April 18, 2008
Pakistan's Daily Times reports that video games (and not just the violent ones) may be banned in neighboring Afghanistan if a legislative proposal currently under review is adopted.From the newspaper report:
An Afghan legislative committee has drafted a bill seeking to introduce Taliban-style Islamic morality codes... The draft... needs approval by both chambers of the Islamist-dominated parliament and President Hamid Karzai's (left) signature to become a law...
The proposals also demand an end to dog and bird-fighting, pigeon-flying, billiards and video games, all past times favoured by many Afghans... The plans mirror many of the laws introduced by the extremist Taliban regime, which ruled the country from 1996 to 2001 with strict Islamic Sharia law.
Via: Bloggey Kong
Comments
Re: Total Video Game Ban Proposed in Afghanistan
I think pool tables are something that bring people together not set them apart, certainly my local pool hall gets people off the street and doing something (just slightly!) more productive than what they would otherwise have been doing. As my friends in Thailand say, same-same but different
Re: Total Video Game Ban Proposed in Afghanistan
That is great you know sarcastically that is, because earlier Taliban had banned all sports like football and after the Taliban was thrown over people thought they had a life now no gaming that means another kind of dictatorship. I play pool on my video game for hours together. This is a complete violation of human right i'd say.
Fear is more universal than Jesus, as far as the US goes. So while the policies will be at least as restricting, they won't be a face-value religious standard. (Assuming they got/continue to get their way.)
God, I feel so sorry for these people. As Malygris said, the video game aspect is the least of worries compared to the rest their proposing.
I'm sure thats what Afghan JT would say. ;)
Y'know, I TRY to defend my people on some of our beliefs, but this is just ridiculous. Sometimes I wonder if I should bother to keep trying.
On the subject at hand i just find it rather ironic, we cant stop them so really where are we in the world now especially if we are defending them if this law passes. Are we then supporting the extremist groups who we say were responsible for the attacks that brought us to this place to begin with? As far as i see it now this law passes we have gone full circle with many dead and wounded to see a nice little circle jerk of pro democracy voices getting silenced quickly to only see the vocal minority pass the laws the way it used to be. The only change is how they were put into power, an elected legislature can trample rights as easily as a king or a dictator, democracy seems to not be as shiny as it used to be.
As it is the peoples elected representatives if they wish it changed they need to speak up or let the life slip back to the way it was and for certain groups in society nothing has changed. Women are still regarded poorly and looked down upon and homosexuality is still an offense more heinous than many felonies in the US.
Support Freedom i think not, we support Tyranny as we have since this whole clusterf**k started.
Wow...
Islamic countries tend to become pretty theocratic. IMO, a theocracy is mutually exclusive to freedom and common sense. In a country where it would take a lifetime to buy a computer or gaming console making the average yearly income, I don't really think it's too much of a concern anyway.
Does this not sound familiar to anyone?
.....
What?
No seriously, WHAT???!!!
Im not serious!
How goes the opium fields?
As far as the Taliban goes, I can't say much. I know they were asking for evidence, and if it was valid, they would have turned Bin Laden over. The US didn't supply any, which isn't surprising since the FBI itself has said that they didn't have hard evidence linking Bin Laden to 9-11. And last I checked it wasn't on his rap sheet.
Most of the Taliban hotshots left before the invasion anyway. The US had already amassed troops at the borders prior to 9-11. And if IRC, the order to attack them was signed on the 10th.
Little off topic, but who's counting?
Is it just me, or has gaming there been grouped up with other pastimes that may involve gambling?
No worries about gaming being a called murder simulator over there - their factions have been shooting each other even before Tv was invented. Or bolt-actions rifles for that matter.
End to Dog and Bird fighting.. okay, that's acceptable. Harming animals is counter-productive and creates a bad image for the country.. Banning billiards... Now you just look like psychopaths who are convinced that tiny ceramic spheres will bring God's wrath down upon you.
Oh, right, the video game ban. Yeah, dumb.
Gift.
Ahmed2: More than being a constant warzone?
Ahmed: Yes more than being a constant warzone let's ban anything our people like to do that involves escapism and getting away from the harsh reality they live in.
Ahmed2: Ahmed my brother you are so holy you surely will go to heaven, the suffering you cause on others in the name of being righteous is just so beautiful.
The extremists in the middle east = American christian fundamentalists.
This is yet another arguement for why we shouldn't have invaded Iraq. We were obviously not done in Afganistan. I mean, seriously? Before the Taliban, Afganistan was on the fast track to becoming quite the modern country. Women even wore western clothing and attended Universities. Then boom, Islamic extremism turned the country into a shithole. We go in and oust the extremists... only for them to elect more extremists? What are they, masochists?
Bring all the soldiers home now and let them stew in their own injustice.
Any level headed Christian will tell you to love the sinner and hate the sin. Not to discriminate against the sinner but extend them peace and love. Jesus Christ himself spent most of his adult life with some of the most hated and disrespected people of his times because he knew that they needed the most help.
I have found your statements in these comments to be some of the most blatantly offensive I've ever read. Your comments are nearly to the point of fearmongering.
Sorry to be off topic.
He said "Christian Zealots" , I think that pretty much implies extremist Christianity. And yes, if those sort ever did come to power, than yes, many of the rights and fun that we take for granted now WOULD be taken away.
He never said all Christians = EVIL.
Haven't you been paying attention these past few years? In full force, they have been active in efforts to censor media, ban abortions, repress gays, and push creationism and put us back into the dark ages.
Are these actions the result of all christians? Of course not- just like these new Afghan laws are likely pushed by a vocal minority. That does not change the fact that these laws are very real.
In general, I don't think the "fundamentalists" will ever gain much power here. Voters like putting Christians in office, but usually only ones that are tempered with moderate tendancies. Extremism doesn't sell very well in politics, at least not in the US. Oh sure, we love to listen to extreme leftists and rightists on the radio, but we (most of us) don't want them to have any real power.
Zerodash does tend to bring this up a lot, but it is relevant, and outside of semantics or the gross generalizations (that I'm not confident he even intends) it's largely true.
I'm under the impression that the Middle East was meant to be further destabalized, I said it before either of the wars. I'm also 99% sure that there are PNAC, Builderburg, CFR, etc reports that suggest my theory was their plan all along.
I do however depart from Zero in terms of the overarching mechanics of these politicians. I believe that the 'War on Terror' is an absolute farse, and it's merely an open ticket to pass draconian laws, and utilize fear to rally the people behind whatever agenda is on their tables.
"Any level headed Christian will tell you to love the sinner and hate the sin."
How fortunate that you have such Politicians.
And this is Afghanistan governing itself. The Afghan people have been liberated by the foreign oppressors (the Taliban) and now can choose their own destiny. That is a beautiful thing. As for the bill, it hasn't passed yet. Let's wait and see before going all alarmist.
My main intent when I bring this up is to point out that religious extremists in the mid-east aren't any different from the ones we have in the west.
Its easy to sit and laugh at how "backwards", "barbaric", and "archaic" the muslim world is. We really aren't so different from these "backwards" people as a society. The only difference is that the zealots have more power in those nations.
I still contend that the zealots in the USA must be treated as a serious threat.
The whats?
I think he thinks I'm a 9-11 Truther? /shrug
Even if that's what you mean, you still make horribly offensive generalizations about all Christians. Remember when you said the entire faith is a hate group? And there is a GIGANTIC difference.
1) The zealots are not mainstream here. Fearmonger about them all you want, but they still have no power.
2) We have constitutional laws to protect us.
3) I can't exactly speak for Islam, but the zealots often forget God's teachings when they preach this kind of thing.
4) When they become an actual threat (read: they do something) we treat them as such.
5) We are far past these people. The very fact that the zealots do not have power can be offered as proof.
@ Zerodash, I'm sorry if I jumped the gun on you, but you haven't always been as level headed in your comments that clearly show your dislike of christianity.
@ Wag
“Any level headed Christian will tell you to love the sinner and hate the sin.”
Silly how the Bible says to hate the sinner and hate the sin. But I guess that's the modern Christian's interpetation of the Bible.
@ Rhade
For me I can't say anything with regards to your theory, but you've got a point of how politicians have used the "War on Terror" to establish unfair laws.
Given if the 'Patriot Act' was given a different name and was sold without even saying anything with regards to terrorism. There would've have been an uproar, but that's not what happened. With a small mention of terrorists and an American sounding name people approved of this unconstitutional document right away without reading the damned paper. Kind of sad how America is being manipulated, and isn't it a wonder that all politicians had to be extremely wealthy if they wanted to go on these campaign trips?
Please point out the line in the Bible where it says hate the SINNER. Please. It would enlighten a lot of Christians who frequent this blog. I am familiar with the passage that says hate the sin but nowhere have I seen the other part. If you're going to quote something please reference where it is.
It is statements like yours, good sir, that give people who AREN'T Christians a bad name. It's easy enough to say a certain group of people is this or that. It's something else entirely to realize AND accept that that is a minority. I suppose that would simply be common sense though right?
I didn't realise GP was in Pakistan?!??!
Nice one.