The Global Alliance of Muslims for Equality (GAME) is a Muslim youth advocacy group that has members in the United States, South America, Europe, and the Middle East. ¹ It was founded in 2017 by Padraig O’Malley, ² an Irish professor, author, and recognized international peacemaker who specializes in the problems of “divided societies.” ³

GAME was an endorser of the January 2024 March on Washington for Gaza which was organized or endorsed by several liberal and socialist groups, including American Muslims for Palestine, Muslims Students Association, Communist Party USA, Democratic Socialists of America, Green Party of the United States, and American Party of Labor. ^{4 5}

Background

Global Alliance of Muslims for Equality (GAME) is an organization of Muslim youth founded by peacemaker and academic Padraig O’Malley. Its purpose is to advocate for the rights of Muslims. Its inaugural conference took place in Ireland in October 2017 where its charter was created. ⁶

O’Malley opened the conference by describing GAME as an organization meant to bring young Muslim people together to create a sense of belonging and to advocate for the rights of Muslims and against Islamophobia. ⁷ The charter created at the GAME conference committed to “dialogue, training, and media” to spread its message against discrimination and in support of Muslims globally. The 35 members who signed the charter were from Germany, Belgium, Kosovo, Italy, France, Bosnia, Albania, and Libya. ⁸

GAME has annual conferences and uses public forums, education, and dialogue to advance the rights of Muslims. ⁹

In 2020, GAME began partnering with Islamic Resource Group (IRG) to spread dialogue and education about Muslims into the United States. ¹⁰ With more involvement in the United States, GAME’s Facebook page shared several left-of-center posts, including condemnation of George Floyd’s death, references to “systemic harm and racist oppression of Black and brown bodies inflicted by police officers,” support for the shutdown of the Dakota gas pipeline, and condemnation of Israel and support for Palestine and Gaza. ¹¹

March on Washington for Gaza

GAME was an endorser of the March on Washington for Gaza which took place on January 13, 2024. The March demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to the United States “funding of Israel’s genocide against Gaza,” and an investigation into Israel’s crimes against humanity, holding them accountable for war crimes and violations of international law. ¹² It was part of a “global day of action” against the war between Israel and Palestine. ¹³

The March was organized by the American Muslim Task Force on Palestine which includes American Muslims for Palestine, Council on American Islamic Relations, Islamic Circle of North America, Muslim American Society, Muslims Students Association, Muslim Legal Fund of America, Muslim Ummah of North America, and Young Muslims. ¹⁴

In addition to GAME, other endorsers of the March on Washington for Gaza included several liberal and socialist groups including Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine, American Friends Service Committee, socialist organization American Party of Labor, CODEPINK, Communist Party USA, Democratic Socialists of America, Extinction Rebellion, Foundation for Economic and Social Justice, Green Party of the United States, IfNotNow, MPower Change, United National Antiwar Coalition, and Workers World Party. ¹⁵

Leadership

GAME founder Padraig O’Malley was born in Ireland and attended University College Dublin. He moved to the United States and completed his education at Yale, Tufts, and Harvard University. ¹⁶

O’Malley is a professor of Peace and Reconciliation at the University of Massachusetts and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is an academic specializing in the problems of “divided societies” such as Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Iraq. He has participated in meetings that bring together individuals from the parties in conflict in attempts to move toward peace and has written several books on the topic, ^{17 18} including The Two-State Delusion: Israel and Palestine – A Tale of Two Narratives which claims that a two-state solution is no longer possible. ¹⁹

1. “Where We Work.” Global Alliance of Muslims for Equality. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://game4equality.com/where-we-work/
2. “Our Team.” Global Alliance of Muslims for Equality. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://game4equality.com/our-team/
3.  “Padraig O’Malley.” UMass Boston. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.umb.edu/moakley/padraig-omalley/
4. March on Washington for Gaza homepage. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://march4gaza.org/
5. “Endorsers.” March on Washington for Gaza. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://march4gaza.org/endorsers/
6. LinkedIn – GAME – Global Alliance of Muslims for Equality. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/company/game-global-alliance/about/
7. Facebook – GAME – Global Alliance of Muslims for Equality. March 26, 2017 post. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/game4equality
8. GAME Charter. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.dropbox.com/s/j398iyjon77zf25/GAME%20SIGNED%20CHARTER.pdf?dl=0
9. Facebook – GAME – Global Alliance of Muslims for Equality. January 3, 2020 post. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/game4equality.
10. Facebook – GAME – Global Alliance of Muslims for Equality. March 1, 2020 post. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/game4equality
11. Facebook – GAME – Global Alliance of Muslims for Equality. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/game4equality
12. “What We Want.” March on Washington for Gaza. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://march4gaza.org/what-we-want/
13. NBC Washington Staff. “Photos: Thousands march for Gaza in Washington, DC.” January 13, 2024. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.nbcwashington.com/local/photos-thousands-march-for-gaza-in-washington-dc/3515627/
14. March on Washington for Gaza homepage. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://march4gaza.org/
15. “Endorsers.” March on Washington for Gaza. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://march4gaza.org/endorsers/
16. “O’Malley The Heart of Hope.” Nelson Mandela Foundation – Archive. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://omalley.nelsonmandela.org/index.php/site/q/03lv01508/04lv01509/05lv01512.htm
17. LinkedIn – Padraig O’Malley. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/padraigomalley/
18. “Padraig O’Malley.” WGBH. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.wgbh.org/people/padraig-omalley
19. “The Two-State Delusion: Israel and Palestine—A Tale of Two Narratives.” Amazon – Books. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.amazon.com/Two-State-Delusion-Israel-Palestine-Narratives/dp/0670025054?tag=wburorg-20