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Iranian Video Game Lets Users Carry Out ‘Fatwas’ by Shooting Western Author

Jun. 27, 2012 10:53pm Mytheos Holt

Last year, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia opined in a majority decision that video games are as much a protected art form as any other creative medium. As a result, Scalia reasoned, no matter how vile the message in a game, censoring games based on message alone would have to be practically impossible – after all, the right to freedom of speech has very few exceptions.

Justice Scalia was right. However, we think we may have found a video game that could pass even his test of what can be constitutionally censored. Why? Because the entire game essentially reduces to a digital death threat against one person.

Readers with a long memory regarding acts of Islamic extremism may recall that in the late 80′s, British novelist Salman Rushdie authored a novel inspired partially by the life of Muhammad titled “The Satanic Verses.”

Salman Rushdie

The novel received critical acclaim of several varieties, but its quality was ultimately overshadowed by a larger story when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, then-Supreme Leader of Iran, issued a “fatwa” against Rushdie for supposed blasphemy against Muhammad. For those who don’t know, a “fatwa” in these terms essentially reduces to an execution order. This is what Khomeini said at the time, roughly translated by the BBC:

We are from Allah and to Allah we shall return. [Quranic verse] I am informing all brave Muslims of the world that the author of The Satanic Verses, a text written, edited, and published against Islam, the Prophet of Islam, and the Qur’an, along with all the editors and publishers aware of its contents, are condemned to death. I call on all valiant Muslims wherever they may be in the world to kill them without delay, so that no one will dare insult the sacred beliefs of Muslims henceforth. And whoever is killed in this cause will be a martyr, Allah Willing. Meanwhile if someone has access to the author of the book but is incapable of carrying out the execution, he should inform the people so that [Rushdie] is punished for his actions.

Rushdie went into hiding after this fatwa was released, and indeed, is still very much alive. One would thus assume the story was concluded.

That assumption is apparently incorrect, because an Iranian student group has now seen fit to begin production on a video game that lets players track down and kill Rushdie. Titled “The Stressful Life of Salman Rushdie and Implementation of his Verdict,” the game is the brainchild of the Islamic Association of Students, who apparently want to inform newer generations about the fatwa against Rushdie and the importance of its being carried out. Never mind that the fatwa was made 24 years ago and the man who issued it isn’t even in power anymore.

No screenshots of the game itself have been released yet. More to the point, it is quite unlikely that it will ever see release in the United States, or in any Western country. Nevertheless, this is clearly a problematic usage of the medium.

H/T Weaselzippers

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Comments (32)

Joe Bonham
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 10:39am
News Flash: There’s about a thousand video games and browser games in America EXACTLY LIKE THAT.

Some Iranian makes ONE game like that, and for the Blazers, its the end of the world.

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dont tread
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 10:04am
BREAKING NEWS: American video game makers release worldwide bestseller that allows players to shoot muslim leaders, muslim extremists, and just plain muslims for fun. Also allows you to shoot up an airport AS a muslim. I think this has wider implications than the game this article refers too. I’m sure Jesus has prestiged in Call of Duty once or twice.

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- Locked
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 10:08am
  “Also allows you to shoot up an airport AS a muslim… Call of Duty…”
  
  Assuming you’re talking about the COD game, you should realize that your character is infiltrating a sect of terrorists to take them down, and if you personally shoot any civilians, you lose.
  
  But hey, don’t let facts get in the way or anything.
  
  Report this comment
- LordGav1n
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 10:29am
  Actually in the missions “No Russian” in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, you’re undercover as a Russian terrorist and killing civilians garner no penalty. What was that comment about facts?
  
  Report this comment
- dont tread
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 10:30am
  You can kill as many people in the airport as you want…
  
  Report this comment
- Locked
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 10:47am
  @Lord
  
  “Actually in the missions “No Russian” in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, you’re undercover as a Russian terrorist and killing civilians garner no penalty. What was that comment about facts?”
  
  My bad, I forgot that my game was using a mod that caused you to automatically lose if you killed civilians. You are correct that in the platform versions you can kill with impunity (or refuse to kill without penalty).
  
  You are also correct in pointing out they are Russian, not Muslims, as @Dont tread said.
  
  Report this comment
sjohn70037
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 9:57am
Don’t tell anyone but I’m working on a game where you can sit down with allah and have a BBQ pork sandwich. YUM YUM.

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zoro51
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 9:49am
more MURDERING MUSLUMS.. now a game that says its ok to kill.. when its NOT.. islam is a man made cut of hate n death.. there IS no allah that is false stone idol god MAN MADE UP muslums care less what or whom u are they will even kill thier own families they just want to kill even if u convert to islam they will KILL YOU… its a CULT

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Mapache
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 7:36am
It is Iran after all. What do you expect. The West might have video games about Amandinijad or Saad in Syria or whatever.

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SpankDaMonkey
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 6:45am
.
Can imagine the uproar if someone had one of them “Fatwad” games with the Bamsters face on it….

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dissentnow
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 6:07am
Will Cat Stevens perform the soundtrack to this game?

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Diane TX
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 4:47am
Here I stand – just waiting, waiting for the Obama meltdown on 06/28/2012. Who will be “punished” next by the Marxist? He’s already punished Arizona. He’s told every illegal – just come through Arizona, we’re not responding to Arizona’s calls. He has also told the crazy Muslims – it’s a good time for them to walk through the Arizona border. In case “you” aren’t getting this, Obama is completely nuts.

It’s imperative that Obama is removed from Office, like yesterday. Why? Because he picks and chooses what Laws he likes, and what Laws he doesn’t like. Defense of Marriage Act? Well he doesn’t like that one. Defending the USA borders? That’s just silly according to this whack job. Crackhead Obama doesn’t believe in the”sovereignty” of the United States of America. He says: “come on in”, – we’ll make the people that are already here – support you.

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TurboCat
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:11am
That video sounds just like the video that the Left put out about “Tea Party Zombies Must Die” where you could go into the Fox News Studios and pick up weapons to use on some of the Tea Party members of Congress, among others. Anyone remember that about a year ago? How similar these sound, no?

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- Stoic one
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:58am
  Yes indeed I do, sadly.
  
  Report this comment
trueamerican40
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:10am
That’s the difference between myself (a Christian) and a moon god worshipper (the intolerable hate-filled ‘true’ muslim): I take my stresses out by playing Diabo III. They take their stresses out by actually decapitating REAL humanbeings. I guess this why the ME will be charred by nuclear fire one day.

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- MRMANN
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 4:15am
  Yes, the religion is barbaric. The computer acronym GIGO comes to mind. I’ve no doubt that this sick video game will arrive in America very soon, or, more likely, that it’s here already.
  
  Report this comment
- dont tread
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 10:07am
  I’m sure Jesus will forgive them
  
  Report this comment
thestarofkaduri.com
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 1:13am
Iranian Video Game Lets Users Carry Out ‘Fatwas’ by Shooting Western Author! …
This whole matter is perplexing! …

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thestarofkaduri.com
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 1:03am
Iranian video games, lets get real. Everyone is welcome to visit … thestarofkaduri.com

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SHOWMESTATEGUY
Posted on June 27, 2012 at 11:35pm
This is an example of why the dem libs love islam. You can kill anyone who disagrees with you.

I wonder how many people Pelosi and Reid have on their kill list?

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- marine249
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 1:08am
  you, me and a lot more.
  
  Report this comment
- ModerationIsBest
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:36am
  Paranoia run amuck.
  
  Report this comment
- kickagrandma
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 7:10am
  Don’t forget the clintons…. how many of their staffers and friends ended up “missing”????
  
  I’m so glad GOD IS NOT MOCKED and each and every one of them will be nailed by their own choices and decisions. hell will be filled with such arrogance….
  
  Report this comment
lukerw
Posted on June 27, 2012 at 11:11pm
Really… a Training tool!

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- TSUNAMI-22
  Posted on June 27, 2012 at 11:38pm
  But the game ends when all the Iranian children blow themselves up in the name of jihad and they can’t re-spawn.
  
  Report this comment
- TX_45_ACP
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 10:14am
  These guys are so pathetic. They have so much hate towards one single person that they decidee to put their time and effort into making a video game about killing him. What a way to give the man more importance and bring his cause to light. In fact, now I am want to go out and read his book…
  
  Report this comment
The-Monk
Posted on June 27, 2012 at 11:10pm
Breaking news…… (off topic)

The CBC will walk out during the Contempt Vote tomorrow.

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on June 27, 2012 at 11:58pm
  Yeah, I caught that earlier when I flipped over to BSNBC to see what was going on. I guess they learned from the Wisconsin State Congress. But, I don’t think it will have any effect with the vote other than theatrics so they can scream racism.
  That being said, Rush made some great points today. All of the Democrat Congress members as well as two Dem governors who are refusing to show up at the DNC Convention this summer are white. He says they have to be racist then…LOL. Makes about as much sense as their claims.
  
  Report this comment
buck762
Posted on June 27, 2012 at 11:09pm
How about “From allah whatever…” I fu**-ed allah and Mooohad up the arse hole. What are you gonna do? I have God on my side. Not a murdering, pedofile, violent lunatic.

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- AnimalsAsLeaders
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 1:38am
  Truly a highly nuanced argument, you’ve made here. Brilliant.
  
  Report this comment
- survivorseed
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:57am
  Well the people here tell me god don’t like anal so maybe you on your own bucky boy.
  
  Report this comment
- svan71
  Posted on June 28, 2012 at 6:01am
  Truly out of the heart doth man speak….sick miserable people you libs…perverted in every thought or comment..
  
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