On May 7th, 2013, the Huffington Post published an online article dealing with the results of a recent survey given in America. The survey asked several different questions regarding discrimination against people of Middle Eastern descent in the United States. One of the questions dealt with Americans' opinion of the general social climate in the U.S. towards Middle Eastern people. According to the survey, Americans felt that there was more discrimination towards Middle Eastern people than gays, Hispanic people, African Americans, and women. Considering the United States' history of prejudice against each of these social groups, it is remarkable that survey takers considered Middle Eastern Americans/Muslims the most discriminated-against group out of all of the abovementioned ones.
Additionally worth noting is the survey takers' response when asked if they believed that Islam was more likely than other religions to promote violence. An astounding 42 percent of responders said that they believed that Islam was more likely than other religions to promote violence.
These statistics on opinion are shocking, but what makes them notably so is just how recently these opinions were collected. Since the article itself was posted only a week ago, it can be inferred that the opinions listed in the article are also quite current. To me, this only re-proves the urgency of the issue of discrimination in America against people of Middle Eastern descent; that this issue is still far from resolved.
(See Article Here)
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Post-Boston Hate Crimes
It was only a matter of time after the Boston Marathon bombings before hate crimes against those of Middle Eastern descent began to spike. In an article published on colorlines.com, recent hate crimes against Middle Easterners because of the Boston bombings are listed and examined. The article compares these violent acts to those committed following the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Middle Easterners are being generalized as terrorists and being attacked for simply being, because some people still refuse to separate terrorism from race and religion and continue to associate all Muslims and Middle Eastern people with extremism and terrorism.
I had hoped that people might have learned to make this distinction in the 12 years since 9/11, but, given the recent rise in hate crimes following the Boston bombings, it seems that America is farther from acceptance than I had thought.
This needs to be fixed. After over a decade, some Americans still view all Middle Easterners and Muslims as dangerous. However, I know that it will take an extremely long time for total acceptance to occur, if ever. Just look at African American people; it has been half a century since equality was granted to them in America, and yet there is still much racism present in modern-day America. Though I don't like to admit it, this and the resurgence in hate crimes against Middle Easterners may just show that there will always be discrimination against every non-white race in America at some level.
It's up to the people of America to break this trend. It can be possible to change this, no matter how difficult, so long as there are sufficient amounts of people presently working against discrimination and teaching their children and the children of others (perhaps through education programs in schools) the truth--that everyone is equal, no matter what.
Source: colorlines.com (See Article Here)
I had hoped that people might have learned to make this distinction in the 12 years since 9/11, but, given the recent rise in hate crimes following the Boston bombings, it seems that America is farther from acceptance than I had thought.
This needs to be fixed. After over a decade, some Americans still view all Middle Easterners and Muslims as dangerous. However, I know that it will take an extremely long time for total acceptance to occur, if ever. Just look at African American people; it has been half a century since equality was granted to them in America, and yet there is still much racism present in modern-day America. Though I don't like to admit it, this and the resurgence in hate crimes against Middle Easterners may just show that there will always be discrimination against every non-white race in America at some level.
It's up to the people of America to break this trend. It can be possible to change this, no matter how difficult, so long as there are sufficient amounts of people presently working against discrimination and teaching their children and the children of others (perhaps through education programs in schools) the truth--that everyone is equal, no matter what.
Source: colorlines.com (See Article Here)
A Talk with Dad
Due to political unrest, when my dad was seventeen years old, his family fled their moderate wealth in their hometown of Karachi, Pakistan and quite suddenly found themselves struggling to eke out a living in Santa Barbara, California. In Karachi, my grandfather had been a politician affiliated with the Pakistani People's Party, a party that the political rebellion of the time did not like. Because of the danger to himself and his family, My grandfather decided to sell the family's house and car and flee to America. Once in America, the family was safe from political hatred, but was then faced with a different kind of hatred--discrimination.
My dad and his family's move to America was under extremely unfortunate circumstances, but even more unfortunate was that, at the time of their migration, the Iranian hostage conflict was in full swing. Because of this, the family was discriminated against heavily. Even though they weren't Iranian, they looked it; and that was enough.
American teenagers were merciless. My dad recalls, "At school, I would regularly be harassed by American kids. They'd pass me in the hallways and shout things like, 'Go back to your country, camel jockey!' It was hurtful, but also odd to me, considering I'd never even ridden a camel." He remembers another Middle Eastern friend of his who got his head flushed in a school toilet because of his ethnicity.
When the family moved to a small suburb of Chicago, the sense of alienation increased. Most of the people in the community were white, and it was hard to make friends with the neighbors.
However, as time went on, things improved greatly, only going downhill again following 9/11. After that, my dad began to be pulled aside for further investigation in airport security--even once being pulled into a separate room and being questioned in a foreign airport, delaying his mission trip team an hour!
Despite this and other discrimination, though, my dad is an extremely successful restaurant owner who is proud of his heritage and has raised my sister and I to be proud of it as well. There will always be ignorant people, but there will also always be a heritage to be proud of.
Source: Adil Jaffer
My dad and his family's move to America was under extremely unfortunate circumstances, but even more unfortunate was that, at the time of their migration, the Iranian hostage conflict was in full swing. Because of this, the family was discriminated against heavily. Even though they weren't Iranian, they looked it; and that was enough.
American teenagers were merciless. My dad recalls, "At school, I would regularly be harassed by American kids. They'd pass me in the hallways and shout things like, 'Go back to your country, camel jockey!' It was hurtful, but also odd to me, considering I'd never even ridden a camel." He remembers another Middle Eastern friend of his who got his head flushed in a school toilet because of his ethnicity.
When the family moved to a small suburb of Chicago, the sense of alienation increased. Most of the people in the community were white, and it was hard to make friends with the neighbors.
However, as time went on, things improved greatly, only going downhill again following 9/11. After that, my dad began to be pulled aside for further investigation in airport security--even once being pulled into a separate room and being questioned in a foreign airport, delaying his mission trip team an hour!
Despite this and other discrimination, though, my dad is an extremely successful restaurant owner who is proud of his heritage and has raised my sister and I to be proud of it as well. There will always be ignorant people, but there will also always be a heritage to be proud of.
Source: Adil Jaffer
Jeff Dunham Defends "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" Comedy Act
In a few of my previous blog posts, I have discussed my views on ventriloquist Jeff Dunham's popular act "Achmed the Dead Terrorist," which garners laughs with the use of a turban-clad puppet with a Middle Eastern accent who professes to be a terrorist.
Therefore, I found it necessary to write a blog post in response to an article I found in which Dunham defends his act and explains why he doesn't see a problem with it.
In the article, which is from September of 2008, is centered around the South African government's removal of a commercial which incorporated a bit from the act from television. A Muslim man claimed that the act and the commercial were offensive to him because they implied that all Muslims were terrorists. Dunham responded to this by saying first that Achmed makes it clear in his act that he is not a Muslim (though, having watched the entire act myself, I don't remember this happening--perhaps I need to give it another watch), and second, that he leaves no stone unturned when it comes to making fun of people. He claims that he makes fun of every religious group, sexual orientation, gender, and race so that everyone can have a good laugh--even at themselves. But in my opinion, there is a way to do this in a way that is perhaps more tasteful, such as not involving terrorism in the act at all. Terrorism has no religion, race, or nationality, and is offensive to everyone. If Dunham wanted to poke fun at Muslims or even just Middle Easterners in general (seeing as he claims his act makes it clear that Achmed is not Muslim), there are so many other things he could have utilized in his act--such as the food, language, accents, mannerisms--that could be deemed 'racist' or 'offensive', but that don't cross the fine line into unacceptable. Poking fun at a culture, race, or religious group is one thing, but doing so in a way that implies that said group are terrorists is completely another.
Source: FOX News (See Article Here)
Therefore, I found it necessary to write a blog post in response to an article I found in which Dunham defends his act and explains why he doesn't see a problem with it.
In the article, which is from September of 2008, is centered around the South African government's removal of a commercial which incorporated a bit from the act from television. A Muslim man claimed that the act and the commercial were offensive to him because they implied that all Muslims were terrorists. Dunham responded to this by saying first that Achmed makes it clear in his act that he is not a Muslim (though, having watched the entire act myself, I don't remember this happening--perhaps I need to give it another watch), and second, that he leaves no stone unturned when it comes to making fun of people. He claims that he makes fun of every religious group, sexual orientation, gender, and race so that everyone can have a good laugh--even at themselves. But in my opinion, there is a way to do this in a way that is perhaps more tasteful, such as not involving terrorism in the act at all. Terrorism has no religion, race, or nationality, and is offensive to everyone. If Dunham wanted to poke fun at Muslims or even just Middle Easterners in general (seeing as he claims his act makes it clear that Achmed is not Muslim), there are so many other things he could have utilized in his act--such as the food, language, accents, mannerisms--that could be deemed 'racist' or 'offensive', but that don't cross the fine line into unacceptable. Poking fun at a culture, race, or religious group is one thing, but doing so in a way that implies that said group are terrorists is completely another.
Source: FOX News (See Article Here)
Racism from People in the Public Eye
Society itself is bad enough when it comes to perpetuating stigmas and racism, but racist views and sentiments get more publicity, so to speak, when perpetuated by someone in the public eye. This person can be a famous actor, singer, politician, athlete, or one of any number of categories of people constantly in the public eye. One such person who has done just that in the wake of the Boston bombings is much-loved reality show "Cake Boss"'s Anthony Bellifemine. Following the bombings (but before any arrests or claims of responsibility surfaced!), Bellifemine tweeted, "Lets just keep letting all these Animals into our country so they can keep attacking us...We even pay for them to go to school how's that!" His tweets were seemingly aimed at Muslim extremist terrorists from the Middle East. Even after many people called him out on his comments, he continued to defend his views.
It is especially dangerous for people in the public eye to make and defend comments such as these, because it not only perpetuates intolerant and racist views (especially among people who are more likely to be lemming-like in their following of celebrities) but also broadcasts hate on a national and possibly international level, which, in my opinion, slows the progress of intercultural acceptance.
Source: jezebel.com (See Article Here)
It is especially dangerous for people in the public eye to make and defend comments such as these, because it not only perpetuates intolerant and racist views (especially among people who are more likely to be lemming-like in their following of celebrities) but also broadcasts hate on a national and possibly international level, which, in my opinion, slows the progress of intercultural acceptance.
Source: jezebel.com (See Article Here)
Vermont Paper Accidentally Racist?
On March 9th, 2013, USA Today published an article on their website about a local Vermont newspaper that made a "racist" joke in one of their issues. The town in which the newspaper is published is home to a high school which was soon to face off against a certain Rice High School in a basketball game, and so it ran a page with the words "FRY RICE!" in huge, Asian-looking font.
The paper claims it meant nothing bad by the page; that the slogan was meant to be a silly pun on the rival school's name intended to promote school spirit and excitement for the game, and that they had no intentions of being offensive or racist in any way. However, the Asian American Journalists Association was not pleased. While they understood that the paper had no ill intentions, they did think that the headline showed a "lapse of judgement and poor taste."
While the article in question was criticized for its poor taste in dealing with things related to Asian culture, there are many things in contemporary American society that are done in poor taste with respect to Middle Eastern culture. For example, as I have mentioned in a previous blog post, Jeff Dunham's comedy ventriloquist act "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" is not something I believe to be blatantly malicious or racist against Middle Easterners and Muslims, but it is very culturally insensitive. In creating something that people can laugh at, Dunham has forgotten to take into account the stigmas his act is perpetuating (and because of the stigma that all Muslim people are terrorist or support terrorist activities, perhaps his lapse of judgment is at this time in America's history a more dangerous lapse than that of the editors of the Vermont newspaper.) In any case, I believe that Americans need desperately to be more sensitive about respecting the cultures of others. Just because something may not be offensive to one person, it may be to another.
Source: USA Today. (See Article Here)
The paper claims it meant nothing bad by the page; that the slogan was meant to be a silly pun on the rival school's name intended to promote school spirit and excitement for the game, and that they had no intentions of being offensive or racist in any way. However, the Asian American Journalists Association was not pleased. While they understood that the paper had no ill intentions, they did think that the headline showed a "lapse of judgement and poor taste."
While the article in question was criticized for its poor taste in dealing with things related to Asian culture, there are many things in contemporary American society that are done in poor taste with respect to Middle Eastern culture. For example, as I have mentioned in a previous blog post, Jeff Dunham's comedy ventriloquist act "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" is not something I believe to be blatantly malicious or racist against Middle Easterners and Muslims, but it is very culturally insensitive. In creating something that people can laugh at, Dunham has forgotten to take into account the stigmas his act is perpetuating (and because of the stigma that all Muslim people are terrorist or support terrorist activities, perhaps his lapse of judgment is at this time in America's history a more dangerous lapse than that of the editors of the Vermont newspaper.) In any case, I believe that Americans need desperately to be more sensitive about respecting the cultures of others. Just because something may not be offensive to one person, it may be to another.
Source: USA Today. (See Article Here)
Israeli Soccer Team and Fans set Example of Acceptance
Recently, soccer players 19-year-old Gabriel Kadiev and 23-year-old Zaur Sadayev were signed to Israeli soccer team Beitar Jerusalem. Because the players are from the Muslim region of Chechnya of Russia, there has been much hate and controversy surrounding this signing. Many police officers were stationed in and around the stadium as the two players made their debut with the team in a game in February 2013, due to fear of hate violence similar to the burning of a team office that occurred a few days prior following the announcement of the players' signing. Though there was some booing and jeering as the team walked onto the field, the majority of the stadium gave them a standing ovation. In addition, bright banners reading "Violence and racism? Not on our field" were strung around the everywhere.
This, to me, is a major step forward in the fight against Muslim and Middle Eastern discrimination. Despite the fact that there were still people present at the even who were jeering at the players, the majority of the people there were supportive not only of the players, but of tolerance and acceptance for people of all backgrounds and religions. Additionally, this is monumental because there has long been conflict and disagreement between the Israeli people and people from other Middle Eastern countries. Though it didn't occur in America, hopefully this event will help to send a message and set an example of acceptance for people around the world.
Source: USA Today. (See Article Here)
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Guest Post by Amanda Williams
A recent interview with Kelsey Jaffer showed me insight into what it’s like to be a Pakistani teen living in America. The discrimination Kelsey has experienced her whole life shows the lack of uneducated Americans that have currently formed opinions on the middle eastern culture. The goal for Kelsey’s blog is that her readers walk away with at least knowing that even today, middle eastern individuals living in America are still discriminated against. Kelsey has personally never been professionally discriminated against. However, in her world of performing arts, being type casted has definitely become an issue. Kelsey would like future generations of Pakistani youth to not have to experience the discrimination. Once the people who grew up during the time period of 9/11 have passed, the discrimination will decrease. However, if these individuals spread their opinions onto their children the discrimination will continue. Americans need to become more educated in order for the middle-eastern discrimination to cease. Kelsey’s plan is to become successful within performing arts and once success becomes apparent, use her voice to educate Americans and stop the uneducated discrimination.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
The Beginning of Discrimination Among Students Following 9/11
School can be a hostile place. Put a large number of kids together from extremely diverse backgrounds, families, and upbringings, and there is bound to be friction between the varying textures of their differences rubbing up against each other. For many Middle-Eastern or Muslim students in American schools, this friction has become much worse since the events of 9/11.
On September 15th, 2001, mere days after the destruction of the World Trade Center, the Seattle Times published an article regarding the opinions, thoughts, and fears of several middle and high school students of various backgrounds on the subject. The students expressed their sadness and concerns about what would happen as a result; all were in disbelief, and had varying opinions on what should be done in response to the tragedy. Some feared a third world war, and others were eager to see the U.S. retaliate.
Most of the thoughts expressed and stories shared were full of sorrow, confusion, compassion, and solemnity, such as one would expect. But some of the anecdotes revealed a less pensive, accusative underbelly to the repercussions among students; one that was already starting to breed prejudice. The older brother of ninth-grade Pakistani twins Anam and Rathore Maham had told them about some peers of his blaming the Pakistan for the tragedy in his presence. Nader Salha, a Palestinian middle-school student in the Seattle area, was asked if he and his family were happy about the events that had occurred. Maureen Driscoll, a senior at another high school, voiced her disgust at students using "racist and dehumanizing terms" to describe Middle-Eastern people, and making a big deal of cutting the turban off of a magazine clipping of a Middle-Eastern man. These events were recorded one day after the 9/11 tragedy.
Looking back, the speed at which racism and hostility towards people of Middle-Eastern descent was able to develop in schools immediately following 9/11 is astounding. It is hard to believe that these nasty things were said the day after the event. I, too, experienced this sudden wave of disdain in my school in the following days and years.
9/11 occurred when I was in first grade. I was bewildered by the event, and too young to understand the gravity of what had happened; all I knew was that some horrible people had blown up the World Trade Center for no good reason, and that many people had died. Though I don't remember it, my mother says that students in my class were asking me if I "knew the person who did it," or "if my dad was the man who drove the plane into the buildings." These questions and others like them apparently prompted me to come home from school one day and say, "Mommy, maybe it would be better if I wasn't around anymore." My mom was understandably horrified, and I had to see the school counselor for a few months afterwards in order to talk through the events and what people had said to me (Again, I remember none of this, but it evidently made a large impact on me at the time.)
On the bus ride to school one morning in seventh grade, I overheard the conversation of two boys sitting in front of me. They were discussing Al-Qaeda, and one of them said, "I think we should just kill all of the Pakistanis; that way, we KNOW Al-Qaeda's been taken care of!". The boys around them then began piping up with cries of "Yeah, let's kill the Pakistanis! Kill 'em all!" I could feel my face burning and my heart pounding with anger, and I leaned over to them and hissed, "Oh, so you wanna kill me, too? I'M Pakistani." The boys fell silent after that, but I felt like crying for the rest of the day.
With maturity and time, one would think that these immature comments would have stopped--at least I thought they would have. However, I was completely wrong. In my freshman year of high school, I made it into my school's top choir. I was overjoyed, and desperately wanted to fit in with all of the older choir members. One of the sophomore boys in choir with me assigned all four freshmen nicknames; one was Shades, one was Chipmunk, one was Prince Charming, and I was Our Little Terrorist. It didn't really bother me at the time it was given, but the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. I told my mom about the nickname, and she was none too happy about it, though it was intended to be lighthearted.
I have heard many other stories of people who are of Middle-Eastern descent--or even LOOK Middle-Eastern--being picked on in this way in their schools. I think that, eleven years after 9/11, it's about time that schools began implementing more discipline on what is said in the classroom and in the hallways.
On September 15th, 2001, mere days after the destruction of the World Trade Center, the Seattle Times published an article regarding the opinions, thoughts, and fears of several middle and high school students of various backgrounds on the subject. The students expressed their sadness and concerns about what would happen as a result; all were in disbelief, and had varying opinions on what should be done in response to the tragedy. Some feared a third world war, and others were eager to see the U.S. retaliate.
Most of the thoughts expressed and stories shared were full of sorrow, confusion, compassion, and solemnity, such as one would expect. But some of the anecdotes revealed a less pensive, accusative underbelly to the repercussions among students; one that was already starting to breed prejudice. The older brother of ninth-grade Pakistani twins Anam and Rathore Maham had told them about some peers of his blaming the Pakistan for the tragedy in his presence. Nader Salha, a Palestinian middle-school student in the Seattle area, was asked if he and his family were happy about the events that had occurred. Maureen Driscoll, a senior at another high school, voiced her disgust at students using "racist and dehumanizing terms" to describe Middle-Eastern people, and making a big deal of cutting the turban off of a magazine clipping of a Middle-Eastern man. These events were recorded one day after the 9/11 tragedy.
Looking back, the speed at which racism and hostility towards people of Middle-Eastern descent was able to develop in schools immediately following 9/11 is astounding. It is hard to believe that these nasty things were said the day after the event. I, too, experienced this sudden wave of disdain in my school in the following days and years.
9/11 occurred when I was in first grade. I was bewildered by the event, and too young to understand the gravity of what had happened; all I knew was that some horrible people had blown up the World Trade Center for no good reason, and that many people had died. Though I don't remember it, my mother says that students in my class were asking me if I "knew the person who did it," or "if my dad was the man who drove the plane into the buildings." These questions and others like them apparently prompted me to come home from school one day and say, "Mommy, maybe it would be better if I wasn't around anymore." My mom was understandably horrified, and I had to see the school counselor for a few months afterwards in order to talk through the events and what people had said to me (Again, I remember none of this, but it evidently made a large impact on me at the time.)
On the bus ride to school one morning in seventh grade, I overheard the conversation of two boys sitting in front of me. They were discussing Al-Qaeda, and one of them said, "I think we should just kill all of the Pakistanis; that way, we KNOW Al-Qaeda's been taken care of!". The boys around them then began piping up with cries of "Yeah, let's kill the Pakistanis! Kill 'em all!" I could feel my face burning and my heart pounding with anger, and I leaned over to them and hissed, "Oh, so you wanna kill me, too? I'M Pakistani." The boys fell silent after that, but I felt like crying for the rest of the day.
With maturity and time, one would think that these immature comments would have stopped--at least I thought they would have. However, I was completely wrong. In my freshman year of high school, I made it into my school's top choir. I was overjoyed, and desperately wanted to fit in with all of the older choir members. One of the sophomore boys in choir with me assigned all four freshmen nicknames; one was Shades, one was Chipmunk, one was Prince Charming, and I was Our Little Terrorist. It didn't really bother me at the time it was given, but the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. I told my mom about the nickname, and she was none too happy about it, though it was intended to be lighthearted.
I have heard many other stories of people who are of Middle-Eastern descent--or even LOOK Middle-Eastern--being picked on in this way in their schools. I think that, eleven years after 9/11, it's about time that schools began implementing more discipline on what is said in the classroom and in the hallways.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Middle-Eastern Stereotyping in American Pop Culture
In 2011, the St. Petersburg Times (now known as the Tampa Bay Times) published an article written by a Muslim-American high school student about being a Muslim-American teenager in the wake of the events of 9/11. The author, Noura Elsayed, talks about the struggle she has faced in recent years between being wholly Muslim and wholly American simultaneously; identifying herself with her conservative, peaceful religion and heritage, but also with the anger, fear, and sadness experienced universally by Americans at the shock of the 9/11 tragedy. Elsayed talks about how, unfortunately, American culture and pop culture has done little to clear up misconceptions about Islam and those who identify with it or the cultures that practice it, even though doing so is especially necessary during a time where ignorance has caused hatred of Midde-Eastern-Americans to soar. She even tells readers about a girl she knows who is afraid to tell people that she practices Islam for fear of negative repercussions.
Though I am a Christian rather than Muslim, I have many relatives who practice Islam, and I can identify with many of the issues Elsayed addresses.
Though it seems like prejudice towards those of Middle-Eastern descent in America flared in the years immediately following 9/11 and then cooled off, I can tell you firsthand that it hasn't cooled off; rather, like prejudice against any race, it has continued to burn at a less-noticeable-yet-still-potent level, coming out in offhand remarks and cultural stereotypes that are abused rather than used in media and popular culture. For example, a few years ago, popular comedian/ventriloquist Jeff Dunham premiered a character for his act named "Achmed the Dead Terrorist." While the act was intended to be silly and relatively harmless, it played on a bunch of negative stereotypes about Middle-Eastern people. The character of Achmed had a Middle-Eastern-ish accent, had a turban and beard, and identified himself as a terrorist, yelling out numerous times, "SILENCE! I KILL YOU!" The character's title is Achmed the Dead Terrorist, which would lead viewers to believe that the defining quality of the character is that he is a terrorist. However, most of the humor doesn't seem to center around that, but rather around his background, name, accent, and generally the fact that he is Middle-Eastern (it also implies at one point that Achmed is Muslim). If Achmed had not been Achmed but rather, say, Adam the Terrorist, and was white, many of the jokes wouldn't have translated. Achmed's "terrorist" occupation seems to me a thin veil over the real brunt of the joke: his exaggerated Middle-Eastern-ness. Whether intentional or not (and I truly do not think it is intentional), the act implies that a "terrorist", by definition, is Middle-Eastern--and less open-minded viewers may unconsciously take this for granted.
While many people may have found this funny, I did not. To most, this would seem like a mildly offensive, but humorous act. Yet the underlying tones of racial mockery may be taken as truth by some kinds of people, and that is where it crosses the line from lighthearted into dangerous. Media like this is a subtle encouragement of racial stereotyping and prejudice. While the public may not actively feel encouraged to think of Middle-Eastern people in such a way, humor like this tends to subtly desensitize people to stereotyping, especially negative stereotyping.
In addition, media like this can prompt questions such as, "Do you know any terrorists?"; questions that are not intentionally hurtful, but that are no doubt the brood of media like this that is not balanced out equally, in my opinion, by education about actual Middle-Eastern culture and Islam.
Elsayed is right in her disappointment of the portrayal of Muslims and people of Middle-Eastern descent in American pop culture. There is too much caricature and too little truth. However, I have seen in recent years an increasing number of people voicing their concerns about this issue; hopefully, things will be looking up soon.
Though I am a Christian rather than Muslim, I have many relatives who practice Islam, and I can identify with many of the issues Elsayed addresses.
Though it seems like prejudice towards those of Middle-Eastern descent in America flared in the years immediately following 9/11 and then cooled off, I can tell you firsthand that it hasn't cooled off; rather, like prejudice against any race, it has continued to burn at a less-noticeable-yet-still-potent level, coming out in offhand remarks and cultural stereotypes that are abused rather than used in media and popular culture. For example, a few years ago, popular comedian/ventriloquist Jeff Dunham premiered a character for his act named "Achmed the Dead Terrorist." While the act was intended to be silly and relatively harmless, it played on a bunch of negative stereotypes about Middle-Eastern people. The character of Achmed had a Middle-Eastern-ish accent, had a turban and beard, and identified himself as a terrorist, yelling out numerous times, "SILENCE! I KILL YOU!" The character's title is Achmed the Dead Terrorist, which would lead viewers to believe that the defining quality of the character is that he is a terrorist. However, most of the humor doesn't seem to center around that, but rather around his background, name, accent, and generally the fact that he is Middle-Eastern (it also implies at one point that Achmed is Muslim). If Achmed had not been Achmed but rather, say, Adam the Terrorist, and was white, many of the jokes wouldn't have translated. Achmed's "terrorist" occupation seems to me a thin veil over the real brunt of the joke: his exaggerated Middle-Eastern-ness. Whether intentional or not (and I truly do not think it is intentional), the act implies that a "terrorist", by definition, is Middle-Eastern--and less open-minded viewers may unconsciously take this for granted.
While many people may have found this funny, I did not. To most, this would seem like a mildly offensive, but humorous act. Yet the underlying tones of racial mockery may be taken as truth by some kinds of people, and that is where it crosses the line from lighthearted into dangerous. Media like this is a subtle encouragement of racial stereotyping and prejudice. While the public may not actively feel encouraged to think of Middle-Eastern people in such a way, humor like this tends to subtly desensitize people to stereotyping, especially negative stereotyping.
In addition, media like this can prompt questions such as, "Do you know any terrorists?"; questions that are not intentionally hurtful, but that are no doubt the brood of media like this that is not balanced out equally, in my opinion, by education about actual Middle-Eastern culture and Islam.
Elsayed is right in her disappointment of the portrayal of Muslims and people of Middle-Eastern descent in American pop culture. There is too much caricature and too little truth. However, I have seen in recent years an increasing number of people voicing their concerns about this issue; hopefully, things will be looking up soon.
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