Wikipedia Refuses To Remove Photo Of Prophet Mohammed

February 19, 2008 6:53 a.m. EST

New York (AHN) - The Internet encyclopedia database Wikipedia has announced its refusal to remove photos of the Muslim prophet Mohammed, defying the demands of more than 180,000 people who cry foul at any depiction of the prophet.

An online protest called for the website to take down images of relics from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, all of which depicting the Islam prophet. The main argument was that the religion strictly and vehemently prohibits any depiction or representation of Mohammed.

Wikipedia replied to the cries by saying that the photos will not be taken down, and that those offended by their public display will merely have to adjust their computer settings to conceal the offending photographs.

A statement from the company was posted, saying that the religious observations are recognized by the company. However, the traditions are not universal among Islamic communities.

"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," said the statement, as quoted by The Guardian.

It continued that content would only be taken down if they violated either the company's existing policies, or the federal laws of Florida, where the company is based.

Wikipedia has for some time been the subject of debates on content accuracy, as some people have condemned the website an unreliable information source due to a feature that allows "anyone with an Internet connection" edit an entry's content.

The Editors Weblog reported that several newspapers, such as the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal, have provided its journalists leniency when using Wikipedia as a reference source.

However, some papers, such as the Agence France Presse and the Philadelphia Inquirer have discouraged its writers from the use of content from the website, which they have deemed "false" and "unverifiable."