US Muslim rights group says drop 'Arab murder game'

The statement on Wednesday by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) follows similar calls by the Netherlands-based game developer Rami Ismail and Canadian-Iraqi director Hala Alsalman.

A Change.org petition created by Alsalman has amassed more than 15,000 signatures to date.

"Six Days in Fallujah", developed by Highwire Games, is essentially an "Arab murder simulator" that "glorifies" the killing of more than 800 civilians in Fallujah, CAIR said on Wednesday.

The tactics used by the US military and allies in the 2004 assault on Fallujah are some of the most heavily criticised of the Iraq war.

American forces' use of white phosphorus, depleted uranium and other incendiary weapons in the heavily populated city are particularly controversial and have been linked to increased cancer, infant mortality and congenital anomaly rates.

"The gaming industry must stop dehumanising Muslims," said Huzaifa Shahbaz, CAIR's research and advocacy coordinator.

"Video games like Six Days in Fallujah only serve to glorify violence that took the lives of hundreds of Iraqi civilians, justify the Iraq war, and reinforce anti-Muslim sentiment at a time when anti-Muslim bigotry continues to threaten human life."

The game was initially announced in 2009 by the now-defunct Atomic Games and Japanese gaming firm Konami but was pulled in 2010 after criticism from activists.

Now under game company Victura, the controversial first-person shooter is set for release later in 2021.

A separate petition urging the cancellation of the game's release has been endorsed by figures including Iraqi-British rapper Lowkey, Iraqi-Canadian musician Yassin Alsalman, Canadian-American voice actress Jennifer Hale and leading figures in games media.

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