Review of Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque
I have no particular love of Islam, but I must admit I hold Muslims in a certain esteem. The works of Abd al-Rahman Ibn Khaldun, for example, are highly significant and I have gleaned value from them, or even say René Guénon who as a Frenchman left Catholicism for Sufism. Even when Christians (usually Protestants) attack figures like Ibn Khaldun, all they succeed in doing is demonstrating how ignorant Muslims (even their scholars) were in regards to Christian theology and thought, and thus even these great minds cannot produce a cogent argument against Christ or His Church. The achievements of Islam I see more as the product of the quality of the Arabs and Persians who defined what the teachings of Mohamed would be. It is a testament to the quality and vigour of the Arab and Persian peoples that, despite finding themselves wed to a religion which venerates a pedophile and has suffered the consequences of institutionalized inbreeding for centuries, they still remain a formidable adversary to Western nations and Christendom. Unlike the secularists, modernists, and degenerates they are a worthy enemy, and in the field of politics, a valuable ally against the forces which seek our shared annihilation. I admire the Islamic dedication and commitment to their faith, which shames many a Christian most of whom can be said to be only nominally faithful.
In regards to the perennial struggle between Jews and Palestinians in the Holy Land, I have made my position clear.1 In a battle between two forces, both of which are nominally hostile to my interests, I support neither. That being said, Christians have existed in the Holy Land for millennia and it was only until Israel was created that we saw a mass exodus of Christians occur. For example, all through the Islamic period, Bethlehem was a majority Christian city and in the 21st century (even before the events of October 7th 2023 and the subsequent renewal of conflict) it is well under 10% Christian. Before Israel started bombing Gaza, there already existed a genocide in Palestine and it was instituted by Zionist Jews against the people of my faith and members of my Church. I do not condone terror. I do not think Hamas was right to attack Israel on October 7th 2023, however we do know that some of the deaths inflicted to Israeli soldiers and civilians was caused by IDF forces in accordance with the Hannibal Directive.2 While I do not support Hamas’ attack, I am deeply sympathetic to the Palestinians who feel like such a brazen attack was their only chance out of the squalor they are subjected to. That out being liberation or martyrdom.
From a Christian perspective, the Jews have no right or claim to the Holy Land. The Jews were rightfully expelled and scattered, for firstly rejecting Jesus as Christ and for waging war against the Romans who, until that point, respected their religion and nominal control over Judea. Lest we forget, it was king Herod, a Jew3, who had all the male infants slaughtered so that his power would not be challenged. The Romans seemed to care little for what happened in Judea so long as the taxes came in on time and there was social and political stability. The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD is not an account of Jewish victimhood, it is an example of the Jews once again facing the consequences of their actions both against God and the secular rulers whom He has placed over them. Upon his victory, the Emperor Titus refused to accept a wreath of victory for, to him, there was “no merit in vanquishing people forsaken by their own God”. The Jews have no right to the Holy Land; all traces of their temple are gone. This might be surprising to some, as many mistakenly believe that the Wailing Wall is a remnant of the Second Temple, but one is only able to believe this if they do not honour the words of Christ. Scripture states:
He said “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”4
So unless Christ was incorrect or a liar, “not one stone” of the temple will remain, rendering the Wailing Wall to most likely be the remains of a Roman wall.
Not even all Jews believe that the Holy Land is rightfully theirs. There are a number of anti-Zionist Jews, but one telling example is former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Rabin sought out peace with Palestinians and recognized the PLO. He even intended to allow for the creation of a Palestinian state and did not desire the acquisition of Palestinian territories, for he said something to the effect of “the Torah not being a land register”. Unfortunately, Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Zionist and Israel has taken a hawkish stance against the Palestinians ever since. It was the Muslims whom, to no fault of their own, found themselves subject to deportations, land confiscation, and extrajudicial killings. Israel was born of terrorism, not of the Islamic variety but that of groups like Irgun, Haganah, and Lehi operating in the British Mandate of Palestine, which terrorized Muslim and Christian Palestinians, and assassinated British officials at for example the King David Hotel. So no, I have no sympathy for Israel’s existence, but the fact of reality is that it does exist and that is a reality we all have to live with. I do not condone violence, but I understand fully why downtrodden people would adopt it. As for Hamas I know there was a time when the Israelis and Americans empowered them as a potential alternative to Palestinian groups, which were Soviet aligned.5 The Israelis have also used the existence of Hamas to justify their failing to negotiate a peaceful settlement for Palestinians, or to recognize their interests at all. All I do know is that Hamas is not currently oppressing or expelling Christians, and although given a hypothetical Hamas victory over Israel this is possible, we must consider things as they currently are. As for Hezbollah, as an Eastern Christian6 I feel as though I owe them some form of debt. When ISIS (which was initially supported by the United States and Israel to topple Syria) was unleashed and began to seize territories in Iraq and Syria, it was Hezbollah who came first to oppose those barbarians. Hezbollah took the initial brunt of ISIS’ attacks, being that they were Shia as opposed to Sunni, and Hezbollah took it upon themselves to defend the Christians of the Middle East, primarily Eastern Orthodox. If it was not for Hezbollah, the Christians of Iraq and Syria would have been exterminated. There is footage of Hezbollah soldiers inside of churches where they appear to be respectful, some are even shown to be praying. Yes of course, these videos and images could all be fake and propaganda created at my expense, however what would that imply, that Hezbollah would create propaganda to ingratiate itself to Christians? When we consider the Israel offering, where we had a video recently surface where IDF soldiers desecrate an Orthodox church in southern Lebanon by simulating homosexual acts therein,7 well the choice appears evident. Hezbollah saved the lives of my people, and I am sure they have their faults but for that they have my eternal gratitude. We have even seen some eastern Christians return the favour, with their existing Christian members of Hezbollah although I have only seen Armenian examples thus far. Lastly, in its war against ISIS and the other anti-Assad terrorists in Syria, Russian forces worked with and armed Hezbollah. If Russia is able to find Hezbollah agreeable, especially considering their tumultuous experiences with the Muslims of the Caucuses, then I likewise am able to do the same.
Now that the preamble is done, we can discuss a video game. Considering my current financial state, the purchase of a new video game was hardly a prudent use of my meagre funds, alas when I learned that the government of the United Kingdom was implementing a ban on Fursan al-Aqsa, I immediately decided to purchase the game while the opportunity still existed. In Fursan al-Aqsa one takes on the role of a Palestinian freedom fighter and is tasked with enacting violence against the forces of the (literal) Zionist Occupied Government. The game is a spectacle, one which does not take itself seriously despite dealing with a very serious subject matter. One could be forgiven for believing that the game was made to discredit the Palestinian cause, for it is so over the top that if someone of a centrist or modernist disposition were to mistakenly take it seriously, they would see it as the embodiment of all that they have been taught to reject and loathe. This is why the game is now banned in the UK. However, Fursan al-Aqsa is not an offensive game. Its over the top nature disarms any offence one could take regarding it or its creator’s politics. The game has deliberately been created as something not to be taken seriously, and thus the only people who do take it seriously and take offence of it do so as a choice. Fursan al-Aqsa is a funny game where instead of Germans, Russians, or Arabs, one fights members of the Israeli military. Instead of an American or Israeli perspective, we are presented with the perspective of a Palestinian, not only in the guise of the character we control but also from that of the game’s creator. Instead of responding to violence with further violence, the creator of Fursan al-Aqsa has created an enjoyable experience that is a testament to both his own good humour, and the resilience of his people. Fursan al-Aqsa is not a perfect game but it achieves everything I believe its creator has set out to accomplish.
1 https://godkingandnation.wordpress.com/2021/05/18/a-tale-of-two-heathens-the-israel-palestine-conflict/
2 https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-07-07/ty-article-magazine/.premium/idf-ordered-hannibal-directive-on-october-7-to-prevent-hamas-taking-soldiers-captive/00000190-89a2-d776-a3b1-fdbe45520000
3 It is believed that Herod was not ethnically Jewish, however he did rule as the “king of the Jews” and kept their religious practices. He was not a pagan overlord challenging Jewish or Pharisaical control over Judea.
4 Matthew 24: 1-2, KJV.
5 Again, in Hamas we have another example of Western and Western-aligned parties funding and supporting an Islamic group and having the same group later become an enemy. As a westerner, our nations should cease funding and arming Islamic movements for even if they appear to be aligned with our interests in the short run, they seldom are in the long. This is why I do not feel it is prudent to politically work with Muslims, although current circumstances do force us to consider certain non-ideal partnerships. However, the last thing we want to end up empowering is our own version of Hamas or the Mujaheddin.
6 In confession, not ethnically or geographically.
7 https://www.newarab.com/news/israeli-soldiers-desecrate-church-south-lebanon