Reel Bad Arabs

Reaction to the viewing of Reel Bad Arabs. Click on following link to view.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-223210418534585840#

Reel Bad Arabs is a film that looks at Hollywood's portrayal of Middle Eastern people. The story isn't pleasant. Most of the depictions are racist and dangerous. Middle Eastern men are vilians or money grabbers. Women are seen as disposable, or sexual objects. One movie was noted for the justification of a blood bath of women and children in Yemen, because they were "terrorists." Palestinians were portrayed as the lowest of all people.

Reflection on this film has made me evaluate some of my own preconceived notions and bias of the Middle East. I have always felt some sympathy for the Palestinians. I think in some ways I have always felt like there was more to the Israel/Palestinian conflict than we are told. I am also acutely aware of the presence of Christian Arabs which seems to be consistently ignored by the West. That being said, I have also been concerned of the plight of Middle Eastern women. Magazines like Marie Clare and Ms. have done several stories on the stripping of women's rights and the abuse and honor killing of women in countries like Iraq and Afganistan. Although true, the context makes Arabic men look violent and uncaring. Makes Arabic women seem powerless and fraile. Made for TV movies also caution American women from having children with Arabic men because they might steal the children and return to their homeland where women are powerless to fight back.

Although I am aware of my own potential bias when it come to Arabic men, I know it unfair and unjust. I met a beautiful, faithful, Muslim man from Eygpt who had an American wife. He was devote, and good. I was pleased to know someone like him. By knowing him, I was able to check my own bias. Maybe that is what we are asking here. To recognize the stereotypes and bias we have as individuals, and challenge them. To recognize the humanity of all people. I am positive that a great portion of the women in the Middle East are educated, progressive, and free to express themselves fully. Still I cringe a little when I see a woman in a burka because I associate it with repression, instead of her expression of her own religious beliefs.

I truly hope that in researching Middle Eastern Literature and film that we can find that "other side of the story" that is so sorely lacking in this country. You can't make informed opinions or decisions when you don't have the information.

Lastly, I want to comment on the opinion that in denying the humanity of Arabs and Muslims in Hollywood, we are denying their humanity in life. I recently watch Food INC. (highly recommended) The picture was dedicated to showing Americans where we really get our food from. It is disturbing and necessary to watch. Nonetheless, there is a scene where they show the treatment of our livestock. Chickens forced to live their lives in windowless chicken coops, unable to walk because they are so overweight their bone structure collapses. Pigs and cows covered in feces, paraded to the slaughter house like Jews to the shower houses in WWII. The commentator, maybe it was a farmer, says the reason it is important to understand how these corporations and people mistreat these animals is because if they are that uncaring and inconsiderate of animal life, it makes it that much easier to dehumanize their workers, employees, consumers and people of other cultures. Many parallels...