The Council on American-Islamic Relations joins the Christian Alliance for Progress, the Campaign to Defend the Constitution, and Talk2Action in asking uber-retailer Wal-Mart to pull the controversial, not that great, no longer endorsed by Kotaku in any way shape or form religious strategy game, Left Behind: Eternal Forces.

Outside of potentially good taste, why does the CAIR take issue with Left Behind? From the recently issued press release:

We believe the message this game is promoting is one of religious intolerance. The game's enemy team includes people with Muslim-sounding names. When asked about the Arab and Muslim-sounding names, Left Behind Games' President Jeffrey Frichner said, 'Muslims are not believers in Jesus Christ'—and therefore cannot be on the side of Jesus in the game. As you may know, Muslims do in fact revere Jesus as one of God's prophets.

Ooh! Factual smackdown! The group also warned Wal-Mart that they believe "this type of product only serves to dehumanize others and increase interfaith hostility and mistrust." Will Wal-Mart cave?

Full release and more of the letter after the jump. Michael McWhertor

CAIR Asks Wal-Mart to Drop Game Glorifying Religious Violence

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today asked Wal-Mart to stop selling a video game that glorifies religious violence and may harm interfaith relations.

CAIR says it has received complaints about the game "Left Behind: Eternal Forces," produced by Left Behind Games Inc. The game reportedly rewards players for either converting or killing people of other faiths.

In a letter to Wal-Mart CEO H. Lee Scott Jr., CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad wrote in part:

"We believe the message this game is promoting is one of religious intolerance. The game's enemy team includes people with Muslim-sounding names. When asked about the Arab and Muslim-sounding names, Left Behind Games' President Jeffrey Frichner said, 'Muslims are not believers in Jesus Christ' - - and therefore cannot be on the side of Jesus in the game. (San Francisco Chronicle, 12/12/06) As you may know, Muslims do in fact revere Jesus as one of God's prophets.

"In the post 9-11 climate, when improving interfaith relations should be a priority for all, this type of product only serves to dehumanize others and increase interfaith hostility and mistrust.

"Each year, CAIR issues an annual report on the status of American Muslim civil rights, outlining hundreds of incidents involving anti-Muslim discrimination, harassment and hate crimes. It is our experience that many of these incidents result from Islamophobic rhetoric and negative images of
Muslims in popular culture. . .

"We have no desire to stifle creativity or inhibit freedom of speech. However, it is our duty as America's leading Islamic civil rights group to promote mutual understanding and ensure the safety of Americans of all faiths.

"We also believe that as a company that prides itself in hiring and offering services to a diverse group of people, it is Wal-Mart's corporate social responsibility to take into account the potential social impact of
its decision to sell this harmful game. We, therefore, respectfully request the removal of the video game 'Left Behind: Eternal Forces' from your shelves."

CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

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