Actually finding Allah in an Unlikely Place

Submitted by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (United Kingdom), Aug 17, 2011 at 06:11

Dr. Pipes:

The following case concerning a video game dates back more than a decade ago, but is somewhat timely in light of the fact that said game has very recently been re-released for a new console (the Nintendo '3DS'). This game- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time- originaly featured for the soundtrack of one of the dungeons a sampling of chanting from the Qur'an:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkmeU2ilbJg&feature=related

It's mostly blurred (perhaps intentionally so), but go from around 2:36 onwards in the video and the chanting becomes quite clear. The following phrases can be heard: 'bismillah al-rahman al-raheem', 'allahu akbar' and 'la illah ha il allah'.

Nintendo subsequently changed the soundtrack in later versions of the game for the dungeon in question, obviously fearing an outcry from Muslims, although it's not known whether Nintendo changed it pre-emptively or Islamist groups complained privately to the company.

Incidentally, there was another controversy over the fact that the Gerudo- a desert-dwelling people in the game from which the primary antagonist Ganondorf comes- had the familiar crescent and star as their symbol. Later versions also dropped this feature.

Surely this case could be added to your list?

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