Looking Back: The Palestinian Extremist Sim

 

In real-life news, it's been about a month since the Hamas terrorist organization attacked Israel. In the resulting carnage, over 1400 Israelis were killed, notably many civilians in their own neighborhoods or attending a music concert. There have been numerous stories of grenades tossed into safe rooms where terrified families were hiding, and piles of decapitated babies. Many were also taken hostage. American visitors were among both the dead and abducted. 

 

In response, Israel responded by bombing Hamas positions in Gaza, the tiny but densely populated strip of land controlled by the terrorists, and then following up with an invasion. With so many people in the place and the terrorists taking positions so close to where noncombatants lived, the result has been scores of civilian casualties. With the stories of civilian suffering, there have been numerous calls among neighboring Arab states for a ceasefire, and pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the US and Europe. But there has been no alternative plan to get rid of the terrorists. 

 

Eleven years ago in November 2012, there was a less devastating attack on Israel from Hamas involving a number of rockets, resulting in a fight in which Hamas claimed victory despite coming out of it heavily damaged. In Second Life, there was also a Palestinian militant propaganda sim, Jordan River. The place was full of propaganda, referring to the Israelis as "Zionists," comparing them to Nazis, and calling for the end of the nation of Israel. Others spoke out against the place, Hamlet Au of New World Notes calling it a place with the "most extreme forms of expression."One commentator would say, "It seems strange to me that one can have a sim that calls for the annhilation of the state of Israel. And that's okay. But if (I) created one calling for the annhilation of Syria, Iran, Palestine or Egypt, why, then I'd be in violation of the TOS for 'hate speech'. Seems unfair to me."

 

Checking again several months later, Jordon River was gone. While it's possible the owner closed the sim on his own, more likely Linden Lab finally caught wind of the place and shut it down. 

Bixyl Shuftan

Visiting Second Life Israel

Grey Lupindo has been out traveling again. In her most recent article, she checks out Israel Island. She found much to look at, such as history and memorials. But that wasn't all. There were displays of artwork, a balloon tour, music, and more.

Read more in Places.

Palestinian Extremist Sim Gone

In November last year, Second Life Newser reported on the Jordan River sim (article), of which the owners had built an area to support the cause of Palestinian terrorist groups whose goal it was to topple and overthrow the state of Israel. Taking a look back there recently, the Arabic scripts and black, red, & white flags were gone. The sim was now in someone else's hands for whatever other means they wanted, and all of the propaganda gone.

It is unclear exactly when in the previous year the old owners lost the sim, and why. Perhaps Linden Lab finally decided to put their foot down about residents actively calling out for the end of a democratic country, and it's people (which include Muslim and Christian Arabs among it's citizens and government, in addition to the descendants of Jewish people from Europe whom had returned to the place of their ancestral orgin). Or perhaps it was closed from the owners not being able to pay their teir. Or maybe it's builders closed it on their own, deciding there was a better use for their time and money.

Whatever the reason, while the end of a sim is usually a sad occasion, this time most residents are more likely to take the news with relief.

Bixyl Shuftan

Palestinian Propaganda Sim

Recent events in the news included the latest eruption of violence between Israel and the Palestinians with the launching of rockets into the former from Gaza. It isn't just in the news that one can find Arabs and Israeli's bickering. There's a sim in Second Life owned by residents supporting Palestinian resistance, made as a place to display propaganda.

Read more in Places.