Self-Orientalist Islamophobic Discourse: “Vikipedi Türkiye” Case

Abstract

The concepts of Islamophobia and self-orientalism have gained prominence in recent years, both in societal events and academic debates. This study aims to explore how the construction of Islam is carried out in articles produced with the key terms "the fundamentals of faith" and "obligations of Islam" on Vikipedi Türkiye, and to examine the relationship between this construction and the self-orientalist Islamophobic discourse. The relevant texts were obtained through the Maxqda program and analyzed using content analysis methodology. As a result of the analysis, it was found that content about the fundamentals of faith and Islamic obligations on Wikipedia was produced in a way that could manipulate users, with references often directed not to the primary sources of Islam but to individuals highlighted in popular discourses in Turkey and worldwide. Moreover, articles were deliberately presented in a manner that could lead to negative attitudes, especially about specific topics (such as jihad, marriage, sects, etc.) among platform users. The study suggests that such platforms, which inform the public, may serve the phenomenon of local Islamophobia or self-orientalism. It also emphasizes the need for these platforms to be supported with accurate content and for followers to approach the information on these platforms with greater skepticism, directing them to authentic sources.

Keywords

• Self-Islamophobia
• Vikipedi Türkiye
• Presidency of Religious Affairs

Self-Oryantalist İslamofobik Söylem: “Vikipedi Türkiye” Örneği

Öz

İslamofobi veya self-oryantalizm kavramı son yıllarda gerek toplumsal vakalar gerekse akademik düzlemdeki tartışmalarla öne çıkmaktadır. Bu araştırmada, Vikipedi’de İslam’ın temelini ifade eden iman esasları ve farzları ile İslam anahtar kelimesiyle üretilen makalelerde, İslam dinine yönelik inşanın nasıl gerçekleştirildiğini ve bunun self oryantalist İslamofobik söylemle ilişkisini ortaya koymak amaçlanmıştır. İlgili metinler, Maxqda programıyla elde edilmiş, veriler içerik analizi yöntemiyle analiz edilmiştir. Yapılan analizler sonucunda; Vikipedi’de iman esasları ve İslami farzlar hakkında kullanıcıları manipüle edecek biçimde içeriklerin üretildiği, bu içeriklerde genellikle İslam’ın ana kaynaklarına değil Türkiye’de veya dünyada popüler söylemlerle öne çıkan kişilere atıflar verildiği ve platform kullanıcılarına yönelik olarak özellikle belli konular hakkında (cihat, evlilik, mezhep vb) olumsuz tutumlara yol açacak şekilde bilinçli bir biçimde makalelerin sunulduğu tespit edilmiştir. Çalışmada, bu tür kamuoyunu bilgilendiren platformların yerel İslamofobi olgusuna hizmet edeceği fikri öne sürülmekle birlikte söz konusu platformun doğru içeriklerle desteklenmesi ve takip edicilerin bu tür platformlardaki bilgilere daha şüpheli yaklaşması ve sahih kaynaklara yönelmesi gerekliliği de vurgulanmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yerel İslamofobi
• Vikipedi Türkiye
• Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı

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