User talk:Ramallite/Temp
Anti-Arabism is defined in this article as prejudice or hostility against Arabs. Anti-Arab sentiment may also be expressed in negative stereotypes; in particular, Arabs may be deindividualized and portrayed as intolerant, backward and violent, while positive aspects of Arab culture are seldom given attention. There are other stereotypes regarding clothing, or clichéd notions about Middle Eastern culture.
Relationship to "anti-Semitism"
[edit]Owing to the etymology of the term anti-Semitism, some argue that anti-Arabism, as well as miso-Judaism, constitutes anti-Semitism. To make clear that the prefix anti- in anti-Semitism does not imply "against Semitism" and the term anti-Semitism almost always means "hatred of Jews", some scholarly authorities of the subject (such as Emil Fackenheim and Yehuda Bauer, among others) prefer the unhyphenated form antisemitism. Using the term anti-Semitism to refer to anti-Arab sentiment is likely to cause confusion.
Examples of anti-Arabism
[edit]Examples of anti-Arabism may be derived from the entertainment industry (motion pictures), politics (discriminatory laws or political commentary), the media, or negative sentiments by rival ethnic groups.
The entertainment industry
[edit]New York columnist Russell Baker has been attributed to the statement that "Arabs are the last people except Episcopalians whom Hollywood feels free to offend en masse"[1]. After the end of the Cold War, American films (such as Hot Shots or True Lies) generated controversy over what some considered a disproportionate number of Arab villains in American movies. According to various sources, over 20 major movies released by Hollywood during a ten-year span depicted Arabs in a negative light, including such films as Iron Eagle, Death Before Dishonor, Delta Force 3, Executive Decision and Collateral Damage [2]. According to an article on the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) website, many comics books portray Arabs as villains but never as heros. Examples include Tarzan, Superman, and the Fantastic Four [3].
Political discrimination
[edit]There are accusations by Arab or Muslim groups that point to systematic discrimination against Arabs and other groups in the political establishments of many European countries. In the United States, the Patriot Act introduced after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 was regarded by many as being aimed towards Arabs and Muslims in particular, and the Special Registration program instituted by the Department of Justice was criticized as being discriminatory towards Arabs. In Israel, various reports document discrimination against the Arab minority there. [citation needed]
The media
[edit]Examples of anti-Arabism in the media include comments made, for example, by television presenters or talk-show hosts. In 2004, BBC Television presenter Robert Kilroy-Silk apologized for a printed comment branding Arabs as "suicide bombers, limb amputators, women repressors" and asking what Arabs had to offer other than oil [4]. Also in 2004, a guest on the MSNBC show "Imus in the morning" referred to Palestinians as "filthy animals", prompting the Council on American-Islamic Relations to demand an apology from the program's host for not challenging these remarks [5]. Palestinian-American columnist Ray Hanania has written that many of today's popular show hosts "including Dennis Miller, Larry Miller and others have enhanced their careers on bashing Arabs with crude jokes mainly because they know that in today’s environment of intolerance against Arabs and Muslims, they can get away with it." [6]
Genetics
[edit]For Palestine article: