No more arcades in Afghanistan?

[Melf]

From gamers.com:

Though Afghanistan has regained a certain amount of cultural freedom since the ouster of its hard-line Islamic government two years ago, that freedom apparently doesn't extend to Afghan game fans. According to a report by the Associated Press, government authorities recently closed more than 300 videogame shops in the city of Jalalabad, alleging that they were a source of moral corruption.
The problem, apparently, is not the games themselves, but the activities that seem to invariably accompany them. Since the fall of the previous government, the game arcades that have opened up around Afghanistan's cities have become centers for drinking and gambling, which are forbidden by Islam, still Afghanistan's dominant religion. As is the nature of arcades worldwide, they have also drawn children away from school.

"The morals of the young people were corrupted there," said Haji Ajab Shah, chief of Jalalabad's police. "Many things were done there that are forbidden by Islam."

Mohammed Asif Qazizada, deputy governor of the eastern province of which Jalalabad is the largest city, ordered the police crackdown in response to complaints from parents.

That sucks that people are gambiling and stuff around arcades. It does suck even worse, however, that religion is part of the police action.

[SapphirePhoenix]

Games corrupt morals!? With all the half naked women jumping around in fight mode, and machineguns, tanks and sharpshooter games blasting peoples' heads off? And you say they take kids away from school!! To gamble and drink?

[Ste-Von]

Originally posted by Melf
It does suck even worse, however, that religion is part of the police action.

Fucking word.

[cka]

So, there's no more arcades there. SOUNDS AWFULLY FAMILIAR TO MY GOD DAMN CITY.

[Brisco Bold]

Originally posted by cka
So, there's no more arcades there. SOUNDS AWFULLY FAMILIAR TO MY GOD DAMN CITY.

HEAR, HEAR!

[cka]

Oh wait, my mistake... while I'm waiting for a movie to start I can go play decade old garbage like MvC in the theater's "arcade".

[voltz]

THEY HAD ARCADES!!?

It sucks they can't play them anymore and this may extend to consoles as well.

I never thought I'd be against religion, but FUCK Islam anyway.

[Calliander]

Originally posted by SapphirePhoenix
Games corrupt morals!? With all the half naked women jumping around in fight mode, and machineguns, tanks and sharpshooter games blasting peoples' heads off? And you say they take kids away from school!! To gamble and drink?

Joe can bite me.

VIDEO GAMES DO NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THE BEHAVIOR OF CHILDREN!!!

Dammit.

[sleeve]

I'm just impressed that there are already 300 videogame shops in the city of Jalalabad.

Glad to know the Afghanis have got their priorities straight.

[radiant]

ordered the police crackdown in response to complaints from parents.

Nice to see that parents are just as incompetent in other parts of the world as they are here.