There is a tendency in the media to misrepresent the values and behavior of the people of the Arab world and the Middle East. Rose (2016) argues that this is due to formed social attitudes, socio-cultural stereotypes, and prejudices. As a result, tension and negative attitudes toward Muslims exist in society. According to Fam (2021), a poll conducted ahead of the 9/11 anniversary found that 53% of Americans view Islam negatively, compared to 42% positively.
The spread of Muslim stereotypes is facilitated by the incorrect portrayal of Arabs in the media. Shaheen (2003) notes that Arabs are portrayed as either bandits, a savage nomadic race, or Arab women as petty dancers serving evil, naive, and greedy Arab sheiks. One such example is the new version of Aladdin (2019), the release of which was accompanied by a characteristic cultural conflict: the authors were accused of caricatures of the East, racism, and Islamophobia. While Hollywood has wisely removed the overtly racist imagery present in the original, it has failed to rid itself of orientalism in the new version of the film. Thus, the new Aladdin still portrays the Middle East as backward, exotic, and violent.
References
Fam, M., Hajela, D., & Henao, L. A. (2021). Two decades after 9/11, Muslim Americans are still fighting bias. ABC News. Web.
Rose, S. (2016). âDeath to the infidels!â Why itâs time to fix Hollywoodâs problem with Muslims. The Guardian. Web.
Shaheen, J. G. (2003). Reel bad Arabs: How Hollywood vilifies a people. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 588, 171-193. Web.
Shohat, E., & Stam, R. (1994). The imperial imaginary. Web.