A Saskatchewan father has created a game designed to teach Muslim children about Islam in a kid-friendly world. In just four months, Afridi Matin, a computer science student at the University of Regina, created his own game for kids to learn the religion of Islam. “It’s created for Muslim kids, where they can learn and grow with their parents,” he explained. “It doesn’t take parents or teachers out of the context, it brings them in too.” The game is called ‘Khalifah’, Islamic for one who is a steward of the earth. Matin says those traits are taught in the game. “He would have to take care of the town, take care of his neighbors, make sure he knows his neighbors well, and make sure their needs are met,” he explained. “He would need to grow plants, build his house. He would need to survive with food; he would need to gather food. He would need to pray five times a day whenever the call to prayer calls.” Matin says during the making of the game he wanted to include life lessons for his five-year-old son Roman. Khalifah is recommended for kids between the ages of 5-12, with the goal of parents and children collaborating on learning Arabic and the basics of Islam. Despite the Minecraft-style look, Matin says Khalifah is not similar. “In Minecraft, you have creepers there, you have a bunch of other monsters and whatnot. In Khalifah there’s nothing to scare the kids, and it’s all the good stuff that kids learn.” Matin hopes the game can strengthen the bond between the parents and the children. “They learn that it’s the whole community, it’s not just about yourself. You pray with the people, you basically help out your neighbors. You grow with them, you take favours, you give favours.” Matin says about 50 people in his community have signed up and created their own worlds since the game launched Oct. 15. The game is online-based. In order for friends to collaborate online, those participating must send and accept a code from each other.
