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Arabs seen as the new villains of Hollywood

By Roger Dobson

29 June 2003

Hollywood has a new top villain, who has taken over from those old foes, red Indians and Communists.

Now the Apache have become respected native Americans, the Iron Curtain gone, and Russia almost an ally, Arabs are pretty much the only villains in town. According to a new report, they are portrayed in a derogatory way 96 per cent of the time.

Usually typecast as nasty bombers or evil billionaires, or at best, evil belly dancers, Arab characters have been the baddies in more than 20 big films in the past 10 years, including Death Before Dishonor, Navy SEALs, Patriot Games, The American President, Delta Force 3 and Executive Decision.

Not, it seems, since the heyday of cowboys-and-Indians has there been such an epidemic of violence against one group, though Arabs have long been a target as well. The report in the July issue of Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science says they have been depicted as rogues for the best part of a century.

Based on a study of more than 900 films, the report says: "Moviemakers' distorted lenses have shown Arabs as heartless, brutal, uncivilised, religious fanatics through common depictions of Arabs kidnapping or raping a fair maiden; expressing hatred against the Jews and Christians; and demonstrating a love for wealth and power."

It compares the stereotype of the hook-nosed Arab with a similar depiction of Jews by the Nazis. Cartoons are involved too. Even in those with all-Arab characters the heroes are lighter-skinned - with American accents.