Michael Jackson’s Seal of Recognition
eMJey.com would like to recount a brief description of its founding and its progress—something that coincided with a particular period of Michael Jackson’s life—for the awareness of its new and longtime readers. You can download and keep the full text in a PDF file. Download text file. The text you are reading reviews, briefly, the events of 2003/2004/2005, which were the most turbulent years of Michael Jackson’s life. Michael, who was dealing with a case of false accusations against him, was only able to make his voice heard through his fans—at a time when the media was against him.
Over the years, Michael personally contacted a number of his fans, each of whom was the caretaker or representative of different websites, and therefore he was certainly aware of the huge news and support bases he had in the world of the internet.
For writing the text ahead, the biography of Michael Jackson and the news published on this same website were used, and wherever needed, news links were included.
The text includes 12 sections:1. The documentary Living with Michael Jackson2. Opening the official website of Iranian Michael Jackson fans: eMJey.com3. The allegations and the police raid on Neverland and the arrest of Michael4. Michael’s first appearance in court to refute the allegations5. The start of Michael Jackson’s official website activity: MJJSource.com6. eMJey’s meeting with Michael’s makeup artist and the delivery of letters from Iranian fans that had been sent to eMJey7. The release of Karen Faye’s statement and confirmation of the delivery of letters from Iranian fans to Michael Jackson8. The start of selecting jury members and the beginning of Michael’s trial9. eMJey.com and receiving the MJJSource Seal of Recognition10. Meeting Michael at Neverland and the rose flowers11. Michael’s declaration of innocence in court12. Closing the MJJSource website
1. The documentary Living with Michael JacksonEverything began on February 3, 2003. When the 90-minute documentary by Pakistani-English journalist Martin Bashir titled “Living with Michael Jackson” first aired. When Michael allowed Bashir to stay for 8 months on his Neverland ranch and turn his life into an image, he had an idea in mind. He wanted to be as honest as possible and clarify things. In this documentary, he speaks openly about his life and his pure love for children. But Martin Bashir distorted the facts in his film.
In the documentary, a 13-year-old boy suffering from cancer was shown alongside Michael. The boy had come to Neverland with his family, and according to his mother, being with Michael had healed her son’s illness. That boy was Gavin Arvizo, who two years later sat in Santa Maria court in front of Michael and accused him of the worst crimes. In the documentary, Martin Bashir questioned the relationship between Michael and Gavin.
After that documentary aired, Michael said in a statement:
“Today, perhaps more than ever, I feel that I have been betrayed. Someone who was given the opportunity to get to know my children, my employees, and myself—someone I trusted and told the truth to—was able to misuse my trust and produce this unpleasant and unfair film. Anyone who knows me knows the truth. And that is that in my life, my children come before everything, and I will never harm a child.”
A few days later, on February 20, Michael aired his own documentary, which had been prepared using footage filmed by his personal cameraman. It attracted more viewers than Bashir’s documentary. In the second film, which was Michael’s “counterattack” against Martin, Bashir was seen praising Michael’s behavior with his children and other children. In the film, Martin complains about people’s critical view of Michael’s relationship with children.
Several months later, in a poll, people in the UK selected Martin Bashir as the fifth most hated person in England among 100 nominees for that title.
2. Opening the official website of Iranian Michael Jackson fans: eMJey.comOn August 29, 2003, coinciding with Michael’s 45th birthday, the first Persian website of Iranian Michael Jackson fans, eMJey.com, was launched, and the news was announced the next day on BBC Radio.
The eMJey.com site was a combination of the blog “Michael Jackson Persian Blog” (http://michaeljackson.persianblog.ir) and http://mjfan.web1000.com, which had been established about two years earlier and were the first online sources about Michael in Persian.
3. The allegations plan and the police raid on Neverland and Michael’s arrestOn 17 November 2003, more than seventy Santa Barbara police officers stormed Neverland, Michael’s home, to find evidence to prove his guilt. During the search, Michael’s room was destroyed. Gavin Arvizo had accused Michael of sexual abuse. At the time of the police raid, Michael was busy in the studio working on his songs.
On the morning of November 21, Michael flew from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara to surrender himself to the police there. Michael Jackson was handcuffed and taken to the detention center. After fingerprinting and photographing, he was released on $3 million bail and returned to Las Vegas.
4. Michael Jackson’s first appearance in court to refute the allegationsOn January 16, 2004, amid a wave of anti-Michael publicity from the media, he entered the court handling his allegations to declare his innocence. Truth was getting lost amid controversy and media lies, and Michael’s fans united to support him. Sometimes Michael personally published statements thanking his fans, who had turned into his honest reporters and the voice of truth.
5. The start of Michael Jackson’s official website activity: MJJSource.comMarch 1, 2004, Michael Jackson’s official online news agency, MJJSource.com, began its activity so that, amid the chaotic media noise, the reality of what was happening would also be reflected. Michael funded the site, and Karen Faye—his makeup artist and longtime close friend—took on the responsibility of handling it. Randy, Michael’s brother, was the manager of this website.
In a statement, Michael said he was making his words heard through this site. Because, due to comments by people who claimed to be his representatives but whom he had not met until then, he had been getting into trouble and confusion. He said the following about his new site:
“I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed building it. I’m excited to use MJJSource.com as a way to connect with my fans around the world and with the media as well. For months, I’ve been listening to baseless news that’s based on rumors, not reality. I’ve also heard, with surprise, what people have said that have portrayed my relationship with them in a bad light. I’m using this website as a tool to get my voice out.” (Source)
6. eMJey’s meeting with Michael’s makeup artist and the delivery of letters from Iranian fans that had been sent to eMJeyOn November 27, 2004, the representative of the eMJey site in California met with Karen Faye, the manager of Michael’s official website, his makeup artist, and his close friend. She delivered the letters and messages from Iranian fans that they had sent to the eMJey site, so that they could be handed to Michael.
7. Karen Faye’s statement and confirmation of the delivery of letters from Iranian fans to Michael JacksonOn December 18, 2004, in an open letter to Michael’s fans, Karen Faye said that she had received a package full of letters and handmade items from Iran and delivered it to Michael. Karen said that Michael read all of them and enjoyed them.
“She told me to thank all of them and to tell them that he loves you.” (as quoted by MJJSource)
8. The start of selecting jury members and the beginning of Michael’s trialIn the final days of December 2004, as the defense and prosecution teams were gradually prepared and evidence and documents were collected, several thousand residents of Santa Maria, located in Santa Barbara County in the state of California—the location of Michael Jackson’s trial—were called upon to judge Michael Jackson’s fate and his allegations. During sessions that continued from January 31 to February 25, 2005, 12 main members and 8 alternate members of the jury were selected to attend Michael Jackson’s trial.
9. eMJey.com and receiving the MJJSource Seal of RecognitionFebruary 14, 2005, the eMJey site received the MJJSource Seal Of Recognition for Michael Jackson’s official website. This seal was given to Michael Jackson fan websites in different languages after these websites accepted certain conditions set by this website.
For example, one of these conditions was preventing the release of Michael Jackson’s song “Escape.” The song, originally titled Xscape, was recorded during the Invincible album era (released in 2001), but it was not included on the album and leaked onto the internet in 2002. Michael’s lawyer, through legal means, required the offending sites to remove the download link for this song. One of the conditions for receiving the MJJSource Seal of Recognition was adding a clause to the rules of the chat room or forum (internet community of fan sites) stating that posting download links for this song was prohibited. In respect of Michael, this rule was one of the permanent clauses in the rules of eMJey.com’s chat room from that year onward.
Another condition was respecting Michael’s privacy and that of his children, and not publishing private photos of his three children. Over these years, eMJey tried to act in line with his wishes, with respect for Michael and his trust.
To grant Michael Jackson’s credibility badges, contracts were signed with volunteer sites. The websites had to download the contract—which was available as a PDF file on the MJJSource site—print it, and mail it to the MJJSource team office located in Las Vegas, then wait for a response. The eMJey.com contract was signed between MJJSource and eMJey’s representative, who lived in the United States. After that, the eMJey site received a silver badge, and its address was placed on Michael Jackson’s official website as the official website of Iranian Michael Jackson fans. Although many websites requested to receive this seal, the granting of the approval badge was stopped after it was given to 53 sites.
MJJSource announced that Michael was aware of the granting of these credibility badges, and that the websites receiving this seal are approved by MJJSource and therefore approved by Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson’s approval seal was, in fact, an action taken to ensure that recognized websites would always act in Michael Jackson’s interests and in the direction of truth and justice—something that has always been the main goal of eMJey.com.
The logo below was placed as the eMJey logo on Michael Jackson’s official website:
On this page, you can see all the websites (including eMJey) that received the approval seal.
Also, on this page, you can view the list of internet communities (fan clubs) or fan websites. In the middle of this page, you will find the MJJSource webring address, which includes a list of websites approved by Michael Jackson’s official site. The description of this webring says: List of websites approved by Michael personally.
MJJSource sent the image file below as its approval seal for the selected websites. eMJey also received this logo and placed it on the site.
In relation to this approval seal, Karen Faye wrote on the MJJSource site:
“MJJSource is a window that Michael has opened for you toward his life and his world. He wants to share with you his art, his joy, his challenges, and his truth.Michael and his team support fan websites and online communities around the world on MJJSource. We invite you to visit the websites that have received Michael Jackson’s approval seal.Supporting MJJSource is supporting Michael.”
In news on websites, Michael Jackson’s approval seal was referred to as a badge of honor and credibility for the approved sites and as a sign of Michael Jackson’s trust. These sites were recognized for their activities in the direction of Michael Jackson’s interests and goals.
10. Meeting Michael at Neverland and the rose flowersOn the afternoon of April 4, 2005, the representative of eMJey.com—who had previously met with Karen Faye—along with some fans, met Michael Jackson at Neverland, as he was returning from his court session, and presented him with souvenirs from Iran. Fans had brought baskets of rose flowers for Michael. A photo report of this meeting was shown on CBS, the American television network.
Later, Karen Faye said in a statement that every morning before Michael went to court, she spoke with him and kept him informed about the love and support of his fans.
“He was very moved and wanted to make sure that I tell all of you how much he loves each and every one of you. He told me, ‘Please tell everyone. I want this from the depths of my heart.’... There is no better place than MJJSource to reach so many of Michael’s loyal fans. So be sure that he receives your prayers, your pure love, and your help. Nothing and no one is left out. He feels all of you are there.” (as quoted by MJJSource)
11. Michael’s declaration of innocence in courtThe hearings lasted from February 28 to June 13, 2005, and on the last day, the jury found Michael not guilty on all charges. Inside the courtroom, a video of the accuser’s family was shown, praising Michael for his good behavior toward them and his generous help, and Gavin Arvizo (the accuser) rejected any wrongdoing by Michael.
12. Closing the MJJSource websiteOn June 27, 2005, Michael wrote on his official website:
“Without God, my children, my family, and you—my fans—I couldn’t have made it through this time. Your love, your support, and your loyalty made it happen. When I truly needed you, you were there. I will never forget you. Your everlasting love protected me, dried my tears, and helped me get through all these hardships. I will honor and protect your love and support forever. You are my inspiration.”
The mental and physical exhaustion Michael Jackson experienced over these months was clearly visible in photos taken of his arrival and departure from court. To reach peace of mind and move away from the tense atmosphere, Michael left his country and traveled with his children to Ireland and the Middle East. The MJJSource website, which had completed its mission, was also shut down.
Karen Faye, the manager of this site at the time, said: “The site is closed because Michael has cut his relationship with it. Without his support, we can’t run this website. We were Michael’s voice, but now that he no longer wants to say anything, there’s nothing we can do.” (Source)
Over the years, eMJey.com has tried to apply maximum care and honesty in reflecting news related to Michael Jackson. The site’s chat room brought many fans together in one place. This chat room, which had been active for some time after Michael’s death, will be reopened again to continue its work.
Although MJJSource was closed because Michael needed peace of mind and therefore left the country, eMJey.com continued its work alongside other active English-language websites, so that as his main and official news source, it could remain steadfast in its commitments to continue Michael’s path and introduce him to the public.
After Michael’s death last June, the need to continue the activities of the only official Persian website of Michael Jackson has become even more felt.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of you loyal friends who supported our site throughout all this time.
eMJey.com