Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

[mercenary2k]

:smack:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/books/05wiki.html?_r=2&ex=1360126800&en=ebab932c6d8d4bdb&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Wikipedia Islam Entry Is Criticized

Article Tools Sponsored By
By NOAM COHEN
Published: February 5, 2008

An article about the Prophet Muhammad in the English-language Wikipedia has become the subject of an online protest in the last few weeks because of its representations of Muhammad, taken from medieval manuscripts.

In addition to numerous e-mail messages sent to Wikipedia.org, an online petition cites a prohibition in Islam on images of people.

The petition has more than 80,000 “signatures,” though many who submitted them to ThePetitionSite.com, remained anonymous.

“We have been noticing a lot more similar sounding, similar looking e-mails beginning mid-January,” said Jay Walsh, a spokesman for the Wikimedia Foundation in San Francisco, which administers the various online encyclopedias in more than 250 languages.

A Frequently Asked Questions page explains the site’s polite but firm refusal to remove the images: “Since Wikipedia is an encyclopedia with the goal of representing all topics from a neutral point of view, Wikipedia is not censored for the benefit of any particular group.”

The notes left on the petition site come from all over the world. “It’s totally unacceptable to print the Prophet’s picture,” Saadia Bukhari from Pakistan wrote in a message. “It shows insensitivity towards Muslim feelings and should be removed immediately.”

The site considered but rejected a compromise that would allow visitors to choose whether to view the page with images.

Paul M. Cobb, who teaches Islamic history at Notre Dame, said, “Islamic teaching has traditionally discouraged representation of humans, particularly Muhammad, but that doesn’t mean it’s nonexistent.” He added, “Some of the most beautiful images in Islamic art are manuscript images of Muhammad.”

The idea of imposing a ban on all depictions of people, particularly Muhammad, dates to the 20th century, he said. With the Wikipedia entry, he added, “what you are dealing with is not medieval illustrations, you are dealing with modern media and getting a modern response.”

[Faisal]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

Can we unlease the techno wizards of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority on these Wiki guys too? They’ll bring the whole site down for the entire world. Learn from the fate of YouTube, you bozos!!

[ahmadjee]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

You know, I think the whole youtube going down due to some techie at PTCL, is awesomely cool. They have the world thinking are they dumb or just playing dumb to get the point across? Too bad you can pull this stunt only once, otherwise it's a pretty good one.

We like to protest, there is nothing wrong with this petition as long as no one gets killed and no property gets charred.

[kaka_in_usa]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

i dont get the logic behind banning social open to all forums..

so if someone start sending blasphemous mails to people will they shut down the whole postal system…

if wiki and youtube was making those things up and putting them online then i understand the ban thingy… but these are open to all forums… what happened to free speech..
i guess as long as they only ban it within pakistan i dont have right to say against it. your country.. your business…

[tweety_pie]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

banning and protesting abt this wole picture has nooooo effect, ppl no how much it pisses muslims off and wht kind of reaction it causes so they do it over and over again, if we ignored it, theyll stop,

[mercenary2k]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

@tweety_pie

banning and protesting abt this wole picture has nooooo effect, ppl no how much it pisses muslims off and wht kind of reaction it causes so they do it over and over again, if we ignored it, theyll stop,

I have seen the Danish Cartoons and I have seen the images of Prophet Muhammed on Wikipedia

It doesn't hurt my feelings

so what kind of nonsense are these idiots in Pakistan and other places yelling about?

these idiots probably have never even heard of Denmark or even know what wikipedia is

basically they need a reason to riot

[tweety_pie]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

@mercenary2k

I have seen the Danish Cartoons and I have seen the images of Prophet Muhammed on Wikipedia

It doesn't hurt my feelings

so what kind of nonsense are these idiots in Pakistan and other places yelling about?

these idiots probably have never even heard of Denmark or even know what wikipedia is

basically they need a reason to riot

yup i agree completely

[Faisal]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

@mercenary2k

It doesn't hurt my feelings

Whoever made YOU the benchmark for muslim sentiments? :D

[mercenary2k]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

@Faisal

Whoever made YOU the benchmark for muslim sentiments?

You really think I am going to question my faith in Islam by looking at a Cartoon?

[Moonshiner]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

Discussed extensively here:

http://www.paklinks.com/gs/showthread.php?t=276695

[tweety_pie]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

@Faisal

Whoever made YOU the benchmark for muslim sentiments?

its not abt him being the benchmark, but this wholet hing abt the picts hurting muslim sentiments is a load of rubbish. Frankly we shud be more hurt by the fact that ppl r using our religion to carry out murders and bombimgs, instead of dealing with issues such as this, sum muslims r raring to go and protest and god knws wht becos of cartoons and pictures. The prophet and Allah frankly are probably more disgusted at us never mind the pictures:smack:

[Unkilon_ke_Abba_Jaan]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

@mercenary2k

I have seen the Danish Cartoons and I have seen the images of Prophet Muhammed on Wikipedia

It doesn’t hurt my feelings

for some, it may be a sign of weakness in Iman because prophet said that one can not be a momin if I (Muhammad) do not become the most beloved to him/her than his family members.

Now, I am assuming that you do not get your feelings hurt when someone make a cartoon out of any of your family member and then make fun of them? Or you just smile and say well done to them?

[mercenary2k]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

@Unkilon_ke_Abba_Jaan

for some, it may be a sign of weakness in Iman because prophet said that one can not be a momin if I (Muhammad) becomes the most beloved to him/her than his family members.

Now, I am assuming that you do not get your feelings hurt when someone make a cartoon out of any of your family member and then make fun of them? Or you just smile and say well done to them?

If someone makes fun of my family

I just ignore them

Its like responding to a barking Dog

[tweety_pie]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

@Unkilon_ke_Abba_Jaan

for some, it may be a sign of weakness in Iman because prophet said that one can not be a momin if I (Muhammad) becomes the most beloved to him/her than his family members.

Now, I am assuming that you do not get your feelings hurt when someone make a cartoon out of any of your family member and then make fun of them? Or you just smile and say well done to them?

i luk at it this way no body can ever draw a picture of the prophet, no 1 has teh ability to picture wht he was like, none of us knw, so if sum1 draws a picture saying its the prophet , they r wrong since they dnt even knw wht he luks like. Its all abt perception

[mercenary2k]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

^^ exactly

I worked during the summer in a very bad area of Washington DC as a cashier in a gas station

There were a lot of crack heads and drunks who would cuss at me and my family

did that hurt my feelings?

No

I just ignored them

this is what muslims should do

When people like Salman Rushdie, or the Danish Cartoons or Wikipedia

Just ignore it

Only by reacting like Nazis by burning down shops, rioting, attacking embassies, uttering death threats, boycotting Danish goods and pledging to kill Danish people

It only cause more people to do the same because it illicit a reaction and thus muslim bashers enjoy the show

I don't understand why muslims are too stupid to understand this simple fact

[Moonshiner]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

@mercenary2k

I worked during the summer in a very bad area of Washington DC as a cashier in a gas station

Why on earth would you do that? I live near DC and I only ventured to those areas for herbal relief back in the day, and even that was a risk. Were you in Southeast?

[saieen]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

@mercenary2k

I have seen the Danish Cartoons and I have seen the images of Prophet Muhammed on Wikipedia

It doesn’t hurt my feelings

so what kind of nonsense are these idiots in Pakistan and other places yelling about?

these idiots probably have never even heard of Denmark or even know what wikipedia is

** basically they need a reason to riot**

why would it hurt ur feelings? last i read muhammad wasn’t a jew/israeli. however, i do know if i were to step on the tail of a jew/israeli, you’ll be the first one to have a nose-bleed and probably a heart-attack depends how big/heavy the step is. you r a stupid muslim of vakhri type.

[janab-e-ali]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

@mercenary2k

I just ignored them

this is what muslims should do

When people like Salman Rushdie, or the Danish Cartoons or Wikipedia

I agree that the best way to handle most of these situations would have been to ignore them...no one benefited from the riots and protests. At most, a respectful & peaceful form of protest, such as a petition, could have been warranted.

However, that's not the same as saying that these things don't hurt your feelings. I've seen the Danish cartoons and Theo van Gogh's film...and I found them to be deeply offensive, and pretty much designed to hurt Muslim sentiments. Again, that hardly means I support going and burning down an embassy...but that doesn't make what they're doing any more acceptable.

[Hyperactive]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

@mercenary2k

It doesn’t hurt my feelings

I am not surprised…

Love is supposed to be an all conquering thing, philosophically…Romeo Juliet, Heer Ranjha, Sassi Pannu, e.t.c. are examples of what people can do in love…For someone in love, the object of his affection is an all encompassing, ever present, ever growing thing…And for the person truly in love, he can wage war alone against the entire world for the object of his affection…

Love is a mysterious thing…And the people who are offended and hurt by this display of senseless and insensitive action are those whose object of affection is the Holy Prophet :saw:…

Judging by your posts, I can only assume that seeing a picture of the Holy Prophet :saw: would hold as much reverence, affection or indignation for you as a picture of Brad Pitt or Salman Rushdie…

But then again, reverence, affection or indignation are signs of heart with life…

What I am really surprised about is, wikipedia purports to be the knowledge source for all things…Well, guess how credible their knowledge is given the fact that they don;t have the knowledge that Muslims do not portray or have images of their Prophets and it hurts their sentiments…How can they claim to know anything about anything if that little bit of knowledge is beyond them…

The saying of Rumi holds so true in this case…You can load a donkey so full of books that his legs may give way, but it will in no way make the donkey wiser or smarter…And how true it is in this case…These donkeys at Wikipedia may have all the knowledge in the world, but not the fact that the one basic tenet of the Prophet you are claiming knowledge about forbade his pictures or depictions and it brings feelings of resentment in the hearts and minds of his followers…

Reminds me of the guy who used dung to model a figure of Jesus (Nauzubillah)…Why? Expression?

Your expression ends where my sentiments begin…And I am a Muslim and yes, I do have sentiments and I can voice them…

If these ignorants at Wikipedia possess the knowledge of the ages and yet are insensitive and desensitized to the feelings of others, then their whole base of knowledge is useless…

It’s like me writing an article about Christianity and using that Jesus made from dung as an example…Especially me knowing full well that it will hurt and depress those Christians that truly love Jesus…

Shame on Wikipedia…Their knowledge is useless…

[janab-e-ali]

Re: Muslim groups protest Wikipedia

@Hyperactive

Well, guess how credible their knowledge is given the fact that they don;t have the knowledge that Muslims do not portray or have images of their Prophets and it hurts their sentiments...How can they claim to know anything about anything if that little bit of knowledge is beyond them...

Actually, that's where this whole thing gets problematic.

That taboo is hardly a universal one...historically, Turkic, Mongol, and Persian Muslims didn't really believe that, and created images of the Prophet, both with and without his face showing. To this day, images of the Prophet and the Ahl ul-Bayt aren't particularly frowned upon in Shia Islam either...

All of the images posted on the Wikipedia page were painted by Muslim artists living in Muslim kingdoms...which makes it difficult to denounce them as being offensive to Muslim sentiments.

If anything, the fact that they've posted the infamous Danish cartoons on Wikipedia is far more offensive.