Islam has spread to every corner of the world, and has become one of the largest religions. There are many Muslim-majority nations, where over half of the population practice Islam, in the Far East, Middle East, and Northern Africa. However, the majority of Americans do not know that Muslims exist outside the Middle East region (Gottschalk Greenberg 3); in fact, Indonesia has the largest number of Muslims (Gottschalk Greenberg 3). Also, in the American's subconscious minds all Arabs are Muslim and all Muslim are Arab. The attitudes towards Muslims date back to the Crusades and Reconquista. During
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these two periods, Muslims were targeted and labeled as rivals. In fact, Pope Urban II referred to the Muslims as a “ ‘vile race,’ ‘pagans,’ ‘infidels,’ ‘barbarians,’ and ‘a despised and base race , which worships demons’ ” (Gottschalk Greenberg 23). This derogatory characterization of Muslims is seen throughout American movies.
We have been accustomed to seeing our heroes hunting and beating up Muslim men. The way that they are portrayed makes them look like they deserve to suffer and die. They always want to blow things up as a way to negotiate and kill large masses of people, as if that is the only solution to their radical behavior. In the movie True Lies, for example, Salim Abu is a leader of an Islamic militant group named Crimson Jihadand he constantly causes fear |
with his awful threats. He states his final orders with a very stern look on his face: "You have murdered our women, and our children, and bombed our cities from afar, like cowards, and you dare to call "us" terrorists? Now, we have the ability to strike back at our enemies. Unless "you" "America" pull all military forces out of the Persian gulf area, immediately, and forever, Crimson Jihad will rain fire on one major U.S. city each week, until our demands are met. First, we will detonate one nuclear weapon on this uninhabited island as a demonstration of our power. But, if these
demands are not met, Crimson Jihad will rain fire on one major U.S. city each week." These are the roles played in countless movies which give the impression that all Muslims are anti-American and deserve death.
Many of the Muslims characters are portrayed as aggressive and are very demanding. Whenever someone does not follow their orders or a hostage refuses to comply, these wild men love cutting off hands and heads with their bloody scimitar swords. For example, in the movie clip to the right, one of Salim Abu's cameraman fears the leader as the battery of the camera was running low when he was about to record evil images just re-enforce the idea that all Muslim men have brutal intentions, need to be monitored, and have to be detained.
Furthermore, Muslim men from remote towns in the middle of the desert are shown with their light brown or dirty white thawbs on their camels. They are all hairy without any facial grooming. They are represented as if they are all irrational and are a very prehistoric society. Also, they mistreat their numerous wifes with their aggressive behavior. The inconsiderate men keep their women, all covered up, locked in the house away from other men. Also, the women remain silent in fear of getting slapped by the oppressive hand. People relate these images of men repeatedly to Muslims. |
an ultimatum to the United States. The cameraman knows that his life was spared by the short-fuse tempered Salim Abu. The appearance of Salim Abu makes him intimidating and unapproachable. Another movie that repeats the accepted notion of Muslims as terrorist is Team America. The movie begins in Paris, France, where everyone is living their ordinary day to day lifes. Then a group of terrorist appear and disturb the peaceful atmosphere. The following movie clip illustrates the violence that people associate with Islam: Team America. All these Nonetheless, Islam condemns these violent acts and behaviors. Their teachings and their beliefs involve peace among each other. Even when Malcolm X went to the Hajj pilgrimage, he was amazed by the harmony and brotherhood that Islam delivers. Malcolm X wrote a letter home that states, “I witnessed…brotherhood between all men, of all nationalities and complexions, who were there” (X Haley 360). He envisioned the religion of Islam as a solution to the world’s racial issues and international tensions. The negative impressions of radical Muslims need to be debunked, and the media needs to spread the actual peaceful beliefs of Muslims. This can only result in a better atmosphere for everyone in the world.
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Works Cited
Gottschalk, Peter, and Gabriel Greenberg. Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008. Print.
X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Ballantine Books, 1999.
picture at the top: http://mubi.com/films/the-sheik
Gottschalk, Peter, and Gabriel Greenberg. Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008. Print.
X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Ballantine Books, 1999.
picture at the top: http://mubi.com/films/the-sheik