U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) is calling for Valve to pull the controversial game Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which has players acting as a Palestinian resistance fighter, from gaming platform Steam.
The game, created by Brazilian developer Nidal Nijm, has already been removed from Steam in several countries, including the United Kingdom, following a request for removal from the U.K. Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit, 404 Media reported. Nijm also said that the game is blocked across the European Union due to EU violations flagged by the French government’s cybercrime unit. In an email from Valve that Nijm showed to Polygon, the violation is of Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2021/784, which addresses the “dissemination of terrorist content online.”
I think the funniest thing here is that this game was made by a Brazilian and it went relatively unknown until some skrub said it was anti semetic after Oct 7, despite having been published since 2022.
The wording of the complaints has me wondering if the game actually does anything “wrong” by the normal standards of video gaming. Like, does it actually glorify violence specifically against Jews? Is there some mission objective to butcher a bunch of civilians? I glance at the Steam page and it looks like the political statement its creator claims it is.
I’m pretty sick of this “anything that isn’t hardcore pro-Israel is antisemitic terrorism” horsecrap. Either care about human life or don’t, don’t BS me and everyone else like the acts and atrocities committed in video games suddenly matter when characters who happen to be (presumed) Jews are involved.
People missing the point. Politicians care more about fictional Israeli and jewish lives than real life Muslims and Arabs.
I see the matters as connected: I figure people who flip out about “antisemitism” at anything even mildly unfriendly to Israel are serving (deliberately or not) to defend, justify, or even glorify its vile actions. That is, I think it’s not “zomg those poor pixel Jews!” but rather “Shhh, don’t talk like people are fighting against the IDF for a reason! (Let’s just accept that they’re all horrible evil sub-humans who must to be exterminated for the good of our wonderful, beloved friends and allies!)”
Making a game about a specific attack that, at best, was purposefully indiscriminate, and at worst, directly targeted civilians is a bit more than the normal fare though. COD probably came closest with their false flag airport mission and that was a fictitious event.
Making a game about a specific attack that, at best, was purposefully indiscriminate,
I mean it also targeted the Israeli military so it definitely belongs in a game where you play as a Palestinian resistance fighter. Also the game was made in 2022 and only has a level about October 7.
Yeah that’s a good point, we play Vietnam games with zero recognition of what probably happened to the villagers. I think it probably comes down to what someone thinks the main purpose of the attack was.
Thanks for the information. I really didn’t know about that attack and was on my way out at the time so I was more reacting to generalities and what was right in front of me.
I don’t mean to suggest that anything and everything should be socially acceptable as freeze peach, just that I feel some people are being disingenuous and should be expected to point out an actual problem like “Look here, the rewards you get vary based on the racial and religious background of every civilian you kill!” Killing civilians who happen to be present regardless of other matters is murder. Killing opposing military personnel regardless of other matters is battle. Killing people because they’re Jewish is murderous antisemitism. Not wanting something seen doesn’t make it a crime… but I think some people are so stuck picking sides that even mention that there’s another point of view offends them 🤷
That said, could be Hamas is pure evil for all I know and there’s just no way to present anything they do without it being disgusting. I just… bleh, maybe it’s an autism thing. There’s a nit there that I can’t help but pick 😅 I want more sincerity and sense in this world.
To be fair I think the hostages/dead civilians are more because they’re Israeli than their religion. There’s definitely anti-Semitism in Hamas, but Hamas was founded to resist brutal occupation tactics.
Let’s flip the question around.
Would you be against a video game glorifying the Nazi invasion to Poland if it didn’t show Nazis killing civilians?
How about a game glorifying the IDF as it fights against Hama’s terrorists in Gaza?
You’re making a false equivalence, but regardless, I am fine with any of that, even though I hate Nazis and the IDF, because it’s a video game. It’s virtual.
If the Nazis had legitimate grievances against the Polish? Maybe. Your premise is flawed in that it assumes everything a Palestinian resistance fighter does is terrorism that can’t ve glorified. Let me flip your question around: Woud you object to an Irish-made game that allows you to play as the IRA and car bomb the British?
If the Nazis had legitimate grievances against the Polish? Maybe.
Who decides what’s “legitimate”?
Parts of Poland belonged to the second Reich, but were taken away by force in the aftermath of WWI. From the Nazi perspective, they had every right to claim them back.
Edit: Wait, what just happened? Did you actually say saying you’d be okay with a game glorifying the Nazi invasion to Poland if they “had legitimate grievances against the Polish”? WTF?
Your premise is flawed in that it assumes everything a Palestinian resistance fighter does is terrorism that can’t ve glorified.
My premise assumes that every Hamas fighter that crossed into Israel on Oct. 7th is a terrorist. The “resistance fighters” that attacked military bases are the same people who raped party goers, burned to death civilians in their homes and kidnapped men, women, children and the elderly to be used as a bargaining chip and human shields.
Would I be for a ban of Fatah fighters attacking IDF bases? Maybe, maybe not. I probably wouldn’t argue over it with strangers on the internet, for what that’s worth.
Would you object to an Irish-made game that allows you to play as the IRA and car bomb the British?
Depends. is it called “Knights of the IRA” or glorify the IRA in any way? Then I would support the ban. Because the they were a terrorist movement that targeted civilians. Why would you even ask that? Are you seriously okay with glorifying terrorists if you happen to agree with their goals?
Who decides what’s “legitimate”?
Ooh! I know this one! It’s the people with all the money, isn’t it? It’s usually the people with the most money who decide these things.
This game was published before that oct 7 issue. It’s not related.
Oh, come on…
From the link: “Video game available on Steam allows players to simulate being a Hamas teroist who k*lls Jews in the Old City of Jerusalem while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar,’” the account posted. In November, Nijm released an update called the “Operation al-Aqsa Flood Update,” which alludes to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel by having Palestinian fighters paragliding into an Israeli military base.”
Edit: Wait, what just happened? Did you actually say saying you’d be okay with a game glorifying the Nazi invasion to Poland if they “had legitimate grievances against the Polish”? WTF?
I mean depends on those specific grievances by the hypothetical Nazis, yes, because then they wouldn’t be Nazis as we know them.
My premise assumes that every Hamas fighter that crossed into Israel on Oct. 7th is a terrorist.
You’ll need a source for that.
Because the they were a terrorist movement that targeted civilians. Why would you even ask that? Are you seriously okay with glorifying terrorists if you happen to agree with their goals?
Your terrorist is someone else’s freedom fighter. Nelson Mandela was listed as a terrorist in the US until the 2000s. “Terrorist” isn’t a bad word that makes a whole organization irredeemable human scum, and considering the IRA’s contribution to North Irish liberation, I’d say the answer is yes. “Terrorists” are people you can love or hate depending on their specific actions and goals.
You just said you’d be okay with glorification of “theoretical” Nazis, but not if they hadn’t committed multiple war crimes, countless atrocities, murdering and incarcerating people based on mental health, ethnicity and sexual orientation. No, the thing you’re most with is that they didn’t have a good enough reason to invade Poland.
I lost interest in talking to you.
I was obviously (okay maybe not very obviously) talking within the context of their invasion of Poland. Anyway Nazis didn’t have legitimate grievances with anyone they targeted (because they targeted whole ethnic groups), which is part of why they’re hated so much and what illegitimizes the comparison between them and insert your hated organization of choice here.
Throw a rock into the FPS section of your local game store. At least one of the games you hit will allow you to play as a German soldier in World War 2.
I said “glorifying the Nazi invasion”, not “play as a German soldier in World War 2”. These are two very different things. Why the hell do I even have to explain this?
The game is called “Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque”. How about a game called “Bliutzkrieg Poland: Heroes of the third reich”? In what store can I buy that one?
I’m willing to put $1000 that this game doesn’t glorify Nazis, and $100 more that it actively makes it clear to the player that while the game is played from the Nazi perspective, the game isn’t intended to glorify Nazis.
I’ve played neither games, so I cannot comment about their contents. The second part of your comment is specifically about titles.
“Knights of al-Aqsa”, as a title, does not have the same meaning nor implications of a your example. that would something more like “Bulldozing Israel, Knights of the Caliphate”, eventhough comparing the thrid riech to a caliphate is a stretch.
Okay, let’s put that another way:
Do you agree that “Knights of al-Aqsa” probably glorifies Hamas?
Do you agree that “Panzer Corps” probably does not glorify the Nazis?
If you answered “yes” to both questions, do you understand the difference between both games?
Why’d you ignore the other comment lol
What other comment?
Neve mind I just saw that you responded to it
Would you be against a video game glorifying the Nazi invasion to Poland if it didn’t show Nazis killing civilians?
Nazi invasion of Poland - you mean like Israeli invasion and occupation of Palestine?
I’ve already given that example earlier…
No. You have given an opposite example. If you want to use historic comparisons it is Israel which proudly follows Third Reich, starting with racist laws and ending with genocide.
No. You have given an opposite example.
I said “Would you be against […] a game glorifying the IDF as it fights against Hamas terrorists in Gaza?” (and I would link to that if I could figure out how to do that…).
The main part of your message is just you saying “Israel are Nazis!!!”, which is besides the point.
Read again. Slowly.
Yes, they did give that exact example just with the opposite political framing.
Oh we getting rid of terrorist games now?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/203290/Americas_Army_Proving_Grounds/
100% agree. Should be ban due to recruiting future terrorist to the US military.
We’ll be changing Counter Strike to be Counter Terrorists against other Counter Terrorists.
Ohh no fake anti semetism claims being raised again!
At what point do people take notice lol
I don’t even like this genre of game but I bought it (after downloading the demo to make sure it would run under Proton) because fuck this censorship.
(Edit) Just saw a post on Bsky claiming that “if you shoot soldiers who are surrendering, you lose”. Much evil, very terrorism.
-
It has been removed in the EU on behalf of french anti-terrorist authorities. So this is an actual terrorism-concern and not just censorship.
-
hey, a fellow linux user. Long-time or recent?
It has been removed in the EU on behalf of french anti-terrorist authorities. So this is an actual terrorism-concern and not just censorship.
Any support for Palestine is being called “terrorist” these days, so I’d rather make the judgment call for myself.
hey, a fellow linux user. Long-time or recent?
Been using Linux for 20 years.
Any support for Palestine is being called “terrorist” these days, so I’d rather make the judgment call for myself.
So what is your judgment call? Was the October 7th attack terrorism or not?
Do you think Palestine sprung into existence on October 7? Why does every discussion of Israel being genocidal colonizers come down to an incident that happened decades after their oppression of Palestine began?
Do you think Palestine sprung into existence on October 7?
No. I think most people know that Israel and Palestine were both established by the League of Nations back in the 40s post the fall of the Ottoman Empire, after which they proceeded to start fighting each other for fucking decades of pointless holy wars.
I’m not sure how that’s relevant to the discussion at hand, however.
Why does every discussion of Israel being genocidal colonizers come down to an incident that happened decades after their oppression of Palestine began?
Uh, are we not currently in a thread specifically talking about an October 7th game or…?
Uh, are we not currently in a thread specifically talking about an October 7th game or…?
From the linked article:
Fursan al-Aqsa was released in 2022
Calling it “an October 7th game” is a neat little piece of propaganda though. Good job falling for it.
(Edit) Yeah, actually after taking a look at your profile, you’re not the kind of person I want taking up my mental energy.
Fursan al-Aqsa was released in 2022
You’re clearly not very well informed, because the source of the controversy here is an October 7th themed update that came out in late 2023.
Yeah, actually after taking a look at your profile, you’re not the kind of person I want taking up my mental energy.
What kind of person would that be?
Any support for Palestine is being called “terrorist” these days, so I’d rather make the judgment call for myself.
yeah, I’m sorry, but I disagree. That’s a conspiracy like Q-Anon, meant to make you feel like you’re something special, a “Truth-seeker” in a world of “global conspiracies”. This game was removed for valid reasons because it is an omage to terrorism and glorifies and validates that terrorism.
Oh no an action shooter where the brown people are the heros? Stop the god damn presses.
I recall from the interview when the UK blocked it the creator said “you do nothing in it you don’t do it Black Ops. But only mine is terrorism, it’s purely political.” (paraphrased)
I’ll confess that I’ve not played either of them, so I don’t know how true that holds. But I do know that a lot of those console shooters are very political and the world seems fine with it when it’s a US avatar shooting up Arabs.
You shouldn’t be surprised seeing linux users on lemmy.
-
US rep asking for their shadow state to be respected
kek
New TTT looks lit
TTT was so fucking great back in the day.
The vr pavlov version is so fun
