Islamic Fun
Encyclopedia
Islamic Fun is a controversial
package of computer games targeted at Muslim
children, developed by the UK
-based firm Innovative Minds. All the games in the package involve answering a series of multiple choice
questions on a range of Islamic themes. Three levels of questions are available, for children of 5–7 years, 8–10 years, and 11 years and older.
The game became controversial not only for the obvious anti-Zionism
of "The Resistance" game (see below), but also for some of the questions themselves, which seemed designed to promote an Islamist
world view.
Examples include: "Mustafa Kemal, the hater of Islam, forbade the use of Arabic in Turkey, banned the hijab
and closed down the Aya Sofya
Mosque in Istanbul
. Which is it?", and "Ignoring the handover agreement, the Christian
s turned the beautiful Mosque
of Córdoba
, in Muslim Spain
, into a Cathedral (1238). Which one is it?"
Video game controversy
Violent video game debates often center on topics such as video game graphic violence, sex and sexism, violent and gory scenes, partial or full nudity, portrayal of criminal behavior, racism, and other provocative and objectionable material. Video games have been studied for links to addiction and...
package of computer games targeted at Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
children, developed by the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based firm Innovative Minds. All the games in the package involve answering a series of multiple choice
Multiple choice
Multiple choice is a form of assessment in which respondents are asked to select the best possible answer out of the choices from a list. The multiple choice format is most frequently used in educational testing, in market research, and in elections-- when a person chooses between multiple...
questions on a range of Islamic themes. Three levels of questions are available, for children of 5–7 years, 8–10 years, and 11 years and older.
The game became controversial not only for the obvious anti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionistic views or opposition to the state of Israel. The term is used to describe various religious, moral and political points of view in opposition to these, but their diversity of motivation and expression is sufficiently different that "anti-Zionism" cannot be...
of "The Resistance" game (see below), but also for some of the questions themselves, which seemed designed to promote an Islamist
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
world view.
Examples include: "Mustafa Kemal, the hater of Islam, forbade the use of Arabic in Turkey, banned the hijab
Hijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
and closed down the Aya Sofya
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
Mosque in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. Which is it?", and "Ignoring the handover agreement, the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s turned the beautiful Mosque
Mezquita
The Cathedral and former Great Mosque of Córdoba, in ecclesiastical terms the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción , and known by the inhabitants of Córdoba as the Mezquita-Catedral , is today a World Heritage Site and the cathedral of the Diocese of Córdoba...
of Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
, in Muslim Spain
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
, into a Cathedral (1238). Which one is it?"
Included games
| Tree Hop | Correct answers enable a cat to retrieve its ball. |
| Two Bunny Race | This is a game where two players can compete to make their bunny-rabbit Rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world... cross the finish line first. |
| Building Blocks | Correct answers in this game obtain blocks for the player, which are used to construct a mosque Mosque A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration... . |
| Meow Tiles | Help the cat uncover the image - what is this cute creature? |
| Fishing Bear | Help the bear fish; he has five hungry guests to feed! |
| The Resistance | This game depicts the player as a militant in South Lebanon Lebanon Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among... . Correct answers to the questions gain rocks for the player, to be thrown at retreating Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... i tank Tank A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities... s. |
| Happy Hijab | Players must use wisdom and Muslim understanding to help Veena find her missing hijab Hijab The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general.... . The game is divided into four parts, each with a different Islamic theme. |