The Birth and Vision of Quora
Quora, a platform born in June 2009 from the minds of former Facebook employees Adam D’Angelo and Charlie Cheever, was envisioned as a beacon of knowledge-sharing. Its mission was noble: to create a digital agora where curious minds could pose questions and receive credible, insightful answers from experts. The goal was to foster a global community united by the exchange of ideas, where diverse experiences and expertise could illuminate the unknown. In its early days, Quora was a haven for thought-provoking discussions, a place where intellectual curiosity thrived. But as the years passed, the platform’s noble vision began to fracture under the weight of its own growth.
The Indian Influx and the Spread of Misinformation
Quora’s rise in India was meteoric, fueled by the country’s expanding internet access post-2014. By 2023, Indian users had contributed over 100 million questions and answers, making them the platform’s largest user base. The introduction of the “Partner Program,” which monetized content creation, acted like a spark in a dry forest. For many, it was a jackpot—a chance to earn money by sharing knowledge. But beneath this promise lay a darker reality. Unemployment, political agendas, and religious fervor collided, turning Quora into a breeding ground for misinformation, particularly anti-Islamic propaganda.
The platform, once a temple of learning, became a battleground for divisive narratives. A glaring example emerged during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, when a Tablighi Jamaat gathering in Delhi was falsely blamed for spreading the virus. Hashtags like #CoronaJihad and #NizamuddinIdiot went viral, and Quora was flooded with posts accusing Muslims of deliberately spreading the disease. These baseless claims, amplified by thousands of upvotes, spilled over to WhatsApp and Facebook, fueling real-world tensions and even violence against Muslim communities.
The Anatomy of Anti-Islamic Content
The anti-Islamic rhetoric on Quora took many insidious forms, each designed to distort and demonize:
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Historical Distortion: Posts often painted the Mughal Empire as a tyrannical force against Hindus or claimed Islam spread in India through violence, ignoring historical nuances.
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Terrorism Stereotyping: Users linked entire Muslim communities to terrorism, with sweeping statements like “all terrorists are Muslims” or “Islam promotes violence.”
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Cultural Bigotry: Islamic traditions, such as the burqa, were mocked as backward or oppressive, feeding into a narrative of cultural inferiority.
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Fabricated Events: During COVID-19, rumors spread that Muslims were intentionally coughing or spitting to spread the virus—claims with no basis in reality.
Each year, millions of such posts, often tied to Hindutva ideologies or BJP-affiliated accounts, garnered thousands of upvotes, amplifying their reach. These narratives didn’t just stay on Quora; they climbed Google search rankings, embedding themselves in the broader digital ecosystem.
The Tablighi Jamaat Controversy: A Case Study
The 2020 Tablighi Jamaat controversy was a flashpoint. After a religious gathering in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area, where some attendees tested positive for COVID-19, Quora became a megaphone for a coordinated smear campaign. Thousands of posts falsely claimed that Tablighi members were spitting on food or misbehaving in hospitals. These lies didn’t just sow discord—they incited real-world harm, from boycotts of Muslim vendors to physical attacks. A report estimated over 100 false stories circulated in April 2020 alone, many of which found a home on Quora, turning a platform of knowledge into a weapon of division.
Quora’s Fall: From Enlightenment to Exploitation
What began as a sanctuary for learning has been hijacked by those wielding it as a tool for propaganda. Prominent Quora writers, like Balaji Viswanathan, with millions of followers, have been accused of pushing Hindutva agendas, portraying Muslims in a negative light. The platform’s algorithm, designed to boost engagement, only fuels this fire, prioritizing divisive content over factual discourse. Popular writers profit from ad revenue, turning hate into a lucrative enterprise. Quora, once a lighthouse of knowledge, now risks becoming a swamp of misinformation, its original mission drowned in a sea of bias.
Global Misinformation Trends
The problem extends beyond India. Quora has become a hub for baseless claims targeting various nations and communities:
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Against Pakistan: False narratives about Pakistan’s military weakness, economic collapse, or Kashmir’s history are rampant, often without credible sources.
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Against Islam: Misquoted Quranic verses and conspiracy theories like “Muslim overpopulation” dominate, painting Islam as a threat.
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Against the USA: Claims like “America created COVID-19” or “America lost to the Taliban” thrive without evidence.
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Against China: Exaggerated claims about military losses or economic collapse circulate, ignoring China’s global standing.
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Against Iran: Sectarian misinformation, like labeling Iran as the sole sponsor of global terrorism, fuels division.
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Against Russia: Overblown predictions of Russia’s collapse or oversimplified takes on the Ukraine conflict lack geopolitical context.
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About Israel: Myths like “Israel defeated seven nations in six days” or possesses “alien technology” spread unchecked.
This “India vs. the World” mentality, coupled with a lack of verifiable sources, has turned Quora into a cesspool of unverified narratives, where emotional rhetoric trumps reason.
Consequences and Solutions
The spread of anti-Islamic misinformation on Quora has tarnished its reputation and fractured social harmony. To reclaim its purpose, Quora must act decisively:
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Stricter Policies: Enforce robust moderation to remove hateful and false content swiftly.
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Fact-Checking Partnerships: Collaborate with fact-checking organizations to identify and flag misinformation.
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User Education: Promote media literacy to help users discern truth from propaganda.
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Algorithm Reform: Redesign algorithms to prioritize accuracy over engagement, curbing the spread of divisive posts.
A Call to Return to Its Roots
Quora’s potential as a platform for knowledge-sharing remains immense, but its current trajectory is perilous. The unchecked spread of anti-Islamic propaganda and other misinformation, particularly by Indian users, has transformed it into a weapon of division. If Quora is to restore its credibility, it must confront these trends head-on, rooting out hate and recommitting to its founding vision: a world where knowledge unites, not divides. Without action, Quora risks fading into obscurity, a cautionary tale of a dream undone by its own success.