Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: One was killed, another injured in a raid by an Israeli drone on the city of Khiam in South Lebanon
London views possibility of setting fire to tanker in port of friendly country to Russia to damage port infrastructure, initiate an international probe: Moscow
One of London's scenarios involves setting up accident with 'undesirable' tanker in one of the bottlenecks of maritime communications: Russian foreign intelligence agency
London plans to organize major sabotage with tankers to declare transportation of Russian oil to international shipping: Russian foreign intelligence agency
UK intelligence agencies plan to use NATO allies to launch massive raid on 'Shadow Fleet': Russian foreign intelligence agency
Palestinian Ministry of Health: Two were martyred in Israeli shelling that targeted a besieged house in the town of Qabatiya in Jenin
At least 68 dead in migrant shipwreck off Yemen: IOM
Trump: We want to feed the people in Gaza, we do not want them to starve.
US President Donald Trump: We will impose sanctions on Russia if it does not end the war on Ukraine.
Israeli media: Polls show that 52% oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while only 29% support him.

Playground of war: Arab stereotypes in the gaming world

  • By Al Mayadeen net
  • Source: Financial Times
  • 15 Dec 2021 12:09
3 Min Read

Tom Faber explains how Arabs in video games only appear in "reductive and offensive" stereotypes and what can be done to reverse this pattern.

  • x
  • Playground of war: Arab stereotypes in the gaming world
    Call of Duty's Vanguard game

In an opinion piece to the Financial Times, Tom Faber, a culture journalist, details his experience in Cairo and how it made him ponder over the derogatory depictions of Arabs and Muslims in video games. 

Faber attributes the shift in ethnicity from Nazis, who were the main antagonists of video games in the past, to Arabs to the recent "war on terror" after the events of September 11.

According to the Dutch-Egyptian game developer and advocate, Rami Ismail, “[Developers] are not trying to represent our culture, they’re trying to use it as a backdrop for violence.” 

In Ismail's contribution to the "Nope, Not Arabic" blog, customs and culture are frequently mixed up in the games. Traditional clothing is inaccurate, dialects are confused, and language is faulty and sometimes spelled left to right. 

One particular game 'Six Days in Fallujah' has sparked extreme outrage like no other. The game details the experiences of the US military in the Second Gulf War.

After initially being canceled due to heavy criticism, a reboot was recently announced, although it was delayed by a year in order to add more people to the development team and refine the game.

Ismail doesn't consider that the depictions are malevolent per se, but that they reveal more about the creators, who are usually based in Japan, Europe, and the US. In television and cinema, stereotypical images of Arabs and Muslims are not an uncommon sight either. 

Related News

Tetris beaten for first time ever by 13-year-old American

Request to prevent Microsoft from buying Activision foiled by court

“Pick your white hero and you can probably see them shoot Arabs in a movie somewhere,” Ismail says.

Anyone who plays video games knows stereotypes are not limited to Arabs only. South America is portrayed as a tropical haven of drug trafficking, and Russia is commonly depicted with images of vodka, the KGB, and Kalashnikovs.

Arab stereotypes in video games are nothing new, but due to a lack of representation in the industry, they are more difficult to dismantle. “We need people to understand the Arab world is a place that has beautiful stories of love, laughter, happiness, and sadness; stories that aren’t in service to a hero from the outside coming to rescue us," Ismail says.

Faber concludes by mentioning some games that have shown improvement in recent years. Although some characters in games carry a mildly positive depiction, they are clearly westernized and fit another stereotype Faber calls "The good Muslim."

On the brighter side, this year, creators and gamers raised $900,000 for Palestine in a charity game by Itch.io. 

Activision faces backlash over desecration in its latest CoD, apologizes

Earlier, Activision was subjected to criticism over desecrating and disrespectfully using Quranic text. 

Following the launch of CoD: Vanguard, many players noticed that the game had various pages of the Quran scattered across the floor of a map in the game's Zombies mode.

CoD Vanguard and Activision were called out recently for displaying pages of the Quran both on the floor and covered in blood for Zombies, an act which in Muslim culture is seen as incredibly disrespectful and insulting as the sacred book is never meant to touch the ground pic.twitter.com/XllGMDDlWI

— Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) November 11, 2021
  • Videogames
  • Arabs
  • Muslims

Most Read

A rescued crew member from the ETERNITY C vessel in a video released by the Yemeni Armed Forces on July 28, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen Navy reveals fate of targeted Eternity C ship crew

  • Politics
  • 28 Jul 2025
An Israeli tank explodes following an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, Occupied Palestine, undated (Al-Qassam Military Media)

Al-Qassam strikes Israeli vehicles in Gaza, inflicts casualties

  • Politics
  • 30 Jul 2025
UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

  • Politics
  • 1 Aug 2025
Protesters chant anti-Israeli slogans as they carry a banner that reads:" Freedom for Palestine, Alliance stop the war," during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza, outside the Israeli embassy, in Athens, Monday, June 9, 2025 (AP)

Athens mayor slams Israeli ambassador over Gaza war, graffiti claim

  • Politics
  • 3 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, takes part in a parade as he celebrates a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli regime in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, January 19, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Al-Qassam: We’ll allow aid to Israeli captives if Gaza siege ends

Freed Lebanese freedom fighter Georges Abdallah during an interview on Al Mayadeen, which aired on Sunday, August 3, 2025 (Al Mayadeen screengrab)
Politics

Exclusive: Resistance key to building state, Georges Abdallah says

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres gives a statement about the situation in Gaza at UN headquarters, Friday, June 27, 2025 (AP)
Politics

UN warns Gaza faces water crisis, looming famine under Israeli siege

Israeli soldiers drive their armored personnel carrier along the Gaza Strip, in southern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ex-Israeli general says Gaza starvation campaign isolated 'Israel'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS