Does the Hollywood film and TV industry fairly represent Arabs and Islam? Does Hollywood contribute to the creation of anti-Islamic perspectives in the minds of movie-goers? Jack Shaheen may have found the answers to these questions. In an article in the Gulf News entitled "Hollywood portrays Arabs in ever darker shades", the Gulf News reports that: "American films and TV dramas shot since the 9/11 attacks have reinforced screen images of Arabs and Muslims as fanatics and villains, ingraining harmful stereotypes". Jack Shaheen's books "Hollywood's Verdict on Arabs after 9/11" and "Reel Bad Arabs - How Hollywood Villifies a People" document that too many Hollywood films and TV dramas have portrayed Arabs and Muslims "in ever darker shades". Shaheen points out that: "In the United States, you can say anything you want about Islam and Arabs and get away with it". Shaheen has examined the treatment of Arabs and Muslims in some 1,000 films [more than a 100 of which were shot since 9/11]. His conclusion was: "The [stereotyped] images have remained fixed and have only been changed in the sense that they have become more vindictive and damaging". I have personal experience of this in a Yahoo Groups forum that I recentIy joined and just as recently left. One American atheist remarked about Muslims: "You can go oink your praises to Allah all you want!" Seems the jury is out with a verdict! Indeed, in Hollywood, Arabs and Muslims are villified.
1 comment:
what a great blog and great article! VERY intresting and thanks for posting all those pictures! - with gratitude - Lindsay
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