[WikiEN-l] Inside the iconophobic mind - a survey proposal.

[Ben Yates]

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 at 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 - http://wikip.blogspot.com