When the Internet was launched, many Muslim nations were slow to install the infrastructure needed to make use of this new technology. Even today, Internet penetration in much of the Muslim world remains low. This is a pity because online communities are growing and Muslims should be at the forefront in shaping their evolution.
Consider the situation in the Virtual World called Second Life (SL). Launched in 2003 and developed by Linden Research, Inc, SL enables its users to interact with each other through motional avatars. Resident can explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items (virtual property) and services from one another. It is the residents of SL that define it as a world.
Recently religions, including Islam, have become more prominent in SL. An area, which has been named Makkah, was bought by the Egyptian-owned Islam Online. At this virtual location both Muslims and non-Muslims may explore most rituals which are undertaken during the Haj. It should be emphasized that Islam Online (IOL) has created the Virtual Haj as an educational exercise and in no way claims that it is an acceptable substitute for fulfilling the obligation of performing Haj in real life. IOL's Haj education program was launched in SL in December. It is a first-rate effort, allowing virtual pilgrims to go all the way from the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, to Mina and Mount Arafat.
Sadly, within a week, it was under attack. Other long established interests in SL wanted to force out the newly developed Muslim presence. IOL's team had to deal with the virtual attackers, known as "griefers" and then take precautionary measures to head off further assaults.
The organization believes that this is evidence of "rising Islamophobia" in this virtual world. However, IOL has no intention of abandoning its virtual presence. The group plans to sponsor a center for lectures and fatwa sessions in SL. Visit the IOL Second Life project through http://slurl.com/secondlife/IslamOnline%20dot%20Net/128/128/128.
And now an Israeli community has opened in SL. "Israel in Second Life" founder Chaim Landau, said that the new community is geared toward "everyone and anyone," and he hopes to attract non-Jewish users who wish to learn more about Israel. Landau, 26, is a New Jersey native who moved to Israel eight years ago. He created Second Life Israel with the help of Beth Brown, a Dallas-based artist. Brown built Second Life's first synagogue, Temple Beth Israel, in 2006.
Landau's effort allows SL residents to virtually fly to such sites as the Old City in Jerusalem, the Western Wall, the promenade and opera house in Tel Aviv, the Red Sea and the Eilat underwater observatory. To find Israel's location in Second Life go to http://slurl.com/secondlife/Israel/128/128/0.
SL Israel is not sponsored by the Israeli government, but other governments have seen the value of setting up embassies in SL. The Muslim nation, Maldives, became the first country to open a SL embassy, followed by Sweden and Estonia. Such virtual embassies are used to promote real world culture, tourism and business opportunities in the respective nations.