Demanding censorship of games under the guise of combating terrorism is a tactic that will certainly garner support for oppressive actions especially genocide.
Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, an indie game that covers the never-ending Palestine/Israel conflict, has remained a contentious presence on Valve’s Steam store since its April 18th, 2022 release.
Once again, the game is embroiled in controversy as the ILF (International Legal Forum), an Israeli-based NGO, has demanded the game to be banned.
Game franchises originating from western nations often adhere to familiar tropes, such as depicting Nazi Germany as antagonists, a common theme in games like Call of Duty.
Similarly, Arab nations are frequently depicted solely as terrorist entities in video games. Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque sought to challenge these stereotypes, offering a third-person shooter experience where players assume the role of a Palestinian resistance fighter engaging in conflict against Israeli forces in war-torn settings.
The game has been meticulously crafted by a lone developer, Nadal Nijm, who is of Brazilian descent but holds Palestinian roots. Since the official establishment of the state of Israel on May 14th, 1948, Israeli forces have progressively seized Palestinian territory through force, escalating tensions between the two nations.
Portraying such a conflict in a video game setting is inherently controversial. The game follows the journey of a Palestinian soldier who, after enduring significant hardships at the hands of Zionist forces, seeks to reclaim his homeland.
The recent conflicts between Israel and Palestine, led by HAMAS forces, have garnered global attention, becoming a focal point for activists and advocates in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While the situation is complex, with longstanding territorial disputes and violence on both sides, some individuals have voiced support for Palestine, viewing Israel’s actions as unjust and oppressive.
The situation has ignited extensive debates and political posturing, especially on social media platforms, where opinions are emotionally charged. Additionally, it has prompted protests in various countries, including the United States, which have been met with police intervention.
The contrast is notable, given the absence of police response during the Black Lives Matter riots throughout 2020.
On the contrary, expressing support for Palestine out of concern for innocent lives lost often leads to being unjustly labeled as a racist or an anti-Semite. This unjust labeling adds to the frustration and disillusionment felt by many, who find themselves caught between opposing viewpoints.
Consequently, I feel indifferent toward both nations, I’m just goddamn tired of the incessant posting of dead children on social media platforms.
Despite this, Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque has consistently courted controversy due to its bold depiction of Palestinian fighters engaged in conflict with Israeli forces. When the game was announced in late 2021, the International Legal Forum threatened Valve with legal action if it wasn’t removed from their Steam platform.
The ILF, a powerful Israeli NGO, warned Valve of potential violations of anti-terrorism laws if no action was taken. As a result, the game page was removed from Steam’s library in October 2021, two months prior to its planned release. However, the game did eventually return, seeing its official release in April 2022, though it wasn’t reinstated on Steam until December 2023.
Their assertions that the game promotes jihadist terrorism echo familiar tropes portraying Arabs solely as terrorists, that the game itself merely fuels hatred towards Israel and Jews. The game’s narrative revolves around Ahmad al-Falastini, a Palestinian student who endured five years of unjust imprisonment and torture by Israeli soldiers. After losing his entire family to an Israeli airstrike, Ahmad seeks vengeance against those who have wronged him, killed his loved ones, and displaced him from his homeland. He joins a new Palestinian resistance movement known as Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
A remastered version of the game was launched in 2023 alongside its re-release on Steam which has once again drawn criticism from those advocating for censorship of Nadal’s project.
In an interview with Newsweek, the developer emphasized that players would never be tasked with attacking civilians in the game; rather, they would engage in conflict as a Palestinian soldier facing Israeli armed forces.
Despite renewed efforts by the International Legal Forum and various advocacy groups, including pro-Israel activists, to globally ban the game, Fursan al-Aqsa managed to secure the “Best Hardcore Game” award at Game Connection.
The developer highlighted the artistic nature of video games, asserting that they serve as a medium to explore history. They emphasized that art should never be censored, as everyone has the right to express their own perspective.
