Under Ash is a first-person shooter sometimes explained to be a response to how Arabs are pictured in computer games in general and America's Army in particular. Like America's Army, it is considered to be video game propaganda; however, it differs from America's Army in that it is not for free. A first-person shooter (FPS) is a computer or video game where the players on-screen view of the game world simulates that of the character, and there is a high percentage of combat involved. ... The definition of who an Arab is has three main aspects: Political: whether they live in a country which is a member of the Arab League (or, more vaguely, the Arab world); this definition covers more than 300 million people. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... Americas Army (AA) is a tactical multiplayer first-person shooter owned by the U.S. government, financed through U.S. tax dollars and distributed free by the U.S. Army as a global public relations initiative to present a positive image of the current U.S. Army and help... North Korean propaganda showing a soldier destroying the United States Capitol building. ...

The player takes the role of Ahmed, a Palestinian opposed to Israeli occupation (Zionists). Through the course of the game, Ahmed progresses from throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers to destroying Israeli military positions. The game has been criticized for being too hard, and is designed so that it's easy to be killed. Also, if you shoot a civilian, the game ends automatically. In the end it isn't even possible to achieve a victory. The Palestinian flag, adopted in 1948, is a widely recognized modern symbol of the Palestinian people. ... Zionism is a political movement among Jews (although supported by some non-Jews and not supported by some Jews) which maintains that the Jewish people constitute a nation and are entitled to a national homeland. ...

The game was published by Dar al-Fikr, a Syrian publishing company, and the first pressing of ten thousand copies sold out in a week.

Its relevance to the fighting in the Middle East makes it a controversial video game. Some have accused it of being anti-Semitic or recruiting terrorists, but others have retorted that it is no worse than games like Delta Force (an American game featuring Arabs as the enemy) or America's Army (a recruitment FPS produced by the United States Navy and published by the United States Army). A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Critics say that games such as Grand Theft Auto 3 advocate real-life crimes, like carjacking. ... Anti-Semitism (alternatively spelled antisemitism) is hostility towards Jews (not: Semites - see the Misnomer section further on). ... Terrorism is a controversial term with multiple definitions. ... Delta Force is a first-person shooter computer game by developer and publisher NovaLogic. ... Americas Army (AA) is a tactical multiplayer first-person shooter owned by the U.S. government, financed through U.S. tax dollars and distributed free by the U.S. Army as a global public relations initiative to present a positive image of the current U.S. Army and help... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...

Under Ash was followed up with Under Siege. Under Ash is a sequel to the video game Under Ash. ...

External links

• UnderAsh.net (http://www.underash.net/ua_index.html) (in Arabic with some English)
• ODP: Under Ash category (http://dmoz.org/Games/Video_Games/Shooter/Under_Ash/)
• University on Video game propaganda (http://www-ugs.csusb.edu/honors/02/ResTravis.htm)