'Visitor' holding up protest sign
Online visit to 'Palestinian Holocaust museum'
Virtual world of Second Life joins battle over public opinion between Israel and Palestinians: Qatar-based group builds 3-D museum dedicated to victims of Israeli military 'in context of new holocaust'
While the cannons are roaring and Israel
and the Palestinians are engaged in war
not only in Gaza but also over the international public opinion, a new museum titled the "Palestinian Holocaust Memorial Museum" was opened.
This museum, which includes photos, displays and information on the fighting in Gaza is not made out of bricks but out of pixels and is located in the virtual world of Second Life (SL).
Over 6,000 visitors in 24 hours
Second Life is a three-dimensional virtual world accessible via the internet in which surfers are represented by 3-D models of themselves. In order to visit the museum, users must download and install the SL software.
The organization behind the Palestinian holocaust museum is IslamOnline, which is based in Qatar but intended for Egyptian surfers.
According to its creators, "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."
Inspired by Washington Holocaust museum
The museum reported that over 6,700 people have already visited the site since it was opened. Visitors receive kaffiyehs (a traditional Palestinian headdress) and protest signs upon entry.
The museum itself was designed, according to one of its designers, with the Washington Holocaust Memorial Museum in mind. The decision to copy the architecture from there was motivated by the desire to illustrate the depths of the Palestinian suffering, he explained.
The first floor of the virtual building features boards that present the personal stories of the war's civilian casualties, including a long list of child victims.
On the second floor there is a room with its walls painted black. On the floor is a bright-colored carpet and an empty baby's cradle with a blanket and a teddy bear. Pictures of babies killed by the IDF are screened on the room's walls.
