Muslim Civil Rights Group Tries to Stop Six Days in Fallujah From Being Published

For as long as its been around, Six Days in Fallujah has been something of a lightning rod for controversy — and deservedly so. There was backlash against trying to glamorize the actions of the United States in an unjust war back in 2009 when the game was first canceled, and there’s backlash now, 12 years later, because the wounds of that war — and that battle — haven’t diminished.

Efforts to appeal to the better senses of the developer and publisher, Highwire Games and Victura, respectively, have failed so far, largely as both companies hide behind the extremely thin and flimsy excuse that “we’re not trying to make a political statement”. Much has been said about why that excuse simply doesn’t fly, so instead of trying to beat that particular dead horse, Muslim civil rights and advocacy group CAIR, the Council on American–Islamic Relations, is trying to convince Valve, Microsoft, and Sony to refuse to sell the game, which would be just as good as getting it canceled.

In a press release:
 

“The game is an “Arab murder simulator” that glorifies violence that took the lives of over 800 Iraqi civilians, justifies the illegal invasion of Iraq and reinforces Islamophobic narratives.

The Second Battle of Fallujah was a violent and bloody battle during the Iraq War that left more than 800 civilians dead. The tragic episode was heavily criticized for the U.S. military’s tactics, including the use of white phosphorous. In the years since the battle, numerous Iraqi babies have been born in Fallujah with birth defects.”

So far, neither Valve, Microsoft, Sony, Highwire Games, or Victura have responded. Personally, tho, while I agree that Six Days in Fallujah is in poor taste and probably shouldn’t be made… the language of the press release, which includes the phrase “The Iraqi War is not a game”, does seem to imply that it’s the medium, not the narrative, that’s the problem. Which doesn’t sit well for me, because it has the potential to turn into one of those “slippery slopes” you hear about.

Still, I can't help but wonder if there will be a response...