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[[Image:Infosymbol.png|91px|thumb|right|link=Category:WikiIslam]]
==Mission Statement==
'''WikiIslam''' is a community edited website which focuses on the critique of [[Islam]], whilst also allowing [[:Category:Pro-Islamic Content|pro-Islamic responses]] in separate articles. It is run on the same software that Wikipedia and other similar sites use.
WikiIslam aims to provide accurate and accessible information from traditional and critical perspectives on the beliefs, practices, and development of Islam.


==About==
==About==
WikiIslam strives to be the most comprehensive and accurate source of information on Islam freely and accessibly available online, drawing from both Islam's primary sources (the [[Qur'an]], [[hadith]] and Islamic scholars) as well as from the historical-critical (sometimes called revisionist) analysis of these primary sources by modern historians. Currently, WikiIslam hosts {{NUMBEROFARTICLES}} articles.


WikiIslam's goal is to become the most comprehensive and accurate source of information on Islam. This information is based primarily on its own sources, the [[Qur'an]], [[hadith]] and Islamic scholars. It takes a rational approach in its handling of Islam and is notable for dealing extensively with [[Islam and Propaganda|false propaganda]] and [[Islam and Science|Islamic pseudoscience]].
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 site aims to remain neutral towards other religions, world views, and issues of a political nature, such as immigration, multiculturalism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and also to stay away from extremist, sensationalist or emotional commentary by simply letting the facts speak for themselves.
WikiIslam is an international site with contributors and readers from all over the world, and the site's [[WikiIslam:Policies and Guidelines|policies]] and [[WikiIslam:Scope and Article Relevance|content]] reflect this.


Contrary to what is sometimes claimed,<ref name="Criticism"></ref> the site [[WikiIslam:Reliable Sources#Sources to Avoid|exhorts editors]] to use non-polemic and scholarly secondary sources, and to attribute statements wherever possible. It makes copious use of  authoritative primary and secondary pro-Islamic sources, such as the [[Compendium of Muslim Texts]], [[Sirat Rasul Allah|sirah]] literature and [[fatwa]]s from some of the most popular mainstream Islamic sites on the net.
The articles on WikiIslam are produced by an open community of editors from various political, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. The only thing contributors are required to have in common is a commitment to providing unbiased and objective information on Islam. If you think you fit this description and would like to contribute, [[WikiIslam:Contact Us|contact us]], and you will readily be provided with a login.


It is an international site with editors and contributors from all over the world, and the policies and content reflect this. For example, editors are advised that no region should be given priority over another, and developments concerning Islam in [[Asia]] or [[Africa]] are as important as developments in Europe or the Americas.
==Scope and content==
{{Main|WikiIslam:Scope and Article Relevance}}WikiIslam is a non-partisan website focused exclusively on Islamic beliefs and practices. All content is therefore focused purely on Islam and how it is practiced, not on its promotion, condemnation, or topics that are sociopolitical in nature or are with regard to other faith traditions.


==History==
All content on WikiIslam is required to reference either primary, historical sources (such as the earliest qur'anic codices, hadiths, siras, and tafsirs) or scholarly secondary sources published by reliable academic journals and presses (e.g. Fred Donner's ''Muhammad and the Believers: At the Origins of Islam'', published by Harvard University Press). While the claims of latter-day Islamic scholars (e.g. Ibn Kathir or al-Suyuti) provide useful reference for the continuously developing positions of the various Islamic orthodoxies, they do not suffice as historical evidence for the claims they present.


WikiIslam was created on October 27, 2005, in collaboration with various individuals from Faith Freedom International who provided the site with server space, technical help and exposure. The site remained in a testing phase for about a year and on September 4, 2006, it was opened to the public.  
WikiIslam requires written content to be at once accessibly and professional. Articles are required to be clear and detailed without assuming anything other than most basic background knowledge on the part of the audience. Skewed perspectives and modes of writing of any sort, be they provincial, parochial, or patriarchal, have no place on WikiIslam.


In September 2007, the server that hosted the site was hacked, and due to other server problems, editing was disabled at WikiIslam for almost a year.
Any site content that falls beyond the bounds set by WikiIslam is removed or renovated by editors upon being brought to their attention.


In August 2008, the site was moved to a new server and since then it has been operating independently, remaining unaffiliated with or owned by any organization. Contrary to persistent claims propagated by apologists,<ref>For example, Sheila Musaji of [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheamericanmuslim.org%2Ftam.php%2Ffeatures%2Farticles%2Fali_sina%2F&date=2014-01-26 TheAmericanMuslim], who has been contacted but refuses to correct the error, claims WikiIslam is "run" by "Ali Sina and Faith Freedom" and "only prints material which is negative towards Islam." Both claims are wrong. WikiIslam hosts many [[:Category:Pro-Islamic Content|pro-Islamic articles]] written by Muslim editors.</ref> WikiIslam is not owned by [[Ali Sina]], FFI, Robert Spencer, Jihad Watch or any other organization.<ref>Note that neither of these individuals or their websites are considered reliable sources at WikiIslam. According to [[WikiIslam:Reliable_Sources#Other_Sources_2|WikiIslam:Reliable Sources]], ''"Statements of fact concerning Islam from polemic sources such as books, articles or commentaries by individuals such as Robert Spencer, Pamela Gellar, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Mark A. Gabriel, Wafa Sultan, Ali Sina, Walid Shoebat, Brigitte Gabriel etc. are not to be used under any circumstances as references on WikiIslam. If you come across any such statements, remove them immediately."''</ref>
==Policies and Guidelines==
{{Main|WikiIslam:Policies and Guidelines}}Over the course of many years, WikiIslam has developed a comprehensive and ever evolving set collection of policies and guidelines to help administer, guide, and set expectations for the work of its editors. These policies and guidelines define everything from the specific sort of [[WikiIslam:Scope and Article Relevance|content considered appropriate]] to the wiki (its scope), [[WikiIslam:Writing Style Guide|writing style]], citation [[WikiIslam:Citing, Linking, and Quoting|format]] and [[WikiIslam:Reliable Sources|standards]], [[WikiIslam:Structure|article structure]], [[WikiIslam:Source Editing|source-editing practices]] (Wikitext), [[WikiIslam:Talk Pages|guidelines for talk pages]], [[WikiIslam:Pending Changes Protection|pending changes protection practices]], [[WikiIslam:Assume Good Faith|good faith practices]], and the wiki's [[WikiIslam:General disclaimer|legal disclaimers]].


In December 2015, the ownership of the website was transferred to [https://exmuslims.org/ Ex-Muslims of North America]. <ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.exmna.org/ex-muslims-north-america-takes-ownership-operation-wikiislam/|title= Ex-Muslims of North America takes ownership and operation of WikiIslam|publisher= |author= |date= Dec 3, 2015|archiveurl= |deadurl=no}}</ref>
WikiIslam's admins enforce the above policies, and editors and visitors are encouraged to either report deviations from these standards to those better situated to correct them or to correct the error or violation themselves (by [[WikiIslam:Contact Us|requesting an account]] if needed).


==Reception==
==History==
 
As of late 2018, [https://exmuslims.org/ Ex-Muslims of North America] initiated an overhaul of WikiIslam, with the stated goal of setting a high criteria of objectivity, neutrality, and professionalism. The mission statement and new policy and writing guidelines were added, while many articles on the site were removed, including satirical and polemical content, ex-Muslim testimonies, as well as op-eds and personal essays. Article templates, hubs, the main website categorization system, and the front page were also heavily modified.
===Non-Muslims===
 
In December 2006, Göran Larsson presented a paper on WikiIslam at a conference in [[Sweden]]. At that point in time, the site was barely out of its infancy, only having been open to the public for three months, and Larsson was very critical. Today, with its new policies, new guidelines, thousands of more pages and the inclusion of pro-Islamic content aimed at presenting a positive image of Islam, WikiIslam remains the same only in name. But even back then in its primitive form, Larsson admitted that he could not label all the site "Islamophobic" in nature.<ref>Göran Larsson, [http://www.springerlink.com/content/p02g0g86387j4t62/ "Cyber-Islamophobia? The case of WikiIslam"], Contemporary Islam: Volume 1, Number 1, 53-67, DOI: 10.1007/s11562-007-0002-2</ref>
 
Contrary to what is sometimes claimed,<ref name="Criticism"></ref> WikiIslam has not received any attention from news agencies such as the Associated Press (AP); however, its non-partisan approach to criticism has led to the site being linked to or referenced by various notable sites such as ''RichardDawkins.net''<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://richarddawkins.net/links?page=5|2=2012-02-07}} "About/ Links"], RichardDawkins.net, accessed February 7, 2012.</ref> and ''GreenProphet.com''.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/12/rain-prayers-sunny-friday/|title= Muslim President Calls for Rain Prayers on Sunny Friday|publisher= Green Prophet|author= Tafline Laylin|date= December 28, 2011|archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/12/rain-prayers-sunny-friday/&date=2012-02-07|deadurl=no}}</ref> It has also been cited by Prof. Dr. G. Hussein Rassool in his book, ''Cultural Competence in Caring for Muslim Patients'',<ref>{{cite web|url= http://books.google.com/books?id=r5nJAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT141&lpg=PT141&dq=Cultural+Competence+in+Caring+for+Muslim+Patients+wikiislam&source=bl&ots=oFOauH3oPg&sig=5Vtne1TY1qwgdldumOa-T9K6atU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UHENVIfmLY_lauWagZAO&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Cultural%20Competence%20in%20Caring%20for%20Muslim%20Patients%20wikiislam&f=false|title= Cultural Competence in Caring for Muslim Patients|publisher= Palgrave Macmillan|author= G. Hussein Rassool (Ed.)|date= April 25, 2014|isbn= 9781137358424|archiveurl= https://archive.today/AR6Nr|deadurl=no}}</ref> Dr. Heather Deegan in her book, ''Africa Today: Culture, Economics, Religion, Security'',<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.amazon.com/Africa-Today-Economics-Religion-Security/dp/0415418844/|title= Africa Today: Culture, Economics, Religion, Security|publisher= Routledge|author= Heather Deegan|date=December 26, 2008 |page= 100|isbn= 978-0415418843|archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FAfrica-Today-Economics-Religion-Security%2Fdp%2F0415418844%2F&date=2013-07-20|deadurl=no}}</ref> Prof. Carlos Brebbia in his book, ''Disaster Management and Human Health Risk III: Reducing Risk, Improving Outcomes'',<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.amazon.com/Disaster-Management-Human-Health-Risk/dp/1845647386|title= Disaster Management and Human Health Risk III: Reducing Risk, Improving Outcomes|publisher= Wit Pr/Computational Mechanics|author= C. A. Brebbia|date= July 9, 2013|page= 366|isbn= 978-1845647384|archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FDisaster-Management-Human-Health-Risk%2Fdp%2F1845647386&date=2013-07-25|deadurl=no}}</ref> and Dr. Stefan Kirchner in his paper published in the ''Baltic Journal of Law & Politics''.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/bjlp.2011.4.issue-1/v10076-011-0003-6/v10076-011-0003-6.xml|2=2013-07-20}} "Faith, Ethics and Religious Norms in a Globalized Environment: Freedom of Religion as a Challenge to the Regulation of Islamic Finance in Europe"]. Baltic Journal of Law & Politics. Volume 4, Issue 1, Pages 52–82, ISSN (Online) 2029-0454, ISSN (Print) , DOI: 10.2478/v10076-011-0003-6, August 2011.</ref>
 
===Muslims===


Due to the focus of the site, the most noticeable reactions from Muslims has been negative.<ref name="Criticism">For responses to various criticisms of WikiIslam, visit the ''[http://islamo-criticism.blogspot.com/p/criticism-of-wikiislam.html Criticism of WikiIslam]'' section of the ''[http://islamo-criticism.blogspot.com/ IslamoCriticism]'' blog.</ref> Some have called for the site to be taken offline through illegal means such as hacking,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?398571|title= Muslims should DDOS anti muslim websites|publisher= Ummah Forum|author= |date= April 19, 2014|archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ummah.com%2Fforum%2Fshowthread.php%3F398571&date=2014-04-24|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>''"Someone needs to shut it down. any hackers out here?"'' - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?365182-Solving-the-Wiki-islam-problem|2=2013-05-24}} Solving the Wiki-islam problem], DamirK, Ummah Forum, May 24, 2013.</ref><ref>''"Its sad, Saudi have hackers who can hack and take down a lot of crap stuff on the internet but they never seem to notice what should be taken care of."'' - [http://lostinriyadh.blogspot.com/2012/03/for-my-readers-in-saudi-infact-for.html For my readers in Saudi, infact for anyone], LostInRiyadh.blogspot.com (comment by Dentographer, March 4, 2012)</ref> and it had previously been [[Websites Censored by Islamic Governments|banned]] in [[Saudi Arabia]] on the country's [[pornography]] blacklist, even though the site contains nothing of a pornographic nature.<ref>A screenshot can be viewed [[:File:Wikiislam com-aug-2011-ksa.png|here]]</ref>
WikiIslam was created on October 27, 2005 by various online activists led by the user [[User:Axius|Axius]] and was hosted on server space provided by Faith Freedom International. Starting in August 2008, the site separated from FFI, hosted its own servers, and began operating as an independent site run by its contributors. In 2015, following excessive amounts of vandalism, the site came under the management of the Ex-Muslims of North America.
 
Constant vandalism, death-threats, and non-compliance with guidelines by Muslim editors has lead to WikiIslam, like the German Wikipedia, implementing “pending-changes protection”, meaning that editing still remains open to all, including IP users, but changes have to be approved before becoming visible to readers.
 
However, due to WikiIslam's extensive use of authoritative primary and secondary pro-Islamic sources, the site has also received praise from Muslims, e.g. for its [[Sex Segregation in Islam]]<ref>"''I usually wouldn't endorse a site like this, but in this case all of the sources were referenced in great detail.''" - [http://www.facebook.com/notes/abdul-malik-merchant/women-traveling-and-free-mixing-in-islam-/216934245018326 Women: Traveling and free-mixing in Islam …], Abdul-Malik Merchant, Student at Umm al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, July 13, 2011.</ref> and [[List of Killings Ordered or Supported by Muhammad]]<ref>"''In fact mockery is the main cause of executions ordered by our prophet (Sm)...i already told it to @RiasatKhan .. here is the link though its an anti islam site... but the historical facts / causes of execution mentioned there are reliable..look 4 Yellow colors, they were executed for mockery. Is this Musa Ibrahim scholar of Islam?? List of Killings Ordered or Supported by Muhammad - WikiIslam. Sorry for the anti islam site... i couldnt find any other site written in such short and organized way.''" - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.defence.pk/forums/bangladesh-defence/233660-shahbagh-square-new-rise-65.html|2=2013-02-17}} SHAHBAGH SQUARE-A NEW RISE], Kobiraaz (an established Muslim member who joined in Oct 2010, and has been thanked 7867 times for 7,237 post), Pakistan Defence forum, February 17, 2013</ref> articles, and pages such as [[List of Fabricated Hadith]]<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://shehbaazmind.blogspot.com/2011/08/some-links-where-you-can-find-some-weak.html|2=2012-09-10}} "Some Links Where You Can Find Some Weak And Fabricated Hadeeths Exposed"], ShehbaazMind, August 17, 2011.</ref><ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://beliefinunseen.blogspot.com/2012/09/weak-and-fabricated-hadith.html|2=2012-09-10}} "Weak and fabricated hadith"], Belief In The Unseen, September 7, 2012.</ref> and [[Chronological Order of the Qur'an]]<ref>Dawud Israel, [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?107518-NOTES-from-Tafsir-Maariful-Qur-an-of-Mufti-Taqi-Shafi-Usmani|2=2013-06-01}} "NOTES from Tafsir Maariful Qur'an of Mufti Taqi/Shafi Usmani"], Sunni Forum, June 1, 2013.</ref> have been used by Muslims as a resource.


==Audience==
==Audience==


WikiIslam hosts {{NUMBEROFARTICLES}} articles. On average, it currently receives over 250,000 visitors a month generating about 500,000 page views. As of September 2014, Alexa.com places it within the top 70,000 most visited websites.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alexa.com%2Fsiteinfo%2Fwww.wikiislam.net&date=2014-09-03|title= Wikiislam.net|publisher= Alexa.com|author= |date= accessed October 19, 2013|archiveurl= |deadurl=no}}</ref>
On average, it currently receives over 250,000 visitors a month generating about 500,000 page views. As of September 2014, Alexa.com places it within the top 70,000 most visited websites.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alexa.com%2Fsiteinfo%2Fwww.wikiislam.net&date=2014-09-03|title= Wikiislam.net|publisher= Alexa.com|author= |date= accessed October 19, 2013|archiveurl= |deadurl=no}}</ref>


Unlike many other sites critical of Islam, WikiIslam's audience is not "Eurocentric". A large percentage of its readers are from Eastern or Muslim-majority nations such as [[Pakistan]], [[Bangladesh]], [[India]], [[Malaysia]], [[Egypt]], [[United Arab Emirates]], and [[Singapore]].<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/www.wikiislam.net|2=2011-11-28}} "Wikiislam.net/ Audience"], Alexa.com, accessed  November 28, 2011.</ref> Likewise, many of the site's administrators and editors are from a Muslim background or are skeptics from Muslim majority nations.
WikiIslam's audience is not "Eurocentric". A large percentage of its readers are from Eastern or Muslim-majority nations such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, and Singapore (often accessed through WikiIslam's alternative domains, especially where WikiIslam has been banned).<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/www.wikiislam.net|2=2011-11-28}} "Wikiislam.net/ Audience"], Alexa.com, accessed  November 28, 2011.</ref> Likewise, many of the site's administrators and editors are from a Muslim background or are skeptics from Muslim majority nations.


The site is currently [[WikiIslam:Join the Team#Ways_To_Help_Us|looking for editors]] to translate some of their English articles into Indonesian, Urdu, Bengali and [[Arabic]]. There are translations from English already available at the site in [[:Category:Other_Languages|several languages]], including [[Azərbaycanca Yazılar - Articles in Azerbaijani|Azerbaijani]], [[Les articles en francais - Articles in French|French]], [[:Category:Türkçe (Turkish)|Turkish]] and [[Ozbekcha maqolalar - Articles in Uzbek|Uzbek]]. A [[:ru:Заглавная страница|Russian]] sub-domain was started in early 2013 and they also host many [[Translations of Arabic/Islamic Media|press articles and fatwas]] from the Islamic world translated into English from the original Arabic. A [[:bg:Начална_страница|Bulgarian]] sub-domain was created in April, 2015.
The site is always [[WikiIslam:Join the Team#Ways_To_Help_Us|looking for editors]] to translate English articles into Indonesian, Urdu, Bengali, [[Arabic]], and other languages. There are translations from English already available at the site in [[:Category:Other_Languages|several languages]], including [[Azərbaycanca Yazılar - Articles in Azerbaijani|Azerbaijani]], [[Les articles en francais - Articles in French|French]], [[:Category:Türkçe (Turkish)|Turkish]] and [[Ozbekcha maqolalar - Articles in Uzbek|Uzbek]]. A [[:ru:Заглавная страница|Russian]] sub-domain was started in early 2013 and a [[:bg:Начална_страница|Bulgarian]] sub-domain was created in April, 2015.


==Wikipedia==
==WikiIslam vs. Wikipedia==


WikiIslam's primary focus is on the religion of Islam while Wikipedia is a compendium of general knowledge. These differing goals have led to different policies and guidelines.  
WikiIslam's primary focus is on the religion of Islam while Wikipedia is a compendium of general knowledge. These differing goals have led to different policies and guidelines.  


Wikipedia discourages the use of primary and what they term as "non-notable/reliable" sources. WikiIslam, on the other hand, encourages the use of authentic primary religious text and the rulings of authoritative Muslim scholars who may not be notable to people outside of the Muslim world but who are giants from within.
Wikipedia discourages the use of primary and what they term as "non-notable/reliable" sources. WikiIslam, on the other hand, (in addition to secondary scholarly sources) encourages the use of authentic primary religious text and the rulings of authoritative Muslim scholars who may not be notable to people outside of the Muslim world but who are giants from within.
 
Wikipedia focuses on "verifiability, not truth".<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability,_not_truth|2=2012-02-10}} "Verifiability, not truth"], Wikipedia, accessed February 10, 2012.</ref> In regards to Islam, it has meant they accept what "notable/reliable" western commentators say about its religious text and Muslims over what the religious text and Muslims actually say themselves. Conversely, WikiIslam accepts what the religious text and Muslims say over the opinions and interpretations of third-party western commentators.


Wikipedia focuses on "verifiability, not truth".<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability,_not_truth|2=2012-02-10}} "Verifiability, not truth"], Wikipedia, accessed February 10, 2012.</ref> In regards to Islam, it has meant they accept what "notable/reliable" western commentators say about Islam's religious texts over what the religious text and Muslim authorities actually say themselves. Conversely, WikiIslam accepts what the religious texts and Muslim authorities say over the opinions and interpretations of third-party western commentators.[[Image:Infosymbol.png|91px|thumb|right|link=Category:WikiIslam]]
==See Also==
==See Also==


*[[WikiIslam:Frequently Asked Questions|Frequently Asked Questions]]
*[[WikiIslam:Frequently Asked Questions|Frequently Asked Questions]]
 
*[[WikiIslam:Policies and Guidelines|Policies and Guidelines]]
{{Translation-links-english}}


==Contact Information==
==Contact Information==
{{Fb link}}
To contact WikiIslam with general ideas and suggestions, a message can be left on the relevant [[WikiIslam:Discussions|Discussions]] page. For copyright issues, click [[WikiIslam:Copyright Issues|here]]. And for other important issues or to request an account, [[WikiIslam:Contact Us|click here]].
To contact WikiIslam with general ideas and suggestions, a message can be left on the relevant [[WikiIslam:Discussions|Discussions]] page. For copyright issues, click [[WikiIslam:Copyright Issues|here]]. And for other important issues, click [[WikiIslam:Contact Us|here]].


==References==
==References==

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Mission Statement

WikiIslam aims to provide accurate and accessible information from traditional and critical perspectives on the beliefs, practices, and development of Islam.

About

WikiIslam strives to be the most comprehensive and accurate source of information on Islam freely and accessibly available online, drawing from both Islam's primary sources (the Qur'an, hadith and Islamic scholars) as well as from the historical-critical (sometimes called revisionist) analysis of these primary sources by modern historians. Currently, WikiIslam hosts 977 articles.

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.

WikiIslam is an international site with contributors and readers from all over the world, and the site's policies and content reflect this.

The articles on WikiIslam are produced by an open community of editors from various political, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. The only thing contributors are required to have in common is a commitment to providing unbiased and objective information on Islam. If you think you fit this description and would like to contribute, contact us, and you will readily be provided with a login.

Scope and content

WikiIslam is a non-partisan website focused exclusively on Islamic beliefs and practices. All content is therefore focused purely on Islam and how it is practiced, not on its promotion, condemnation, or topics that are sociopolitical in nature or are with regard to other faith traditions.

All content on WikiIslam is required to reference either primary, historical sources (such as the earliest qur'anic codices, hadiths, siras, and tafsirs) or scholarly secondary sources published by reliable academic journals and presses (e.g. Fred Donner's Muhammad and the Believers: At the Origins of Islam, published by Harvard University Press). While the claims of latter-day Islamic scholars (e.g. Ibn Kathir or al-Suyuti) provide useful reference for the continuously developing positions of the various Islamic orthodoxies, they do not suffice as historical evidence for the claims they present.

WikiIslam requires written content to be at once accessibly and professional. Articles are required to be clear and detailed without assuming anything other than most basic background knowledge on the part of the audience. Skewed perspectives and modes of writing of any sort, be they provincial, parochial, or patriarchal, have no place on WikiIslam.

Any site content that falls beyond the bounds set by WikiIslam is removed or renovated by editors upon being brought to their attention.

Policies and Guidelines

Over the course of many years, WikiIslam has developed a comprehensive and ever evolving set collection of policies and guidelines to help administer, guide, and set expectations for the work of its editors. These policies and guidelines define everything from the specific sort of content considered appropriate to the wiki (its scope), writing style, citation format and standards, article structure, source-editing practices (Wikitext), guidelines for talk pages, pending changes protection practices, good faith practices, and the wiki's legal disclaimers.

WikiIslam's admins enforce the above policies, and editors and visitors are encouraged to either report deviations from these standards to those better situated to correct them or to correct the error or violation themselves (by requesting an account if needed).

History

As of late 2018, Ex-Muslims of North America initiated an overhaul of WikiIslam, with the stated goal of setting a high criteria of objectivity, neutrality, and professionalism. The mission statement and new policy and writing guidelines were added, while many articles on the site were removed, including satirical and polemical content, ex-Muslim testimonies, as well as op-eds and personal essays. Article templates, hubs, the main website categorization system, and the front page were also heavily modified.

WikiIslam was created on October 27, 2005 by various online activists led by the user Axius and was hosted on server space provided by Faith Freedom International. Starting in August 2008, the site separated from FFI, hosted its own servers, and began operating as an independent site run by its contributors. In 2015, following excessive amounts of vandalism, the site came under the management of the Ex-Muslims of North America.

Audience

On average, it currently receives over 250,000 visitors a month generating about 500,000 page views. As of September 2014, Alexa.com places it within the top 70,000 most visited websites.[1]

WikiIslam's audience is not "Eurocentric". A large percentage of its readers are from Eastern or Muslim-majority nations such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, and Singapore (often accessed through WikiIslam's alternative domains, especially where WikiIslam has been banned).[2] Likewise, many of the site's administrators and editors are from a Muslim background or are skeptics from Muslim majority nations.

The site is always looking for editors to translate English articles into Indonesian, Urdu, Bengali, Arabic, and other languages. There are translations from English already available at the site in several languages, including Azerbaijani, French, Turkish and Uzbek. A Russian sub-domain was started in early 2013 and a Bulgarian sub-domain was created in April, 2015.

WikiIslam vs. Wikipedia

WikiIslam's primary focus is on the religion of Islam while Wikipedia is a compendium of general knowledge. These differing goals have led to different policies and guidelines.

Wikipedia discourages the use of primary and what they term as "non-notable/reliable" sources. WikiIslam, on the other hand, (in addition to secondary scholarly sources) encourages the use of authentic primary religious text and the rulings of authoritative Muslim scholars who may not be notable to people outside of the Muslim world but who are giants from within.

Wikipedia focuses on "verifiability, not truth".[3] In regards to Islam, it has meant they accept what "notable/reliable" western commentators say about Islam's religious texts over what the religious text and Muslim authorities actually say themselves. Conversely, WikiIslam accepts what the religious texts and Muslim authorities say over the opinions and interpretations of third-party western commentators.

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See Also

Contact Information

To contact WikiIslam with general ideas and suggestions, a message can be left on the relevant Discussions page. For copyright issues, click here. And for other important issues or to request an account, click here.

References

  1. "Wikiislam.net", Alexa.com, accessed October 19, 2013, http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alexa.com%2Fsiteinfo%2Fwww.wikiislam.net&date=2014-09-03. 
  2. "Wikiislam.net/ Audience", Alexa.com, accessed November 28, 2011.
  3. "Verifiability, not truth", Wikipedia, accessed February 10, 2012.