WikiIslam:Frequently Asked Questions

About WikiIslam

What is a wiki?

A wiki is a website which anyone can edit using a web browser. This is different from conventional websites which can only be edited by their administrators who are using specialized web editing software. Content Management Systems that are not wikis are only managed by a small group of editors. A wiki puts any internet user in the seat of a website administrator.

Is WikiIslam a branch of Wikipedia or the Wikimedia foundation?

No, we are not in any way related to or endorsed by these organizations. Our only commonality is our use of the same freely available software, Mediawiki, which is also used by hundreds of other wiki websites.

Can anyone create a login id and contribute to this website?

Yes. Creating an account is free, allows you to remain anonymous and takes only seconds. You can also edit using an IP address but will have to enter an anti-spam CAPTCHA for every edit. Click here to create an account. Before editing, please see our policies and guidelines.

Anyone can edit WikiIslam, so does that mean anyone can insert false information?

No it does not. All of our pages are under "Pending-changes protection", meaning they are open for editing, but changes will only become visible to readers once they have been reviewed by a user with the appropriate access, known as a "reviewer", or by the administration.

What is the purpose of WikiIslam?

The primary goal of WikiIslam is to collect facts relating to the criticism of Islam from valid Islamic sources without the effects of censorship.

How is WikiIslam different from Wikipedia?

WikiIslam's primary focus is on the criticism of Islam while Wikipedia is a compendium of general knowledge. As a knowledge base for both Muslims and non-Muslims interested in the criticism of Islam, articles at WikiIslam are naturally not required to be NPOV ("Neutral Point of View").

WikiIslam is only a wiki and is biased. How can we trust its content?

WikiIslam's focus on criticism of Islam does not necessarily make us unreliable. If you are looking for critical information on Christianity or Buddhism you would not ask the Pope or Dalai lama and you would not visit a pro-Christian/Buddhist website. There are countless individuals and websites out there which critique all forms of belief, but this does not make them unreliable or they are not generally labeled as hate mongers. Unfortunately this is not the case for sites and individuals who choose to critique Islam. This is through no fault of our own, but the bias of the individuals who write us off as unreliable without ever analyzing our content. In most cases it would simply mean that you will have to look elsewhere for the positive aspects of whatever you are researching, however we actually host articles by Muslims.

A wiki is only as reliable as the users, and we aim to make our wiki as reliable and accurate as humanly possible. There is no reason whatsoever that a wiki cannot be as if not more reliable than a conventional website. We take great care in providing readers with copious references and footnotes.

Why should I trust WikiIslam over Wikipedia for information critical of Islam?

The Jagged 85 incident is a prime example of the problems constantly 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 all kinds of 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 secondary sources. A prime example of this would be Paul Vallely's "How Islamic inventors changed the world".

As WikiIslam concentrates on only one subject, we host fewer articles than Wikipedia. This enables the community to fine-tune our articles, removing any inaccuracies which may have be inserted by accident or by vandals intentionally distorting facts.

What can I find at WikiIslam that I cannot find at Wikipedia?

While Wikipedia can be a good starting point for general knowledge on Islam, a lot of content and information can be found here on WikiIslam that you would never find there. For example, How Islamic Inventors Did Not Change The World, which is a comprehensive refutation to the aforementioned article by Paul Vallely which is used as a secondary source at Wikipedia. Wikipedia also has some very basic articles dealing with the Pact of Umar and the Farewell Sermon. We have articles which analyze and critique both texts (here and here).

Without Wikipedia's restrictive policies and the presence of editors who are constantly censoring criticism of Islam, there are infinitely more useful ways in which information can be arranged. Muslim Statistics, Rebuttals to Zakir Naik, Islamic Prophecies, Quotations from Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars, and The Story of Umm Qirfa are just a few examples. For our most recent articles, see the New Articles List.

Is WikiIslam Islamophobic or a hate site?

No, WikiIslam is not Islamophobic. Nor are we a hate site. If WikiIslam was a hate site, we would not allow Muslims to edit the website, but we have a whole separate category for articles by Muslims. Unlike the thousands of pro-Islamic sites on the net which are never labeled as hate sites, we welcome Muslims to edit the site and express an alternate point of view. We do not believe all Muslims are "extremists" or terrorists. In fact many of us are ex-Muslims with Muslim family and friends.

Is WikiIslam a propaganda site?

According to Wikipedia, propaganda is “a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position.” Sites which support womens rights, gay rights, refute Creationism or inform the public on matters concerning the science of Evolution would fit this definition. In fact any site with a point of view could be labeled with the “propaganda” tag, yet this is seldom the case. If providing uncensored, accurate and sourced information on Islam or refuting Qur'anic pseudoscience is deemed as propaganda, then so be it.

I’ve heard many good things about Islam. Why doesn’t this site talk about them?

We do not allow the insertion of pro-Islamic opinions into existing critical articles, but we do have articles by Muslims which aim to provide you with a positive view of Islam. Any pro-Islamic opinions that are found on WikiIslam will be rebutted in our critical articles. For reading and contributing exclusively pro-Islamic opinions please see the Muslim Wikipedia.

How do I know the content is factual?

Facts concerning Islamic theology are supported by citing Islamic sources such as Qur'an verses, tafsirs, hadiths, and fatwas. If you believe something is factually inaccurate, please use the associated talk-page and let us know.

Does WikiIslam use fabricated sources?

No, we do not. We use Islamic sources which are readily available, either on the net or through retailers. They are the same sources you will see being used and accepted by thousands of Muslim websites. Wherever possible, we link directly to these Muslim websites which, for example, host Qur'an, Hadith, fatwa, fiqh and Tafsir text.

What Qur'an translation do you use?

Unless otherwise stated, we use the respected and widely accepted translations of Yusuf Ali, Marmaduke Pickthal or M. H. Shakir. All Qur'an quotes are taken from the University of Southern California Muslim Students Association's Compendium of Muslim Texts.

What Hadith translations do you use?

Unless we have to translate an Arabic narration not yet available in English, it will generally be; the translation of Sahih Al-Bukhari by Muhsin Khan, the translation of Sahih Muslim by Abd-al-Hamid Siddiqui, the translation of Sunan Abu Dawud by Ahmad Hasan, and the translation of Malik's Muwatta by A'isha Abd-al-Rahman al-Tarjumana and Ya'qub Johnson. All are taken from the University of Southern California Muslim Students Association's Compendium of Muslim Texts.

I'm looking for information on Islam. Is this the site to get it?

Yes, if you're looking for factual information critical of Islam, this is the site to get it. If you haven't found what you're looking for, please make a request in the forum.

Someone found mistakes in one of your articles. How can I trust the rest of the site?

WikiIslam hosts 2,303 articles written by various users. Anyone who claims they have found mistakes in one of our articles and therefore the rest of our site should be dismissed, is committing the logical fallacy of poisoning the well. Also note that essays do not necessarily reflect the views of WikiIslam.

We are receptive to criticism and appreciate the input of our readers because it only results in improving our site. So if you notice any errors please let us know via the associated talk-pages and we will put the article under review. Better still, if your aim is to provide us with constructive criticism, why not create an account and edit the page yourself?

Why are there spelling and grammatical errors in some articles?

A lot of our articles have been written by former Muslims who speak English only as a second or third language. The correct use of grammar is important to us, so any corrections are appreciated.

What are the advantages of this site as compared to other sites critical of Islam?

The biggest advantage is that anyone with access to the internet can edit the website. You do not need to be a webmaster. All you need is a login, which can be created in 30 seconds and you can edit the website from your browser just like writing an email.

Other advantages over conventional websites would include the ability to keep our articles up-to-date and relevant regardless of when it was first created. For example, while an article that discusses the many converts to Islam who resort to terrorism may become dated on other sites, our Converts to Islam page is regularly updated.

Why are there so few articles hosted on WikiIslam?

Like most wikis, WikiIslam is always growing and we currently host 2,303 articles. Many wikis use copies or modified versions of Wikipedia articles. However, as a rule, we do not allow Wikipedia articles in any form. We aim to provide readers with unique content and believe quality over quantity is the best policy.

Is WikiIslam right-wing?

No, WikiIslam is not right-wing and we do not endorse any particular political ideology. Contributors to WikiIslam are from all positions of the political spectrum.

Is WikiIslam owned by Jews?

No.

Is WikiIslam pro-Israel?

No. This is not a political wiki. We focus solely on Islam. Any such articles will be updated, deleted or removed from the wiki mainspace.

Can I write an article about Muslim immigration, multiculturalism, leftists or Barack Obama?

No. Our aim is to remain neutral towards issues of a political rather than religious nature. Any such articles will be updated, deleted or removed from the wiki mainspace.

Is WikiIslam owned by Ali Sina or Faith Freedom International?

No, we are not. WikiIslam was created on October 27, 2005 in collaboration with Ali Sina and Faith Freedom International. However, in August 2008, the site was moved out of FFI's server and since then we have been an independent site not owned by Ali Sina or Faith Freedom International.

I want to donate to the site but have no PayPal account. Can you give me your postal address?

No, for obvious reasons we can not. If you would honestly like to help, please open a PayPal account or consider an alternative way to support the site.

I want to create an article criticizing Christians and Hindus. Can I start one?

No. We do not criticize any religion or world view other than Islam. Any such articles will be updated, deleted or removed from the wiki mainspace. However, we do accept Evolution as a scientific fact.

I want to create an article proving Christianity and Hinduism are superior to Islam. Can I start one?

No. We do not endorse any religion or world view. Any such articles will be updated, deleted or removed from the wiki mainspace.

We may, however, host articles refuting the more popular tu-quoque arguments and Islamic propaganda made against other faiths and world-views (for example; claiming Joseph, the husband of Mary, was a pedophile so it excuses Muhammad's actions, or claiming Muhammad was predicted in Hindu scripture and Zoroastrian scripture).

The fact that we have pages discussing Christian, Hindu and Zoroastrian scripture does not in any way make us pro-Christianity, Hinduism, or Zoroastrianism, because we are not endorsing any of these scripture as truth or better than the Qur'an. We are simply clarifying misconceptions which are spread by Muslims to endorse their religion.

What is the religious persuasion of the contributors to WikiIslam?

WikiIslam contributors come from all religious persuasions, including irreligious contributors of no faith. We do not endorse any religion, nor do we criticize any religion other than Islam. However, we do accept Evolution as a scientific fact.

Why do some pages not adhere to your policies and guidelines?

By its very nature, a wiki site is always evolving, so there may be a few things which do not completely adhere to our rules (we mention this on our About Us page). We have updated or deleted a whole host of articles which were unsuitable for this site, and as time permits, more and more page will closely reflect our policies and guidelines.

Can someone do XYZ, create/edit an article or do some work on Wikipedia?

You can leave a request in the forum, but we're already busy here, so you may have to do it yourself.

Vandalism and Security

We are aware of the high risk of vandalism to this website due to its controversial nature and differing opinions and are prepared to effectively deal with any attempt to sabotage the content of this site. In any case this is a Wiki website which means the website can always recover from any amount of vandalism.

Is the content safe from hackers?

Yes, we make regular data backups in multiple locations. We did lose 5 days worth of edits in April 2007 after the server was hacked, but fortunately there was little editing that was done during those 5 days. This was the only time we have lost data.

Why not disallow IP edits to minimize vandalism?

The reasons are threefold.

• Our pages are under "Pending-changes protection", meaning that all attempts at vandalizing the site are pointless because readers will never see any of it.
• IP editors have contributed some great referenced work to the site (for example, Health Effects of Islamic Dress).
• More often than not, IP vandals inadvertently contribute positively to the site. For example, this bit of vandalism resulted in an unreferenced page now being fully referenced, and this bit of vandalism resulted in an entire new page refuting a popular Muslim apologetic.

See Also

• WikiIslam:Policies and Guidelines
• If you have any other questions, leave a message at the forum