Israel's War on Gaza Reaches SecondLife

The Web2.0 war waged on Gazan civilians and the Israeli atrocities in Gaza has reached the virtual shores of SecondLife. Designed with the Washington Holocaust Memorial Museum in mind, Qatar-based virtual architects have extended the online Palestinian Holocaust Museum to embrace the massively collaborative online 3D environment SecondLife.

According to the creators of the SecondLife version: "The Palestinian Holocaust Memorial Museum will feature the photos, names and stories of Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces in the context of a new Holocaust. PHMM will highlight the elements of the new Holocaust; the locations, weapons and impacts. Testimonies of the survivors will also be published."

Rezzed on 4 January 2009, the first 24-hours saw 6,000 SecondLife avatars visit the memorial museum. The building's ground floor displays intimate personal accounts of the civilian casualties, including a long list of child victims (167 verified and counting to date). One flight up is a dark room, black walls ominously enclosing an empty infant cradle, with photo updates of babies killed by the Israeli IDF screened on the room's walls. SecondLife Palestinian Holocaust Memorial Museum avatar guests are offered kaffiyehs (customary Palestinian headdress) and protest signs upon entry.