[Music] Arabs are the most malign group in the history of Hollywood they're portrayed basically as subhumans unmention a term used by Nazis to vilify Gypsies and Jews these images have been with us for more than a century [Music] for [Music] e [Music] for 30 years I've looked at how we particularly when I say we Image Makers have projected Arabs on Silver screens in my latest book real bad Arabs how Hollywood vilifies the people I looked at more than 1,000 films films ranging from the earliest most obscure days of Hollywood to today's biggest [Music] Blockbuster and what I tried to do is to make visible what too many of us seem not to see a dangerously consistent pattern of hateful Arab stereotypes [Music] stereotypes that Rob an entire people of their Humanity all aspects of our culture project the Arab as villain that is a given there is no [Music] deviation we have taken a few structured images and repeated them over and over again you are hostages of the Holy fre whether one lives in Paduka Kentucky or Wood River Illinois we know basically the same thing listen to the sound Jesus of alar we know the mythology the mythology namely Hollywood's images of Arabs We inherited the Arab Image primarily from Europeans in in the early days you know maybe 150 years 200 years ago the British and the French who traveled to the Middle East and those who didn't travel to the Middle East conjured up these images of of the Arab as the Oriental other the travel writers the artists who fabricated these images and who were very successful as a matter of fact and these images were transmitted and inherited by us we took them we embellished them and here they are when you cross the mountains of the Moon into to our country Mr terone you will be stepping back 2,000 years we have this fictional setting called ARA Bland a mythical theme park and in arand you know you have the ominous music you have the desert we start with the desert always the desert as a threatening place we add an oasis palm trees a palace that has a torture chamber in the basement the Pasha sits there on his you know POS Christians with Haram maidens surrounding him none of the Haram maidens please him so they abduct the blonde heroin from the West who doesn't want to be seduced when we visit Arab land we must be aware of the instant Alibaba [Music] kit what we have we have the property masters of Hollywood going around and they're cladding the women in seethrough pantaloons belly dancing outfits they're giving the Arab villains citurs you know these long long citar we see people riding around on magic carpets turban Charmers programming snakes in and out of baskets yester Year's ARA land is today's Arab land you are late a thousand apologies oh patient one you have it then I had to Slit a few throats but I got it Disney's Aladdin was seen by millions of children worldwide it was Hil as one of Disney's finest accomplishments but the film recycled every old degrading stereotype from Hollywood's silent black and white past oh I come from a land from a far away place where a caravan camels Ro where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face it's barbaric but hey it's home where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face it's barbaric but hey it's home now how could a producer with a modum of intelligence just a modum of sensitivity let a song such as that open the film but this moves Way Beyond one song you must be hungry here you go you'd better be able to pay for that do you know what the penalty is for stealing no no please the Arab is one-dimensional caricature cartoon cutouts used by filmmakers as stock villains and as comic [Music] relief and so over and over we see Arabs and movies portrayed as buffoons their only purpose being to deliver cheap [Music] lives you see this in the Joey Heatherton film The Happy Hooker goes to Washington every night I was forced to perform unspeakable acts with circumcised dogs dogs are better than seep the cleaner I know I've tried both and over and over again they're portrayed as inept so in a movie like True Lies not only are the Arabs dangerous they're also incompetent I we are all prepared to die with one turn of that key 2 million of your people will die instantly what key that key who's taken the key one actor who excels in his portrayal of Arabs as buffoons is Jamie far in Cannonball Run to I have a weakness for blondes and women without mustaches all the stereotypes are here too rich and stupid to know the value of money get me 12 sweets better yet the entire floor and of course he's over sexed lecherous uncontrollably obsessed with the American woman here my Desert Blossom give the change have you ever considered joining a heram and so another pattern is the lecherous [Music] Arab in jeel of the n Shake Omar tricks Kathleen Turner how he convinces her to come with him to Arab land then he imprisons her you stay here and you write what I tell you to write we see the same sort of ominous seduction in protocol the entire plot revolves around an Arab mirrors infatuation with the blonde blue-eyed Goldy H in the Bond film Never Say Never Again Kim Basinger is abused by the most sleazy looking Arabs imaginable she's tied to a pole stripped to her underwear and auctioned off to primitive looking B I and in Sahara Brook Shields is also kidnapped and presented to the lecherous Arab shake for his own perverted pleasure get away from me you dirty P more than 300 movies nearly 25% of all Hollywood movies that in one way or another demean Arabs contain gratuitous slurs or they portray Arabs as being the butt of a cheap joke we were gone in a mea SE and the plane is full of Arabs with these animals goats sheep chickens I mean they don't go anywhere without their godamn animals we had to put plastic in the cabins you know they urinate they defecate you have films by Neil Simon like chapter 2 the beginning of the film the protagonist arrives back from London and and his brother says how was London and he says full of Arabs how was London full of Arabs imagine if he had said full of blacks full of Jews full of Hispanics I mean that's ridiculous why do we do these things we got a bite one of the most offensive films with the gratuitous images Father of the Bride too it features Steve Martin selling his house to a MRH we like house very much when you can move out excuse me the habibs would like to buy the house George it's exactly what they've been looking for it's when you can move we need house a week from wedding is there and my wife wants flow dishes in kitchen you sell we pay top dollar when khabib's submissive wife tries to speak he shouts giberish at her and then he offers Martin a $155,000 cash bonus to move out in 10 days making real estate history here when Martin tells Mr khabib that he doesn't want to sell the house after all he finds khabib's wrecking crew there ready to demolish his beautiful home and in a scene that calls to mind one of the most degrading stereotypes of the Jewish people Mr khabib demands an extra $100,000 to sell the house that he has owned for just a day back tomorrow you want me to take out a loan on something I own free and clear just 24 hours ago well that is up to you George your path your offense your memories now if you looked at the other Father of the Bride films Elizabeth Taylor Spencer Tracy there were no Arabs or Arab Americans so why does Disney inject these horrific sort of offensive characters in Father of the Bride part two it's the same reason that in Gladiator the slave traders who kidnapped Russell Crow and bring him back to Rome are Arabs I mean this is ridiculous I mean why does Hollywood inject Arabs scenes of Arabs and or slurs demeaning Arabs and movies having nothing to do with the Middle East so you're sitting like I am for example watching Back to the Future oh my God about a mad scientist I don't know and yet early on in the film we see these ugly anep libyans with machine guns in a parking lot trying to gun down the protagonist I mean [Music] why [Music] this movie wasn't about the future it was the same old stereotyping from the past and the same goes for Hollywood's view of Arab women the Arab woman today is bright intelligent she's someone that that that who is exceeding in all professions and yet this reality still is being denied us on Silver Scream the highly sexualized belly dancer has been with us from the beginning of Hollywood's history inspired by early images of the Orient as the place of exoticism intrigue and passion but in recent years this image has dramatically changed the Arab woman is now projected as a bomber a terrorist added to this image is what I call bundles in Black Veiled women in the background in the shadows submissive it seems the more Arab women Advance the more Hollywood keeps them locked in the [Music] past politics and Hollywood's images are linked they reinforce one another policy enforces mythical images mythical images help enforce policy Jack Valente president of the moan Picture Association of America has said quote Washington and Hollywood spring from the same DNA end quote the Arab Image began to to change immediately after World War II there were three things that impacted the change the Palestinian Israeli conflict in which the United States has unequivocally supported Israel the Arab oil embargo in the 70s which angered Americans when gas prices went through the ceiling and the Iranian Revolution which increased arab-american tensions when Iranian students took American diplomats hostage for more than a year these three pivotal events brought the Middle East into the living rooms of Americans and together helped shape the way movies stereotyped Arabs and the Arab world one of the primary changes the image of the Shake in a movie such as rollover he's out to take over the world with his money or he's up to no good trying to buy chunks of America Mrs Winters I think I should tell you there are those in the family who do not think we should be making this offer at all I assume if you could have found venture capital of this sort for a company like winter Kem in America would not be coming all the way to Arabia looking for it you see the oily shake and Spielberg's Indiana Jones in the Last Crusade you see the money rubbing Shake who's out to commit all kinds of terrorism and launch a missile in Earnest in the Army gentlemen behold my special Club the pluton missile with it I will bring the infidels to their knees and be leader in the Arab world one of the myths in the 70s was that the Arabs are coming over were buying up chunks of America and of course this was reflected in the C the Arabs have taken millions of dollars out of this country and now they must put it back one of my favorite movies of all time racist though it may be is Network about commercial television ladies and Gentlemen let's hear it how do you [Applause] feel Network features a TV anchor Rising the super how he unleashes wild rants against the system on the air but he directs the angriest of all his rants at Arabs who he says are buying up America they're buying it for the Saudi Arabian Investment corporation they're buying it for the Arab the anchor Howard Beal calls on the American people to rise up and stop the Arab buyout of his TV network listen to me godamn it the Arabs are simply buying us there's only one thing that can stop them you the Rage of Americans in response became one of the most famous scenes in movie history I want you to get up out of your chairs I want you to get up right now and write a telegram to President Ford saying I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore I'm not going to take it anymore I'm not going to take it anymore [Music] this kind of anger the anger born of fear all of it in response to a perceived conspiracy and Threat by A specific group of people well we've seen and heard this [Music] before if we look at the anti anti-semitic propaganda of the Nazis at its core is an identical type of economic threat this economic myth even made its way into children's books sadly the popular image of Jews and Nazi propaganda resembles the popular image of Arabs in some of our most beloved Hollywood movies the only difference being that the Arab usually wears a Rob and [Music] headdress [Music] another way we can look at the connection between politics and entertainment Washington and Hollywood is the manner in which historically Cinema has projected the Palestinian people since the founding of the state of Israel in 1948 our support has never wavered every American Administration has made it clear whose side we're on in contrast Washington's policy makers have failed to support the millions of Palestinians who have been made refugees and who have lived lives of poverty and squalor as a result while policies impact opinions so equally unjust is how Hollywood has presented the conflict movies repeatedly depict Palestinians as terrorist making it seem that all Palestinians are evil made in America [Applause] Colonel now that image has been perpetuated by Hollywood films beginning with the film Exodus it dealt with a very early conflict here Palestinians are either invisible or they're linked with Nazis perpetrators of horrific acts the 1966 movie cast a jaw and Shadow is another early film presenting Israelis as innocent victims of Palestinian violence Kirk Douglas is an American Military specialist and he goes to assist the Israelis some of the dialogue in this film reads like it came straight from the public relations department of the Israeli government now he's a country surrounded by five Arab Nations ready to shove them into the Mediterranean no guns no tanks no friends nothing people fighting with their bare hands for a little piece of desert the Palestinians in this movie are the lowest of the L we see them solely as vicious gunmen wide-eyed Maniacs they will kill anyone anywhere any time for any reason there's one brutal image in particular of a burnt out bus with a dead Jewish woman tied to its side with a star of David carved into her back and when the Palestinians finally speak they Mock and psychologically terrorize another woman trapped in a well if we jump forward a decade to the film black Sunday the Palestinian terrorist is now a woman striking where it hurts them most where they Fe most at home she flies the Goodyear blimp into a Miami Stadium and tries to wipe out 880,000 Americans at the Super Bowl she cold bloodly eliminates anyone in her path the movies that we see basically follow Washington's policy it's reflected in the cinema over and over again particularly during the 1980s and the 90s where you had perhaps 30 Films which showed Palestinians as um as a people who were int on injuring all Americans how may we help you J one of the most despicable portrayals of Arabs and Palestinians occurs in the 1987 film death before dishonor first they murder a guard and then Slaughter an Israeli family they kidnap and torture an American Marine and In Cold Blood execute another and they burn the American flag right in front of the American Embassy and then dispatch a suicide bomber to blow it up one reason we've not been allowed to empathize with any Palestinian uh on on the Silver Screen is is due to two Israeli producers monam Golan and yorm globous these two filmmakers created an American company called Canon and they released in a period of 20 years at least 30 Films which vilify all things Arab particularly pal Palestinians they even came out with a film called hell Squad showing Vegas showgirls trouncing Arabs in the middle of the [Music] desert I think the most effective film they've ever done one of the most popular and most racist is the Delta Force here Palestinians hijack a plane and ter teriz the passers especially the Jewish pick out the passport with Jewish names there is no form of communication more powerful than film in creating propaganda and Golan and Globus took it to another level stop it certainly American Producers play a role in vilifying Palestinians I mean perhaps the most anti- Palestinian film is true this apparently is the same Group which just detonated a nuclear bomb in the Florida Keys Crimson Jihad will re fire on one major US city each week until our demands are met this film is shown on television almost every week over and over again it is part of our visual Heritage give me the key come on child you don't want to die do you give me the key and you won't get hurt I give you my word no way you Wago and we never see never see Palestinians who suffer under occupation Palestinians in refugee camps Palestinians who are victimized who were killed innocent Palestinians these images are denied us now why are they denied us is there an Unwritten code in Hollywood saying we cannot and will not humanize Palestinians I mean why can't we humanize Palestinians in the same manner in which we humanize Israelis is not the life of a Palestinian child media wise Hollywood wise politically wise as important as Humane as valuable as the life of an Israeli child and if the answer to that is yes why can't we see that on Silver Screen [Music] Dre to solidify Washington's connection with Hollywood simply look at the films produced in cooperation with the Department of Defense showing our men and women in the armed forces killing Arabs at random like Iron Eagle where a teen years year goes over and bombs up an Arab country you know it just learns how to fly a jet overnight and then of course Navy Seals with Charlie Sheen goes over to Lebanon and obliterates scores of Arabs all right Chief let's go tag him and bag him of all the Department of Defense films the one that will stand the test of time as being the most racist racist his Rules of [Applause] Engagement the film was written by former Secretary of the Navy James web the action takes place in Yemen a real country in the Middle East there are violent demonstrations that the American Embassy and the Marines led by Samuel Al Jackson they're called in to evacuate the American employees and as they Tred to do so the Marines open fire on the crowd and kill scores of Yem including women and children and in the investigation that follows Tommy Lee Jones the lawyer who represents the Samuel Jackson character goes to Yemen to investigate the movie leads us to believe what seems that the Marines committed this atrocity Armed American Marines they were shooting at his people they were just trying to defend thems during his investigation Jones's character sees a little girl with only one leg he follows him comes upon a hospital Ward full of Civilian victims he finds an audio tape by the bed one of the victims and when the tape gets translated in court we immediately begin changing our minds about who is responsible for this Massac to kill Americans and their allies both civil and Military is duty of every Muslim who we discovered that the Yemen civilians aren't so innocent after all it turns out they fired on the Marines first and in a moment that will live in Hollywood infamy we suddenly learn that the little girl girl we been sympathizing with the very girl whose humanity and innocence may have broken down our serotypes well she's no better than those other Yemen terrorists as a result when Samuel L Jackson delivers the key line where the we're now on his side [Applause] why does this matter because in the end the massacre of even women and children has been Justified and applauded it's a Slaughter yes but it's a righteous Slaughter Sergeant Mac sir contact all stations mission complete the humanity is not there and if we cannot see the Arab Humanity what's left if we feel nothing if we feel that Arabs are not like us or not like anyone else then let's kill them all then they deserve to die [Music] right what's the outcome what do Arabs think of us that see these movies because these movies are rent 25 cents American movies showing us killing them what do they walk away with does this bring us closer together does this Advance piece or does it separate us you're [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] fired islamophobia now is a part of our psyche words such as Arab and Muslim are perceived as threatening words and if the words are threatening what about the images that we see in the cinema and on our television screens we are at war with Iraq we went to war in March of 2003 but didn't our entrance to the war wasn't that made a lot easier primarily because for more than a century we had been vilifying all things AR and now given what happened with 911 the tragic events that took place on that day were 19 Arab Muslim terrorists were responsible for the deaths of nearly 3,000 people now instead of saying That's The Lunatic Fringe we say no no no no the actions reflect the actions of 1.3 billion people now that's dangerous we don't say that the actions of kck's clan members who are Christians represent Christianity do we look at Oklahoma City Timothy McVey a good Irish Catholic boy do we say all Irish Catholics are terrorists I no one knew mcvey's religious beliefs where he went to church or his ethnic background it was not part of the story yet of course had that been an American with Arab Broods or an American Muslim it would have been a part of the story remember that when when news of the bombing broke reporters and politicians nearly everybody rushed to judgment without any proof whatsoever US Government source told CBS news that it has Middle East terrorism written all over it the attack in Oklahoma City appears to have a familiar mark this was done with the attempt to inflict as many casualties as possible that is a middle eastern trait the fact that it was such a powerful bomb in Oklahoma City immediately Drew investigators to consider deadly parallels that all have roots in the Middle East ABC News has learned that the FBI has asked the US military to provide up to 10 Arabic speakers to help in the investigation The Stereotype has become so widespread it's become invisible to people and the reason being is that we've all grown up with these images just look at television we now have TV shows telling us that in addition to the Arab terrorists over there American Arabs over here are also terrorists then there's showtimes Sleeper Cell here a Sinister network of Islamic groups operates on American street corners any homeless man could be part of this network even Western looking Arabs are part of this anti-American conspiracy we're war with America period and we're going to win that war by convincing enough Americans through the spread of fear insecurity and Terror to change their ways and the best way to teach that lesson is by attacking them where they live work and play and this paranoia runs deep just take a moment and flip through some of our most popular religious channels Islam a religion of two billion members that's growing by 50 million people annually nearly every major terrorist Network in the world is led by Islamic fundamentalists Islam is as we have seen a religion that teaches the violent subjugation of all non-muslims it promises Paradise to terrorists and makes the viest deed a thing of beauty in the eyes of Allah so when innocent Arabs are killed when they're bombed maed wounded when they're tortured in places like Abu gra is it really any surprise that we don't feel any compassion or Worse make light of it this is no different than what happens at the Skull and Bones initiation and we're going to ruin people's lives over it and we're going to hamper our military effort you ever heard of emotional release you ever heard of need to blow some steam off well yeah sort of sort of like you know hazing a fraternity prank sort of like that kind of fun but the point is you everybody's been saying that this came from the top we don't care about them we've been preconditioned to think think that those innocent civilians clones of al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein are one and the same and do not Merit our sympathy our understanding and that's very dangerous according to the FBI hate crimes in America targeting Muslims or people who just appear to be Middle Eastern surged in the aftermath of 9/11 since 9/11 if you are an Arab American or a Muslim American and you go to an airport you you you're automatically Pro filed uh numerous thousands of Muslim Americans were rounded up and detained without due process many people particularly immigrants lost their jobs this college student who asked not to be identified says a recent meeting with police left him feeling like a criminal I I was just very scared anxious nervous and I just wanted to get it over with he was one of several thousand men of mostly Arab descent who were interviewed so there is this CL you know with the hate crimes with the profiling with being rounded up again I think this illustrates the power of film that in spite of the reality in spite of the material that we know to be true we still embrace the mythology the mythology is still a part of our psyches stereotypes take a long time to wither away and for many of us we're comfortable with our prejudices we don't want to change we've grown accustomed to this [Music] space when we think of Arabs what do we see what images come to mind do we see actual people people who despite real cultural or geographical differences do pretty much the same things that we do when we think of Arab women what images come to mind do we see women who laugh and play and who adore their children women who work in the home as well as [Music] outside would it come as a surprise to know that in many Arab countries a majority of college students are actually women what's our immediate image of Arab men do we see loving fathers men who want to provide for their families what about Arab teenagers do we see them the the way you would think about teenagers in other parts of the world then there's religion in the Arab world do we see it as all-encompassing dominating everything else do we know that even though Faith plays a huge role in the Arab world just as it does here in the United States that it's also true that much of the Arab world is quite secular when we think of Arabs in religion does Christian ity come to mind do we remember that there are over 20 million Christians in the region who have lived side by side in harmony with Muslims for centuries to their credit some filmmakers have shown Arabs and American Arabs in all their complexities an an excellent way to shatter a stereotype is through laughter through comedy so we have comedians comedians have done this historically black comedians Jewish comedians so we see Arab comedians doing this and this is one way to release the tension on a credit card true story guy behind the counter picked up my credit card sees the olart looks at me all weird like hey buddy what kind of name is uh uh that I'm like well sir it's an Arabic name he goes you what what does this mean so I'm like well well translate it to English it means peaceful friendly Arab but he's not happy go yeah what Arab country is your family from the most peaceful popular one that he would like so I'm like we're from the same Arab country that Aladdin is from to his credit Michael Moore in Fair night 911 in the DVD includes a scene with this this comedy coming up my name really is Ahmed Ahmed and I can't fly anywhere all you white people have it easy you guys get to the airport like an hour 2 hours before your flight takes me month and a half Security's gotten so bad now I just drove to the airport in a g string I'm like how you guys doing the character I read for was terrorist number four not number one not number two number four and um and I was already Welling in my comedy career at this point so I didn't take it that serious and I read my lines way over the top and uh you know I was like sit down you will obey or I'll kill you in the name of Allah you know stuff like that and the director went nuts and he was like like that was brilliant Ahad let me see you do it again but this time with more you know Arab you know how your people are very you know he trying to say that we're angry and I was just like okay angry is that what you want yes yes so I did it one more time and I got a call the next morning that they want to use me in this movie and I started laughing on the phone cuz I wasn't even like I was making fun of of the part of the role I wasn't trying to be like that and they and that's they want though and once we begin to humanize Arabs and Muslims to project them as we project other people no better no worse then The Stereotype gradually diminishes in movies such as a perfect murder we see an Arab American detective the friend the heroin then there's three kings a movie I served as as a consultant on the action occurs during the first Gulf War in 1991 the film is notable for revealing the complexities of the Iraqi people focusing on decent Iraqis that Saddam Hussein wants to kill how's your little girl is she safe or not outstanding excellent how can we help you there's mutual respect in this film and there's also Iraqis who are loyal to Saddam Hussein it's not a sugarcoated film film it's a very realistic film it's an outstanding film in my opinion Kingdom of Heaven which focuses on the Crusades was a tremendous hit overseas not here in the United States and when the film was shown in Beirut particularly in the end when salahadin takes over Jerusalem there's peace between Muslim and Christian he enters a church and there is an icon on the floor salahadin sees the icon respectfully picks it up and places his back on the altar when audiences in Beirut saw that they Rose to their feet and applauded we're talking about Muslims as well as Christians applauding the act of a Muslim who Embraces religious [Music] tolerance there is this need of Arab audiences to embrace American films that show them in a respectful honest fair Manner and with the release of George Clooney syriana I have hoped that Hollywood may be listening the film has some unflattering yet honest depictions of Arabs but it also presents an Arab Prince as one of the film's few decent human beings the British educated Prince wants to bring democracy to his country and his ideals get him and his family murdered I want to create a parliament I want to give women the right to to vote I want an independent Judiciary I want to start a petroleum Exchange in the Middle East I'll put all of our energy up for competitive bidding I'll run pipe through Iran to Europe like you proposed I'll ship to China anything that achieves efficiency and maximizes profit profit which I will then use to rebuild my country great that's exactly what you should do exactly except your president Rings my father and says I've got unemployment in in Texas Kansas Washington State one phone call later we're stealing out of our social programs in order to buy overpriced airplanes another example of this kind of humanity and respect is found in hideous kinky a film about an English woman played by Kate Winslet and her two daughters in Morocco Winslet's relationship with her Moroccan lover is beautifully and lovingly displayed and when she doesn't have the money to return home to England with her daughters he makes hard sacrifices to make it happen there's a tender and moving scene at the end the Moroccan catches up with a train there on to say goodbye to wish them well we see the warmth and love that exists between [Music] them [Music] and nowhere is this kind of humanity more visible than in the film Paradise now written and directed by Han Abu Assad two Palestinian friends get recruited to carry out the suicide bombing on Tel Aviv at first they accept their mission solemnly but they're intercepted at the Israeli border and separated from their hand then a young woman realizes their plan and forces them to question their action for these three young Palestinians are different from each other they're not just crazy terrorists and they're not just Freedom Fighters they're human beings with all the false successes ideals and of human beings I'm an optimist and I believe in the future particular particularly in Young filmmakers The Stereotype will change it will change because young men and women who are entering the profession will see that there has been a grave Injustice committed and they'll make attempts to correct it it's only a matter of time as to when this will happen but it will take place look we've unlearned many of our prejudices against blacks Native Americans Jews other groups why can't we unlearn our prejudices against Arabs and Muslims what matters is not to remain silent I think whenever we see anyone being vilified on a regular basis we have to speak out whether we're Image Makers or not we have to take a stand and say this is morally and ethically wrong to demonize a [Music] people [Music] [Applause] [Music] for [Music] [Applause] [Music] for [Music] [Applause] [Music] e [Music]