Whats Wrong with Wikipedia - Essay Example

Wikipedia Criticism Introduction The concept of computer users editing information for public use became possible with the advent of Wikipedia. The project is a public encyclopedia available on the internet which can be edited by anyone. It has won praise for its availability of information for the users but criticism is also very widespread. It has been criticized for using non credible sources of information for its encyclopedic entries. The encyclopedia has also come under the spotlight for the apparent and clever defacement of its article entries. Prejudiced and biased people have also been identified as writing certain entries using their own opinions and beliefs. A number of article entries have made fantastic claims about certain events, people, or facts without providing any authentic or credible sources to back them. Wikipedia is an open and free encyclopedia which is not considered to be a valid and trustworthy source by universities. Students are not allowed to cite information taken from Wikipedia while other schools have banned its usage. This research paper assesses the encyclopedic entry “Jews in the Middle Ages” by pointing out the untrustworthiness and unreliability of its content. It considers how the article is limited with reference to the history of the Jews by excluding several communities. It also studies how certain elements and aspects of Jewish history have not been added into the entry. The paper investigates and critically assesses how the article makes conclusions regarding the relations between the Jews and majority culture. Geographic Scope The article extensively writes about the social conditions of the Jews living in West Europe. It fails to mention the history of the Jews who lived in the Middle East and Russia1. The Islamic caliphates were at the height of their intellectual, scientific, and philosophical achievements. Unlike the Christian West, Jews were actually tolerated and protected under Arab areas. The Jews had to pay a special tax called “Jizya” which was levied on minorities. Wikipedia’s article fails to write about the social conditions of the Jews in the Islamic caliphates. Jews rose to important positions inside the Islamic Caliphates like Solomon Ibn Gabirol and Yehuda HaLevi2. These Jews made extensive contributions towards the study of Judaism by writing interpretations of the Torah, philosophical beliefs, and prayers. An investigation of the article also reveals little information regarding the position of Jews in the Slavic nations. The Khazar kingdom in the middle ages was a Jewish state in the heart of Russia3. Thousands of Jews migrated to this kingdom because they were safe from the power of the Church. They could peacefully earn their livings and were protected by the Jewish king. Wikipedia cannot be considered as an accurate and reliable source of information because the article leaves out several aspects of Jewish history in the middle ages. The Jewish people have lived in different parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia for centuries. They have a rich history of culture, tradition, and history in their native countries. The scope of Wikipedia’s article is only focused towards the history and social conditions of the Jews in West Europe. Topics of Entry The article speaks about the laws of the Roman Catholic Church regarding the position of Jews in medieval society4. The prohibition by the papacy regarding the indulgence of usury prompted many Jews to take the position of money lenders. Political stability of specific kingdoms was the criteria by which the Jews could live comfortably in parts of Western Europe. Extensive warfare in certain regions prompted them to migrate to peaceful areas. Sicut Judaeis were a series of orders published by the Church in order to protect the Jews from “persecution, pogroms, or forceful conversions”5. The Crusades were a time period of persecution and pogroms against the Jews as frenzied Christians would attack and murder them in large numbers. During the middle ages, the Jews were also accused of performing human sacrifices and poisoning wells in order to spread the Black Plague. The article goes on to explain how Jews were banished and exiled from certain parts of Europe. Many thousands of Jews escaped Christian Europe to migrate to the Slavic countries and Ottoman Empire6. Wikipedia’s article about the history of Jews in the Middle Ages does not mention the practice of book burning which became common in Christian Europe. The books of the Jewish philosopher Maimonides were burned because he was considered to be a heretic who had dared to write about the matters of theology and belief. The article also has insufficient details regarding the treatment and vilification of the Jews. It excludes how the Jews were portrayed as “disciples of Satan” in religious prayers, sermons, poems, and books. Treatment of Specific Topics The article’s entry about the treatment of the Church regarding the Jews fails to cite how the myth of the Antichrist as being Jewish was propagated in the Middle Ages7. The Antichrist was considered to lead an army of Jewish soldiers who would represent the ultimate system of evil as opposed towards the laws of God. The Jewish army consisted of bloodthirsty cannibals who were responsible for massacres, sorcery, witchcraft, and sacrificing children. The Jewish belief that the Messiah would return was interpreted by the Christians as meaning the coming of the Anti Christ. The topic about the Crusades does not have sufficient details regarding the massacres and pogroms which were directed towards the Jews. The article also fails to mention that the Crusades were the beginning of organized and coordinated acts of violence directed towards the Jews8. Also the myth that the Jews want to takeover the world began to gain prominence in the middle ages. This led to a series of pogroms and massacres which wiped out Jewish communities and forced thousands to migrate to peaceful areas. The article’s topic “Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance” does not speak about the views of Martin Luther about the Jews. Luther was a prominent figure in medieval society for his views regarding the reformation of Christianity. He also extensively spoke about the Jews as being enemies of the Christian faith. He recommended that the houses and synagogues of the Jews be burnt while their priests forbidden from delivering sermons and prayers9. Relations between Jews and Gentiles The article assumes that Jews were welcomed and tolerated in the Arab world and Slavic regions10. While this was true for a large percentage of cases, the article does not provide an account of the massacres and pogroms which were perpetrated in these regions. The Almohad dynasty in Morocco perpetrated massacres of Jews. Jews were mostly delegated to the status of second class citizens under Islamic rule11. They could not build new synagogues and suffered from legal disabilities. Under the law they were inferior as compared with the Muslim majority. A number of forced conversions of Jews also took place in the Islamic world which is not cited in Wikipedia. The article states that Jews lived peacefully in areas where there was political stability. Events like the Crusades or warfare forced the Jews to migrate to peaceful areas of Europe. It also talks about Spain where the Arabs had provided a great sanctuary for persecuted Jews. However with the decline in the political power of the Arabs, the Jews were targeted by the advancing Christian armies. The fall of Grenada in 1492 began a series of measures designed to eliminate Jews. Thousands of Jews were forced to convert to Christianity or expelled12. A number of Jews were massacred for failing to convert or leave Spain. Several thousand Jews also secretly practiced Judaism while professing a faith in Christianity. These were rooted out with the inquisitions that began in Spain and Portugal13. Conclusion Wikipedia cannot be cited as a reliable and authentic source of information because of several flaws. It has been criticized for allowing biased and prejudiced people to edit the content on specific articles. Many academic institutions like colleges and universities do not allow students to use information from Wikipedia for their assignments. Some educational institutions have banned the use of Wikipedia because of the lack of credibility in their information. Most articles in Wikipedia do not provide references for the wild claims and assertions made by the editors. The article regarding the history of “Jews in the Middle Ages” is limited in its geographical scope. It writes about the social conditions of the Jews in Western Europe. It does not provide coverage of the social conditions of Jews in the Islamic empires and Slavic countries. Jews in these regions were protected by tolerant and humane laws while many of them rose to prominent positions. There is no mention about how mediaeval Christians considered the Anti Christ to be a Jew. The views of Martin Luther who initiated the Reformation are not found in the article. Several practices like book burning are not chronicled in the article which continues to be a major theme of anti Semitism. The entry does not cite the extensive medieval Christian literature in the form of books, prayers, dramas, poems which propagated the notion of Jews as being responsible for massacres, child sacrifices, witchcraft, and heresy. An assessment and analysis of Wikipedia’s article concludes that the information has not been properly researched. Works Cited: "Jews in the Middle Ages". Wikipedia. 19 December 2008 . Complete Idiots Guide to Jewish History and Culture . Alpha Books, 1998. Wettstein, Howard. Diasporas and Exiles : Varieties of Jewish Identity. University of California Press, 2002. Read More