What’s the story?
The latest controversy in the world of gaming has arisen from an unlikely source, as the widely played game, Counter-Strike is said to have thrown up a heated point of debate for some.
As visible in the image above, the Dua, which is recited while entering a Masjid, is written multiple times on the walls beside the long doors in the game Counter-Strike Global Offensive. Many gamers inadvertently fire on the writing, each of which includes the name of Allah, while attacking the Terrorist team.
Moreover, many gamers are known to use offensive language in front of the writing. This has enraged an Islamic community in Bangladesh, as they believe that the words have been placed there just to insult the religion.
In case you didn’t know…
Dust 2 is an iconic Bomb Defusal map featured in the CS series, which takes place in the Middle Eastern zone. It is arguably the most popular Counter-Strike map as the Counter-Terrorists are set on their objective of either preventing the Terrorists from planting C-4 or defusing the bomb after the Terrorists have planted it.
The heart of the matter
Dua literally means "invocation". It is, essentially, an expression of submission of faith to God and of one's neediness – an act of supplication. The term originates from an Arabic word which means to ‘call out’ or to ‘summon’ and Muslims all over the world regard this as a profound act of worship.
The followers of the religion consider it to be sacred. Now that Valve has included the writing on Dust 2, gamers, who are mostly unaware of what they mean, inadvertently shoot at it while trying to kill their opponents.
Gamers, who usually become very involved in the game, are often found cursing and hurling abuses at teammates when they make a mistake. This happens right in front of the writing and has hurt the sentiments of some of the Muslim gamers who have requested Valve to take it down.
What’s next?
It remains to be seen how Valve handles the issue. However, given the popularity of Dust 2, it is very unlikely that it will be taken down anytime soon.
Sportskeeda’s take
Obviously, Valve did not put the writing in Dust 2 just for the sake of insulting a religion. The map is based in the Middle East but was never made to oppose Muslims or the religion, for that matter. The fact that the writing has been included on the map indicates how realistic the game developers want it to be.
