Mecca To Medina" Opening Gameplayers Eyes to Islamic and Muslim Traditions

A new card/dice game bridges the cultural divide between the Eastern and Western worlds.

Sherman Oaks, CA (PRWEB) April 11, 2005 -- Muslim Games today announced the worldwide debut of a new card/dice game called Mecca to Medina." A fast-paced game that blends the strategy of card play with the luck of the dice, Mecca to Medina" appeals to a global audience.

The first company solely devoted to manufacturing games for Muslims, Muslim Games strives to bridge the cross-cultural gap that currently exists in the United States. By promoting understanding between Eastern and Western cultures, Mecca to Medina" brings diverse people together in a fun environment. The game is designed for players ages eight and up, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.

An August 20, 2004 article at IslamOnline revealed that in the wake of 9/11, the percentage of Americans who are unsympathetic toward Islam has reached 38% of the population. At the same time, the percentage of Americans who wish to know more about Muslims and Arabs is about two thirds of the U.S. population. Both misunderstanding and curiosity over Muslims abound.

By introducing non-Muslims to such concepts as The Five Pillars of Islam, Mecca to Medina" sates this curiosity and simultaneously clears up some of the misconception.

Pitting player against player, the goal of Mecca to Medina" is to complete a series of Trading Routes faster than ones opponents by collecting the required symbolic resources. Combining geography and world culture into its game play, Mecca to Medina" is as educational as it is entertaining. Unlike other board games, action lurks around every corner of Mecca to Medina," with every roll of the dice spurring activity, even when its not a players turn.

With only a prototype in hand, both Muslims and non-Muslims are already praising Mecca to Medina" for its ingenuity. Ed West, a non-Muslim and thirty-year veteran of board games, gives the game high marks for its unpredictability: No matter what plans you have, there are random events and other player actions that can mess up what you wanted to do. I like that. It keeps the game fresh every time you play."

Ushruf Abouelnasr, a Muslim who typically favors video games over board games, admits about himself and his friends: We have been hooked! I love both the suspense and the negotiating aspect of the game."

An American Religious Identity Survey (ARIS) conducted in 2001 conservatively estimated that there were 1.1 million adult Muslims in the U.S., making Islam the nations third most prevalent religion. Current mainstream media estimates that number to be five to seven times higher. No matter the actual figure, the need for entertainment that caters to the growing Muslim American population obviously exists. Muslim Games aims to fill that gaping marketing void with a game for every Muslim."

For more information on Muslim Games Mecca to Medina" rules of play, visit the companys Website at http://www.muslimgames.com/. To learn how to purchase a copy of the game, contact Baba Ali at (818) 648-6891 or email Muslim Games at pr@muslimgames.com.

Contact:

Baba Ali

818-648-6891

4441 Woodman Ave. Suite #103

Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

http://www.muslimgames.com/