r/modernwarfare • u/abukhuzayr • 13h ago
Discussion I got so frustrated with the writing of al-Qatala I completely rewrote, renamed and redesigned them.
In MW2019 and MWII, they served as the substitute for real-world transnational jihadist organizations except with the fact that al-Qatala was explicitly written to not be a religious organization, but rather an “anarchist” anti-imperialist organization. This came to me as unrealistic however, as although I am aware of the fact that the devs did not want to get controversy for painting the usual bad Muslim trope, the trade-off came with several more problems.
Problems of al-Qatala
Namewise, their name is a problem itself. “The Killers”. Wow... this would’ve sound good if you were a 13-year-old on AO3 wanting to write a gritty COD fanfic without being blasted for using cliché stereotypes against Muslims. But using The Killers is horrible PR. Absolutely horrible PR. You don’t go around marketing your organization as “The Killers”, you need something that would captivate the people via shared grievances and a common enemy.
Other than that, their motives are also wildly unrealistic. As a Muslim myself, I am actually okay with some Muslims becoming the bad guys themselves. But calling the Arab bad guys and their motives “anarchists and anarchy” makes it seem like al-Qatala’s entire purpose is to accelerate the destruction of the world, especially given how they staged attacks like Picadilly and et cetera. Let me ask you, where have you seen this exact rhetoric in real life? Atomwaffen Division.
While I am aware their writing of it was to, as I repeat, avoid stereotypes against Islam and Muslims, it is worth to note that there are very specific strains of manhajs (eg. the Hazmiyya) that clearly fit the objectives of al-Qatala better. It’s worth to note that the social setting of the Arabs has always been centered around authority, whether to a clan, a race, or to God.
Design-wise, this is the worst insurgent flag I’ve ever seen. A splotch of paint and the words “al-Qatalah” in Arabic. Arial as well! Not to mention the blatantly blacked silhouettes of AKs below. It’s almost as if Omar Sulaman merely took 5 minutes to make this flag or searched up something like “generic arab terrorist flag”, coloured it yellow and said this was his organization’s flag.
My Revised Name, Lore, and Design
Al-Qassas (Arabic: القصاص), formally known as the Islamic Retribution Movement (Arabic: حركة القصاص الإسلامية) is a transnational jihadist organisation led by Omar Sulaman, known by the moniker as The Wolf. Formed in 2013 as an offshoot of the Urzik Liberation Force, al-Qassas aims to “restore the dignity of the Ummah” and “bringing divine retribution against the oppressors”.
Although their slogan says “fight in the way of Allah, but do not transgress,” their definition of transgression is very loose, as they were the ones behind the 2019 Picadilly Circus attack and a Russian chemical weapons theft that has left them becoming one of the most wanted groups in the world.
Their premise of retribution against imperialists powers has attracted many foreign converts and fighters, especially from impoverished regions affected by wars. Nonetheless, the hunt for The Wolf, its leader, is still ongoing.
The Wolf has stated once as for the reason behind the formation of al-Qassas;
“The West thinks we are easily bought, that we would happily surrender our sovereignty to them if they lend us a hand. I have seen this playbook one too many times. And I won’t let that happen. The Islamic Retribution Movement is for the oppressed and the meek, who have been betrayed by the West’s endless excuses of bureaucracy right when were were hung, slaughtered, like dogs. They will become the dogs next. They will face retribution.”
