The Virtual Killing of Muslims: Digital War Games, Islamophobia, and the Global War on Terror

Abstract

This article argues that digital war games communicate misleading stereotypes about Muslims that prop up patriarchal militarism and Islamophobia in the context of the US-led Global War on Terror. The article's first section establishes the relevance of the study of digital war games to feminist games studies, feminist international relations, and post-colonial feminism. The second section contextualizes the contemporary production and consumption of digital war games with regard to the “military-digital-games complex” and real and simulated military violence against Muslims, focusing especially on the US military deployment of digital war games to train soldiers to kill in real wars across Muslim majority countries. The third section probes “mythical Muslim” stereotypes in ten popular digital war games released between 2001 and 2012: Conflict: Desert Storm (2002), Conflict: Desert Storm 2 (2003), SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs (2002), Full Spectrum Warrior (2004), Close Combat: First to Fight (2005), Battlefield 3 (2011), Army of Two (2008), Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007), Medal of Honor (2010), and Medal of Honor: Warfighter (2012). These games immerse players in patriarchal fantasies of “militarized masculinity” and place a “mythical Muslim” before their weaponized gaze to be virtually killed in the name of US and global security. The conclusion discusses the stakes of the stereotyping and othering of Muslims by digital war games, and highlights some challenges to Islamophobia in the digital games industry.

Time to stop playing

“…The significance of Call of Duty's role as military propaganda is underscored by the example of the live-service game Call of Duty Warzone (Raven Software & Infinity Ward, 2020) utilizing the eastern parts of Ukraine for several years (Gerencser, 2020) as the virtual playground for its players to participate in a 'battle royale' survival game without paying heed to the ongoing war in Donbas that, in the years leading up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, resulted in 3,106 civilian deaths (OHCHR, 2022). This treatment is indicative of how real-life conflicts are often ignored, naturalized, or reframed in games in ways that align with US foreign policy objectives (Mirrlees & Ibaid, 2021).…”

Reproduction of Islamophobia in a Digital Cloak: An Analysis on Digital War Game “Call of Duty”

“…Although digital video games are developed and produced in many parts of the world, the United States stands out as the center of the game industry (Mirrlees 2021). These games meet their users through consoles produced by the industry's leading names such as Microsoft (Xbox), Nintendo (Switch), Sony PlayStation (4).…”

Dates, Carpets, and Pearl Necklaces: The Case of Anno 1404s Exotic Orientalism

“…177–197). If books, movies, and news media that shape popular culture can be instrumentalized to implant certain paradigms (Shabankareh et al, 2015, p. 1; Mirrlees & Ibaid, 2021, p. 45), why not digital games? In the end, seen from the perspective of the Empire, “every tool is a weapon if you hold it right” (Ani DiFranco as cited in Hardt & Negri, 2000, back cover).…”

“…Anno 1404 is not one of those numerous so-called “Islamophobic games” on the digital market that denigrate, vilify, and dehumanize Muslims, desecrate their religion and culture, and where players virtually kill Muslims to win (cf. Šisler, 2008; Okumuş, 2017; Cıngı, 2018; Mirrlees & Ibaid, 2021). Nor does it juxtapose the West and Islam by creating a Manichean world of “benevolent and civilized Westerners” versus “malevolent and savage Muslims” as this genre does.…”