim website".<ref name="Uddin" /> The same year, Syaza Shukri—Professor of Political Sciences at [[International Islamic University Malaysia]]—deemed the lack of positive content on WikiIslam to demonstrate a "definite agenda": the promotion of a monolithic version of Islam - violent, oppressive, and unrepresentative of "how a majority of Muslims view their religion".<ref name="Shukri">{{cite journal |last1=Shukri |first1=Syaza Farhana Mohamad |title=The Perception of Indonesian Youths toward Islamophobia: An Exploratory Study |journal=Islamophobia Studies Journal |date=2019 |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=61–75 |doi=10.13169/islastudj.5.1.0061 |jstor=10.13169/islastudj.5.1.0061 |s2cid=213425625 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13169/islastudj.5.1.0061 |issn=2325-8381 |quote=...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.}}</ref>{{rp|65}}
+In 2019, Asma Uddin, an advisor on religious liberty to the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|OSCE]] and a fellow at the [[Aspen Institute]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Affairs|first=Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World|title=Asma Uddin|url=https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/people/asma-uddin|access-date=2021-12-26|website=berkleycenter.georgetown.edu|language=en}}</ref> reiterated WikiIslam to be a "rampantly anti-Muslim website".<ref name="Uddin" /> The same year, Syaza Shukri, Professor of Political Sciences at [[International Islamic University Malaysia]], deemed the lack of positive content on WikiIslam to demonstrate a  "definite agenda": the promotion of a monolithic version of Islam—violent, oppressive, and unrepresentative of "how a majority of Muslims view their religion".<ref name="Shukri">{{cite journal |last1=Shukri |first1=Syaza Farhana Mohamad |title=The Perception of Indonesian Youths toward Islamophobia: An Exploratory Study |journal=Islamophobia Studies Journal |date=2019 |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=61–75 |doi=10.13169/islastudj.5.1.0061 |jstor=10.13169/islastudj.5.1.0061 |s2cid=213425625 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13169/islastudj.5.1.0061 |issn=2325-8381 |quote=Larsson (2007) did a research on Islamophobia on the Internet, 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.}}</ref>{{rp|65}} Rabia Kamal, a cultural anthropologist based at [[University of San Francisco]], finds WikiIslam to be of the many Islamophobic websites dedicated to "surveillance" of Islam and Muslims.<ref name="Kamal">{{cite journal |last1=Kamal |first1=Rabia |title=Muslims and Social Media in North America |journal=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion |date=18 July 2022 |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.899|isbn=978-0-19-934037-8 |quote=In fact, many Islamophobic websites have taken on the responsibility of nongovernmental surveillance as an element of their agenda. Internet hubs such as WikiIslam and websites such as Campus Watch, Jihad Watch, and thereligionofpeace.com are just a few of the digital platforms explicitly dedicated to the surveillance of Muslims and Islam both on- and offline.}}</ref>
+In 2023, a content analysis of WikiIslam by Edin Kozaric of Oslo Metropolitan University and Torkel Brekke, Research Professor at the Peace Research Institute Oslo, was published following what the researchers described as "a serious effort to reinvent itself as a scientific, neutral, and unbiased website in several ways."<ref name="KozaricBrekke2023" />{{rp|2}} Analysing how external websites had cited WikiIslam over many years, the researchers concluded that its articles had been "used to give legitimacy to arguments made on other websites, many of which contain Islamophobic messaging." Their analysis of the most widely disseminated WikiIslam articles found them "largely selective when it comes to topics covered, and to some extent selective in the choice of references." Some of the articles "could be said to espouse attitudes that are Islamophobic", though they noted "at the same time it is also important to underline that the articles often present alternative and conflicting opinions about the topics that are discussed." Kozaric and Brekke's overall impression of WikiIslam was that the information presented about Islam was "far from neutral"; their main concern was that "WikiIslam presents itself as an encyclopedic and scientific site without a political agenda and that it does not critically reflect upon how it can be used for serving other interests."<ref name="KozaricBrekke2023" />{{rp|16}}
 ==Notes==
@@ Line 38: / Line 39: @@
 {{Reflist}}
+== External links ==
+*{{official website|https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Main_Page}}
+[[Category:Counter-jihad]]
 [[Category:Internet properties established in 2006]]
 [[Category:Islamophobic publications]]
 [[Category:Wiki communities]]
+[[Category:MediaWiki websites]]