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Here is an essay I wrote in teachers college...kind of old...but maybe interesting:
Growing up in North America, I feel as if I was subconsciously brain washed to think that Muslims are horrible people. Hearing the word “Islam†or “Muslim†made me think of danger and fear. Even as a child, watching the Walt Disney movie Aladdin, the opening song introduces the lyrics:“Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place Where the caravan camels roam Where they cut off your earIf they don't like your face It's barbaric, but hey, it's homeâ€(Arabian Nights – Aladdin 1992)How was I not to think that the Muslims and the Arabs were those to fear? It was instilled in my brain from an early age.
Any time I would see a woman in a hijab, I felt as if she was oppressed by men, and believed in this absurd religion that made them cover up and pray a whole lot. Upon arriving to the University, I ended up having a Muslim roommate. She was definitely the turning point to my negative view of Islam. She showed me how happy she was as a Muslim woman, yet how incredibly misunderstood she is. Watching the way people would constantly stare at her, or judge her, really made me want to stand against this. And thus, I wanted to explore Islamophobia. Why it exists? Where we get this feeling from? And how do we resolve it?We need to realize that Islamophobia is a stereotype that robs an entire people of their humanity. Provided that our population is just nearing 7 billion, why is it that 2 billion Muslim people are scrutinized for being different? They belong to the most dominant non-secular religion in the world[1]. Therefore, it makes me question: why?
Through exploring the media, I am hoping to find the link between Islam and phobia that exists in our society. The documentary “Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People†by Dr. Jack Shaheen illustrates the way the media, for centuries, has poorly portrayed Muslims and Arabs. He demonstrates through various movie clips that the North American media portrays Muslims and Arabs as dangerous, incompetent, violent, and anti-American people. But where did the media ever get this notion? As quoted from Jack Valenti the CEO and President of the Motion Picture Association of America: “Washington and Hollywood spring from the same DNA.†This reveals that the negative image we have created of Muslims has been created through politics. After the events of 9-11, media was quick to point their finger to the Middle East. Provided that 19 Muslim men were accused for this event, our society began to blame all Muslims. They were labeled as “terroristsâ€, having trouble boarding flights, losing their jobs, and getting detained for being Muslim.[2]
One of the most painful documentaries to watch is “the Road to Guantanamo†by Michael Winterbottom, which illustrates three British Muslim men who are detained for several years after being captured in Afghanistan. These men were captured for no reason at all, and tortured, stripped of their faith and accused of being involved in terrorism. The US military forbid the Muslims from prayer, and destroyed their Qurans. The detainees were tortured until they admitted to events in which they did not partake. Upon release, these gentlemen were proven innocent, and not compensated for the large amount of torture they encountered simply for being Muslim. Even in children’s movies such as “Aladdin†we are taught to fear Arabs and Muslims from such a young age. Therefore, it is simple to see that through politics and the media, we are quick to think ill thoughts of Muslims. A question we must ask ourselves is whether we would target any one else’s religion if they partake in a criminal act? Do we blame all of Christians for what the KKK did? We need to reassess who we are pointing our fingers at, and who we are stereotyping. This is a form of structural violence that is robbing an entire 2 billion people from living to their full potential in North American society.Upon meticulous research, I would like to clear up some of the common misunderstandings we have about Muslim people.
Their faith, their women, their attire, and their families are all topics that are commonly misunderstood. Islam actually stands for “submission†and its message promotes peace, modesty and respect. The largest difference between Islam and many other religions is that its followers tend to follow their book very meticulously, and have not strayed away in any shape or form from what Islam asks of them. TheyAfter years of exploration and careful thought, I actually converted to Islam. I am now a Muslim woman, with a Canadian name, who may be misunderstood, but stands as a voice to respect those of other faiths and to open the eyes to those who have this stigma that Islam is horrible.[1]
http://geography.about.com/od/culturalgeography/a/popularreligion.htm[2] Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People
My burning issue: Islamophobia
Growing up in North America, I feel as if I was subconsciously brain washed to think that Muslims are horrible people. Hearing the word “Islam†or “Muslim†made me think of danger and fear. Even as a child, watching the Walt Disney movie Aladdin, the opening song introduces the lyrics:“Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place Where the caravan camels roam Where they cut off your earIf they don't like your face It's barbaric, but hey, it's homeâ€(Arabian Nights – Aladdin 1992)How was I not to think that the Muslims and the Arabs were those to fear? It was instilled in my brain from an early age.
Any time I would see a woman in a hijab, I felt as if she was oppressed by men, and believed in this absurd religion that made them cover up and pray a whole lot. Upon arriving to the University, I ended up having a Muslim roommate. She was definitely the turning point to my negative view of Islam. She showed me how happy she was as a Muslim woman, yet how incredibly misunderstood she is. Watching the way people would constantly stare at her, or judge her, really made me want to stand against this. And thus, I wanted to explore Islamophobia. Why it exists? Where we get this feeling from? And how do we resolve it?We need to realize that Islamophobia is a stereotype that robs an entire people of their humanity. Provided that our population is just nearing 7 billion, why is it that 2 billion Muslim people are scrutinized for being different? They belong to the most dominant non-secular religion in the world[1]. Therefore, it makes me question: why?
Through exploring the media, I am hoping to find the link between Islam and phobia that exists in our society. The documentary “Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People†by Dr. Jack Shaheen illustrates the way the media, for centuries, has poorly portrayed Muslims and Arabs. He demonstrates through various movie clips that the North American media portrays Muslims and Arabs as dangerous, incompetent, violent, and anti-American people. But where did the media ever get this notion? As quoted from Jack Valenti the CEO and President of the Motion Picture Association of America: “Washington and Hollywood spring from the same DNA.†This reveals that the negative image we have created of Muslims has been created through politics. After the events of 9-11, media was quick to point their finger to the Middle East. Provided that 19 Muslim men were accused for this event, our society began to blame all Muslims. They were labeled as “terroristsâ€, having trouble boarding flights, losing their jobs, and getting detained for being Muslim.[2]
One of the most painful documentaries to watch is “the Road to Guantanamo†by Michael Winterbottom, which illustrates three British Muslim men who are detained for several years after being captured in Afghanistan. These men were captured for no reason at all, and tortured, stripped of their faith and accused of being involved in terrorism. The US military forbid the Muslims from prayer, and destroyed their Qurans. The detainees were tortured until they admitted to events in which they did not partake. Upon release, these gentlemen were proven innocent, and not compensated for the large amount of torture they encountered simply for being Muslim. Even in children’s movies such as “Aladdin†we are taught to fear Arabs and Muslims from such a young age. Therefore, it is simple to see that through politics and the media, we are quick to think ill thoughts of Muslims. A question we must ask ourselves is whether we would target any one else’s religion if they partake in a criminal act? Do we blame all of Christians for what the KKK did? We need to reassess who we are pointing our fingers at, and who we are stereotyping. This is a form of structural violence that is robbing an entire 2 billion people from living to their full potential in North American society.Upon meticulous research, I would like to clear up some of the common misunderstandings we have about Muslim people.
Their faith, their women, their attire, and their families are all topics that are commonly misunderstood. Islam actually stands for “submission†and its message promotes peace, modesty and respect. The largest difference between Islam and many other religions is that its followers tend to follow their book very meticulously, and have not strayed away in any shape or form from what Islam asks of them. TheyAfter years of exploration and careful thought, I actually converted to Islam. I am now a Muslim woman, with a Canadian name, who may be misunderstood, but stands as a voice to respect those of other faiths and to open the eyes to those who have this stigma that Islam is horrible.[1]
http://geography.about.com/od/culturalgeography/a/popularreligion.htm[2] Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People