Gamers can be a juvenile bunch, and inevitably some people who simply want to play games get caught in the crossfire between large corporations trying not to offend anyone and teenagers who think slurs are the height of comedy. Just ask Richard Gaywood, a gamer who got his account deleted in 2008 because Microsoft decided to delete any usernames that referred to homosexuality. And it’s happening again, only worse, with a gamer named Jihad, who’s seen Sony delete his entire account because they decided his handle, iJihad, was offensive, after nearly a decade of using it.
Why? Well, Sony claims it’s because other gamers might find his name offensive:
https://twitter.com/iJihad/status/747396164308320256
If you were wondering, no one is allowed to change their name on PSN. It’d be one thing if he were saddled with an unfortunate name and just had to make the best of it. The Hashtags and Nevaehs just have to deal, sadly, as they can never be fully rid of their parents’ folly. But Jihad is in a slightly different situation: His name, where he lives, is perfectly normal, but where other people live, it’s been deemed offensive.
To elaborate, while in America media it’s often used to denote terrorist acts, “jihad” is a complicated word that usually applies to an internal struggle or any outward struggle whether or not it involves violence. Literally translated, jihad means “effort,” not “war.” Currently, Jihad is trying to get his account back and is rallying the Internet to his cause. He’ll likely get his stuff returned to him, but he’s likely to remain incredibly upset at Sony. And really, who could blame him?
(via Kotaku)