A new virtual world has launched that is bound to bring some controversy in its wake. It's called Muxlim Pal, and it's an interactive, 3D chat room similar in style and function to Habbo Hotel. The significant difference is in the type of gamer they cater to; while Habbo attempts to bring youth in, Muxlim Pal is focusing on a different group: Muslims.

“We are not a religious site, we are a site that is focused on the lifestyle,” Muxlim.com founder Mohamed El-Fatatry told the BBC. “This is for anyone who is remotely interested in the Muslim culture and the Muslim lifestyle.

Players have the ability to customize their avatar and play for free, but premium content, such as new clothing, comes at a cost. This business model isn’t unique – the aforementioned Habbo Hotel has been raking in virtual money for years with a similar setup – but this method and the targeted audience is strange for this product.

I find it strange, in the political climate currently surrounding both religion and the video game industry, that any company would take this risk. Sony recently recalled a major release already en route to retailers because of simple references to lines of the Quran in a song.  Hopefully this is taken with more compassion as it’s related closely to Muxlim.com, a prominent website in the Muslim community. We’ll keep you posted on any updates, but hopefully there will be none.

[Source]

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