As many of you may have already heard (or heard and then fist clenched your pre-order receipt in utter fury) the release of LittleBigPlanet on PS3 has been delayed worldwide due to it containing references to the Qur’an, the central religious text of Islam.
The official word about the incident from Sony is as follows: “During the review process prior to the release of LittleBigPlanet, it has been brought to our attention that one of the background music tracks licensed from a record label for use in the game contains two expressions that can be found in the Qur’an. We have taken immediate action to rectify this and we sincerely apologise for any offence that this may have caused.”
Head scratching, knee-jerk reaction? We certainly thought so, and it seems that we’re not alone. We recently received a phone call from Mr Keysar Trad from the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, and he was simila... More »
The musician behind the song that caused the highly anticipated PlayStation 3 game “Little Big Planet” to get recalled just days before its release has defended his song in a statement issued to MTV Multiplayer.
Perhaps even more significantly, singer Toumani Diabate has explained what the song is about and why its inclusion of verses from the Qur’an is his “way to attract and inspire people toward Islam.”
Multiplayer received the statement late yesterday, following conversations with two Muslim experts who helped illuminate the reasons why Diabate’s song might trouble some Muslims and just how similar — or different — this situation is from the publication of the Danish cartoons that inspired deadly riots across the world.
They note the complication that there is no explicit rule in Islam prohibiting a song like Diabate’s.
Diabate’s song first was initially flagged on the official PS3 message boards by a M... More »
LittleBigPlanet, going by its popularity, is Sony Computer Entertainment or SCE’s biggest release this year for the PS3.
Inevitably, it hasn’t had a conflict-free travel down its release path (the beta key frenzy, for instance) but plucky Sackboy and his platforming marvel has never included any controversy. So when SCEE declares its delaying LBP by a few days because:
“During the review process prior to the release of LittleBigPlanet, it has been brought to our attention that one of the background music tracks licensed from a record label for use in the game contains two expressions that can be found in the Qur’an. We have taken immediate action to rectify this and we sincerely apologise for any offence this may have caused”
You have to wonder whether this speaks of a plain old misunderstanding or honest-to-goodness fear arising from ignorance.
According to tradition, desecration of the sacred book of Qur’an is considere... More »
A Web site that a Dutch right-wing politician was planning to use to release a film expected to be fiercely critical of Islam has been suspended.
The US hosting service, Network Solutions, said it was investigating complaints that it may have breached guidelines on hate language.
Dutch politician Geert Wilders says the 15-minute film describes Islam as "the enemy of freedom". The planned release has sparked angry protests in many Muslim countries.
The Dutch government has disassociated itself from Mr Wilders' views, but there are fears the film will spark protests similar to those that followed the publication in Denmark two years ago of cartoons seen as offensive to Muslims.
The film has already been condemned by several Muslim countries, including Iran and Pakistan.
Hate messages
Mr Wilders' film is entitled Fitna, an Arabic word used to describe strife or discord, usually religious.
Pakistan has blocked access to the popular YouTube website because of content deemed offensive to Islam.
Its telecommunications authority ordered internet service providers to block the site until further notice.
Reports said the content included Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad that have outraged many.
But one report said a trailer for a forthcoming film by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, which portrays Islam in a negative light, was behind the ban.
"They asked us to ban it immediately... and the order says the ban will continue until further notice," said Wahaj-us-Siraj, convener of the Association of Pakistan Internet Service Providers.
"Users are quite upset. They're screaming at ISPs which can't do anything.
"The government has valid reason for that, but they have to find a better way of doing it. If we continue blocking popular websites, people will stop using the internet."
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