I think the survey is a great idea, but you should probably get it
translated into other languages -- or write a much simpler version,
like this one, that would be easier for non-native speakers to
understand (plus a header to put it in context).
* * *
Hello, Wikipedia has received your letter about the images of
muhammad. We want to know more about what you think!
Read the statements that come next. You can help us by telling us if
you agree with these statements. If you totally agree, answer the
statement with the number 10; if you totally disagree, answer with the
number 0. If you don't totally agree or totally disagree, answer with
a number between 0 and 10.
a) If a website shows an ancient drawing depicting the prophet
Muhammad, this hurts me emotionally, and the emotional hurt is a part
of my everyday life.
b) If a website shows an ancient drawing depicting the prophet
Muhammad, this hurts my religious feelings but the hurt is not part of
my everyday life.
c) No website should be allowed to show ancient images depicting
Muhammad, even if those websites are not from muslim countries or
written by muslims.
d) It is so important to stop people from showing ancient images
depicting Muhammad that it is okay to threaten those people with
physical violence.
e) If Wikipedia would provide a way for me to turn off these images so
that I would never see them, but other people would still see them,
this would be okay.
f) If Wikipedia would remove these images from the regular article
about Muhammad, but put them into another page instead, this would be
okay.
g) Wikipedia should use its own ideas to decide how to illustrate its
articles: 0 - 10
h) Wikipedia should only remove drawings Muhammad that show him without a veil.
i) Wikipedia should remove every drawing of Muhammad
j) Wikipedia should should remove every drawing of Muhammad, and also
every other image that shows any person
j) If Wikipedia keeps the drawings of Muhammad online, it will cause
disturbances among Muslims
k) Wikipedia should maintain articles about Islam using facts and a
neutral way of thinking.
On Sat, Feb 23, 2008 at 12:16 PM, Mathias Schindler
<mathias.schindler(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Hi,
the english language OTRS queue does receive about 20-40 emails per
day, with a large share of emails coming from a "template" draft,
demanding the removal of images showing the person which is
considered to be a prophet by some.
Since the large share of the emails consists of sentences which are
not from the actual person which is writing to us, it is not possible
to count this as a correct represenation of the individual intentions
of those people.
My suggestion would be to collect the email addresses from the OTRS
info-en:Muhammad sub-queue (and maybe from the general info-en queue
dealing with that topic) and send out a survey with a few questions
about their intentions. Each email to the people in that list should
contain an URL to a web based survey with a unique ID to prevent
multiple participation. Input on the wording and the methodology is
highly appreciated. Please note that some questions are overlapping.
I do not expect to get represenative figures from such a survey but
only a number of insights on the opinions of this very special group
of people who chose to send along emails to WMF, complaining about the
image. It will also cover the people who emailed us in support of
keeping the images, who could also answer the questions from their
respective point of view.
1. Topic-related:
Please state on a scale from 0 to 10 (10 being the strongest), whether
the following statements apply to you or whether you consider these
statements to be correct:
a) Knowing that a web site displays a copy of an medieval drawing
depicting the islamic prophet Muhammad does emotionally hurt me in my
everyday life: 0-10
b) Knowing that a web site displays a copy of an medieval drawing
depicting the islamic prophet Muhammad does hurt my religious
feelings: 0 - 10
c) Contemporary islamic interpretation of iconophobia should always
apply to any web site, regardless of their country of origin or their
religous affiliation: 0 - 10
d) Threatening physical violence to people displaying medieval
drawings to force them to remove those images is justified: 0 - 10
e) It would be sufficient to provide a personal feature which allows
me to turn showing the images off (just for me). Others would still
see them as default: 0 - 10
f) It would be sufficient to move those images to a special article
called [[Depictions of Muhammed]]: 0 - 10
g) Wikipedia should be allowed to decide the question of proper
illustration of articles on their own: 0 - 10
h) Wikipedia should not only remove drawings of an unveiled Muhammad
but also any other image showing him: 0 - 10
i) Wikipedia should not only remove drawings of Muhammad but also any
other image showing people: 0 - 10
j) If Wikipedia keeps those images online, it will cause disturbances
among Muslims: 0 - 10
k) Wikipedia has an obligation to maintain articles to Islam-related
topics in a factual and neutral way: 0 - 10
2. Personal information (optional)
Please state the following information about yourself, if you want:
a) age
b) gender
c) country of origin
d) religious affiliation
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Ben Yates
Wikipedia blog -
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