In the Western world, Arabs and Muslims are marginalized like no other ethnic group. The stereotypical Hollywood portrayal depicts the men as full-blown terrorists, cash money machines, or conventional simpletons and the women as exotic harems or as passive repressed sideliners. These personifications endure and persist. Regrettably Westerners become attuned to them and perceive them as lifelike, which then justifies prejudice and legitimizes discrimination.
First, let’s consider the starting point from which the negativity comes from. The Journal of Language and Translation in an article titled “The Image of the Arabs in American Movies and Novels” says, “American movies & [sic] novels often stereotype Arabs in one of the famous 3 ‘B’ categories: billionaires, bombers, or belly dancers.” It also talks of how “Many movies feature Arabs as wealthy men, driving limousines and using money to seduce women, or as terrorist villains threatening to blow things up.”
This portrayal started decades ago. In 1921, the silent Hollywood movie, “The Sheik,” depicted the Arab Sheik as a violent and deceptive seducer. It set a pattern that perpetuates across the years from “Not without my children,” of the 90’s where the American mother escapes with her daughter from the clutches of the Muslim Iranian father to the many “The Mummy” movies where evil Egyptians are pitted against the heroic Westerners. Even today, dozens of Western movies such as “Rules of Engagement,” “London has fallen,” “Beirut,” and “Aladdin” continue to depict Arabs with prejudice.
More importantly, the Arab in Western movies is predominantly the villain while the white male is the one who thwarts the Arab’s devious plans, saves the heroine, or even saves the Arab. In “Rendition,” the ill-treated Egyptian American Anwar, erroneously assumed to be linked to a terror organization, is terrorized while being interviewed. It is only after the white CIA analyst assigned to observe the interrogation doubts Anwar’s guilt that Anwar can be shipped out to safety and returned to the US.
These Arab characters are backward-looking, their brown skin exaggerated, their outfits dishevelled, their eccentric laugh skewed up, and their English accents foreign and garbled. More importantly, these characters are usually hostile to Western standards.
So, what can Arabs and Muslims do to propagate their true image and noteworthy culture? And how do they humanize themselves in the eyes of others and convert this inferior image to a more realistic perception.
First, the best ambassadors of the Arab cause are the diaspora that immigrated to the West, so tapping into this group is a vital pathway to a better representation of Arabs and Muslims.
As in all other ethnic groups, some Arabs and Muslims may be villainous, but, in all fairness, the altruistic ones eclipse them in numbers and expertise. Many exemplary Egyptians and Arabs have lived in the Western world and have played significant roles abroad. Only to name a few, we have surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub, Politician Rashida Tlaib, scientist Farouk El Baz, economist Mohamed El Arian, film star Ramy Malek, architect Zaha Hadid, and academic Minouche Shafik.
In sports Mohamed Salah has done wonders for the Muslim Arab image. In addition to his amazing prowess and exemplary style, Liverpool fans see in Salah a faithful Muslim who recites the Quran, raises his hands to the sky, asking for assistance from God and hoping for victory. They see him fasting despite the stress of the matches, and they also see him as a believer who prostrates to God in gratitude after scoring goals. While he maintains his Muslim faith close to his heart and donates to many humanitarian causes, he respects the traditions of the country he lives in and has given him its blessings.
This also goes for ordinary diaspora; they exhibit their original ways and display their culture, lifestyle, and foods to the West. Respecting elders, valuing family traditions, and holding hospitality dear are all Arab traits, which are seen through their conduct, and, no, falafel and humus are Arab dishes and not Israelis ones as the Israelis claim today. By the same token, they follow the guidelines of the countries they live in, respect their laws, and value their cultures, all attributes that are appreciated.
Second, Arabs must have a powerful voice that should reach the world via powerful media outlets, in more than one language. These outlets can refute Israel’s made-up stories and exhibit the horrors inflicted on Arabs. Arabs can also reach the world via social media; for example, after the war on Gaza, a common thread available on social media that has picked up is the following:
We will Never forget.
We will NEVER stop sharing
ᖴᖇᗴᗴ ᑭᗩᒪᗴSTIᑎᗴ !!
Through powerful media, Arabs can refute Israeli lies, eliminate the distorted Arab image, promote their cause, and set the standards by which they want to be identified. After October 7th, the story of the forty decapitated babies lingered till today despite it being an atrocious lie. Only through a media source read across the world can we debunk such made up lies.
Irreputable and convincing State Information Services across the Arab World must also be prepared to quickly rebut all that is said in Western media outlets that is dishonest, embellished, or totally out of context.
Wealth must never be considered a drawback. In fact, wealth should be appreciated for what it is able to give and do. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in the three North American countries: the US, Canada, and Mexico, while Qatar, despite its small size, succeeded in holding a historic tournament in the 2022. Qatar had thousands of visitors awed; it built seven stadiums and renovated an eighth with seating capacity of over 400,00 seats of which half were offered to developing countries that need sporting infrastructure.
It is very common for a Westerner to view matters from his or her own perspective and own eyes despite verifications, which is why Arabs and Muslims should be the ones who conduct their own research whether carried out in Western or Arab universities and institutes. The Iraq Invasion should be tackled by Iraqis, and the Gazan Invasion should be studied by Palestinians.
The travel industry can serve the Arab World well. Arabs have the best beaches, the best food, the most preserved antiques, and a wide array of attractions. As more tourists visit the Arab World, they must be treated with respect. This can be accomplished by providing cultural sensitivity training to those in the field and having them accept diversity and heterogeneity. Tourists go back and tell others whether Arab countries deserve to be visited and if Arabs cherish visitors.
We must also accept ethnocentrism as a given; there will always be a preference to one’s own culture as seen across the world, and this shouldn’t demoralize us. We should remain true to ourselves and hope that others will see us as such.