Zimbabwe Guardian: UNITED KINGDOM: Computer game targeting Muslims causes uproar
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Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:17:00 +0000
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A screenshot from “Muslim Massacre” MUSLIM Massacre, an amateur computer game has drawn criticism from many Muslim communities in the United Kingdom.
As reported by the UK’s Telegraph newspaper, the game was programmed by Eric Vaughn aka Sigvatr, an American who currently lives in Australia. The game is described as: “The Game of Modern Religious Genocide.” A narrative on the game’s website says:“TheUnited States of America has declared war on Islam! Take control of the American hero and wipe out the Muslim race with an arsenal of the world’s most destructive weapons! Don’t be a liberal pussy!”
The Ramadhan Foundation – the UK‘s “leading Muslim youth organisation that is working for peaceful co-existence and dialogue for all communities” condemned the computer game which it says is “glorifying the killing of Muslims in the Middle East”.
In a statement released to The Zimbabwe Guardian, Mohammed Shafiq, the CEO of the Foundation said his organisation “expresses its deep condemnation and anger at the computer game released called Muslim massacre.”
He added: “This game is glorifying the killing of Muslims in the Middle East and we urge ISP providers to take action to remove this site from their services as it incites violence towards Muslims and is trying to justify the killing of innocent Muslims.”
Shafiq wrote to the British government urging an inquiry into the game: “We have written to the British Government today to urge an inquiry into this game and take action to shut down the site; this is not satire but a deliberate attempt to demonise Muslims.”
“Encouraging children and young people in a game to kill Muslims is unacceptable, tasteless and deeply offensive,” said Shafiq.
“There is an increase in violence in this country and some of it comes from video games.
“When kids spend six hours a day on violent games they are more likely to go outside and commit violence.
“If it was the other way around, with a game featuring Muslims killing Israelis or Americans, there would be uproar and rightly so.”
Sigvatr, the programmer of the game was unapologetic in posts about his game on a blog, SomethingAwful: “I think it’s pretending to be legitimate commentary and I’m sure there will be lots of people who defend it on those grounds, but ultimately it’s just a game where you blow the gently caress out of Arabs…”
He wrote further: “Anyone is free to believe whatever they won’t (sic) though, because I don’t even know how to interpret it myself anymore. the bottom line is that I enjoyed making it and it’s fun to play… “
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