Muslim group CAIR tells WalMart to take down Left Behind
For a game, Left Behind: Eternal Forces is creating an unusual amount of ruckus across the gaming industry. But when you really think about, this is actually somewhat expected because it was based from the >heavily criticized book series Left Behind. The first to react was The Christian Alliance for Progress then it was followed by Campaign to Defend the Constitution. This time, it’s the Muslims turn.
Accordingly, The Council on American-Islamic Relations or CAIR has been receiving complaints from its constituents regarding the game’s violent tendencies. Left Behind, in case you aren’t aware, rewards players for either converting or killing people of other faiths. While the game was developed by Left Behind Games Inc., the weird thing here is that Wal-Mart has been caught in between.
Furthermore, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad deemed it necessary to write a formal letter to H. Lee Scott Jr., chief executive officer of the said retail store. Part of the letter reads:
We also believe that as a company that prides itself in hiring and offering services to a diverse group of people, it is Wal-Mart’s corporate social responsibility to take into account the potential social impact of its decision to sell this harmful game. We, therefore, respectfully request the removal of the video game ‘Left Behind: Eternal Forces’ from your shelves.
In the same letter, Awad also mentioned that they have spoken with the president of Left Behind Games, Jeffrey Grichner, regarding the game’s Muslim-sounding enemy names. As if the question uttered is the weirdest in the world, Grichner responded that “Muslims are not believers in Jesus Christ and therefore cannot be on the side of Jesus in the game.”
Personally, we’re reporting this to you because we want you guys to remain informed. Just for the record, we believe that Jesus Christ owns a special place in Islam. Muslims, as you might know, have always regarded Christ as one of God’s prophets. Please, let us not make this into a religious war. The answer to this problem, my friends, are respect and tolerance.
For a game, Left Behind: Eternal Forces is creating an unusual amount of ruckus across the gaming industry. But when you really think about, this is actually somewhat expected because it was based from the >heavily criticized book series Left Behind. The first to react was The Christian Alliance for Progress then it was followed by Campaign to Defend the Constitution. This time, it’s the Muslims turn.
Accordingly, The Council on American-Islamic Relations or CAIR has been receiving complaints from its constituents regarding the game’s violent tendencies. Left Behind, in case you aren’t aware, rewards players for either converting or killing people of other faiths. While the game was developed by Left Behind Games Inc., the weird thing here is that Wal-Mart has been caught in between.
Furthermore, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad deemed it necessary to write a formal letter to H. Lee Scott Jr., chief executive officer of the said retail store. Part of the letter reads:
We also believe that as a company that prides itself in hiring and offering services to a diverse group of people, it is Wal-Mart’s corporate social responsibility to take into account the potential social impact of its decision to sell this harmful game. We, therefore, respectfully request the removal of the video game ‘Left Behind: Eternal Forces’ from your shelves.
In the same letter, Awad also mentioned that they have spoken with the president of Left Behind Games, Jeffrey Grichner, regarding the game’s Muslim-sounding enemy names. As if the question uttered is the weirdest in the world, Grichner responded that “Muslims are not believers in Jesus Christ and therefore cannot be on the side of Jesus in the game.”
Personally, we’re reporting this to you because we want you guys to remain informed. Just for the record, we believe that Jesus Christ owns a special place in Islam. Muslims, as you might know, have always regarded Christ as one of God’s prophets. Please, let us not make this into a religious war. The answer to this problem, my friends, are respect and tolerance.