Video games lead to radical fundamentalism...

[GunnyMo]

...ok, not really, but I'm sure we're all waiting for the link to be made after reading this article (http://gamepolitics.com/2007/07/01/radical-muslim-cleric-is-a-gamer-time-magazine-reports/) over at GamePolitics.

Muqtada al Sadr is a gamer?

When he’s not trying to consolidate his power, the radical Shi’ite cleric, best known for his virulent opposition to the American presence in Iraq, apparently kicks backs with video games, although it’s unclear which games or systems he prefers.
How do we know this? In the middle of this excellent article (http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1638128,00.html) over on Time.com, Joe Klein mentions, seemingly at random, the cleric's love of games.

But the most important man in Iraq is the other Shi'ite prince, Muqtada al-Sadr, who is 33 and the nominal leader of the most powerful militia in the country, the Mahdi Army. Al-Sadr is often called mercurial — he's supposedly a fervent video-game player — ...
It is such an odd statement to drop in the middle of that sentence. Is it because the man is "mercurial" that he plays games?

[Doctor Setebos]

It is such an odd statement to drop in the middle of that sentence. Is it because the man is "mercurial" that he plays games?mer·cu·ri·al (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=mercurial)
–adjective
1. changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic: a mercurial nature.
2. animated; lively; sprightly; quick-witted.

So, I guess the answer is...sure? :confused:

[Dr.Finger]

Great. Now JT is going to blame Iraq on video games too.

[GunnyMo]

lol yeah, I looked up that same definition, too. It still doesn't make sense.

[Serapth]

I always thought mercurial was one of those words dumb people throw around to appear smart.


Kinda cool to hear the guy is a gamer. Frankly, most of these people are probrably far more villified then they deserve. *MOST*, not all.

[NationalKato]

He also drinks Sprite before kicking puppies.

[pinkmonkey]

Is he any good, or is he just shi'ite?
Booooooooooooyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!1!0101~

[Oxonian]

I think it makes perfect sense. Al Sadr's a radical Muslim fundamentalist, which means (inter alia) that he condemns decadent secularist Western cultural imperialism. And what's more stereotypically decadent, secularist, Western, and culturally imperialist than video games?

Plus, I'll bet somewhere along the line, some Joooooos were involved in making those games.

[ReaverX]

"and later tonight, the possible terrorist connection to video games? How the games your kids are playing are training modern terroists, tonight at 9..."

[The Continental]

I have it on good authority that he admins a CS 1.6 server running Dust2, 24/7 with a server config that allows the terrorists 14 players to the counter terrorist's 7. Thus ensuring that the terrorists always win.

[Serapth]

I think it makes perfect sense. Al Sadr's a radical Muslim fundamentalist, which means (inter alia) that he condemns decadent secularist Western cultural imperialism. And what's more stereotypically decadent, secularist, Western, and culturally imperialist than video games?

Plus, I'll bet somewhere along the line, some Joooooos were involved in making those games.


Jews dont make the games... they just finance 'em.



Going too far, I know

[NationalKato]

I have it on good authority that he admins a CS 1.6 server running Dust2, 24/7 with a server config that allows the terrorists 14 players to the counter terrorist's 7. Thus ensuring that the terrorists always win.

Yes, I've played on that server. Everyone in his clan keeps spraying burkha-porn tags all over the place.

[51|RandoM]

I am not Al Sadr, honest.

I've never had anybody shot for not buying rez. Thought about it, but didn't have evil henchmen at my disposal.

[GWhite]

I am completely waiting for one of our members to drop out after a high profile war crimes trial.

[Ancalagon]

Dude dont mess with Al Sadr - he has a level 99 red gyarados.

[Shodan2020]

I have it on good authority that he admins a CS 1.6 server running Dust2, 24/7 with a server config that allows the terrorists 14 players to the counter terrorist's 7. Thus ensuring that the terrorists always win.

Yeah, he would play CS.... real Americans play TFC. ;)

[Doctor Setebos]

It should probably be noted that Joe Klein is one of the worst "journalists" of our time. Just hit up the Joe Klein tag on Daily Kos (http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Joe%20Klein) to see what I mean.

[GunnyMo]

Well, he might be a crappy journalist in the opinion of some (I couldn't care less either way, myself) but the article wasn't about his journalism. ;) It's just odd that a radical cleric is said to be a big gamer.

[zyzyx]

Maybe he has a 360. Could explain his hatred of the Americans. Sending the thing off for monthly replacements from Iraq would drive anyone to terrorism.

[GWhite]

Maybe he has a 360. Could explain his hatred of the Americans. Sending the thing off for monthly replacements from Iraq would drive anyone to terrorism.

Finally an decent explanation for radical fundamentalism. Shitty personal electronics.

[Stupid Fat Hobbit]

Heh, I was just reading that Time article earlier, and I thought it was a pretty strange comment too. I would be interested in knowing what games he plays, though...

[Rogue_hunter]

The Discovery Times channel showed a Canadian videogame documentary recently. One segment focused on propaganda in videogames. A Syrian developer worked on a game where the player is a Palestinian who fights back after a Jewish extremist shot up a mosque in the 80s. The goal of the game was to kill as many Israeli people (soldiers and regular citizens). His reasoning for making the game was that "Jews make all the videogames." He even cited that in Battlefield 2, players are rewarded for killing Arab soldiers (totally bypassing the fact that you can play as the Arab soldiers...). He even said that "all games focus on killing Muslims," so he had to create a game that made young Muslim gamers proud and allowed them to kill their enemies. The game sold roughly 100000 copies, making it a hit in the Middle East.
*I find that his whole argument is more "Let's spread hate to impressionable minds." He could definitely be creating games that are non-violent and teach understanding instead of hate. He chose to showcase the violent hate, which pisses me off. Judeo-Christianity and Islam have the same base belief system, and the first 5 books of the Bible are in the Koran. Moses is even an Islamic prophet.