Stereotyped Behavior regarding Muslim Arabs Image in the Western Media - Essay Example

Stereotyped Behavior regarding Muslim Arabs’ Image in the Western Media The relationship between western and Arab Muslim community is going to be worse just because of the wrong perception of Westerns about the Arab Muslim community. One of the main factors behind this perception is the propagation of western media through different TV programs. This propagation is not new for the Muslims; rather Western media is involved in it from past many years. Technology may channels the channels and the means of stereotyping but the content or the style of misrepresentation of Muslim community is same (Ridouani 1). In this paper, we will try to highlight this stereotyped behavior of Western community and media regarding Arab Muslim community. The western media is involved in the telecast of some programs, which badly portray the Muslim image in the viewers mind. The producers of such programs present distorted images, made-up or fabricated characters and mainly over generalization of the same labeled thinking related to Muslims. The fictional characters of these TV programs are usually involved in the War, bombing and other terrorist activities. The incident of Twin Tower attack is especially highlighted in some TV programs. The producers of these TV programs and the channel owners should consider this wrong and false representation of Muslims. They should not generalize the activities of some people over the entire Muslim community. This stereotyped behavior of Western community is rooted in the past years also. in the middle ages, western people were involved in these falsification and wrong conceptualization. We can say that these activities were started since Muslims are related to the Western Community. Either it is Crusade War or it is Twin Tower bomb attack, Western media always treat Muslims as the aliens or as the people coming from any special planet and who are enemies also (Ridouani 1). It looks like the Western media wants to prove Muslims as the other people or the true enemy of their community (Khan 2). The forces, which are working behind this strategy to spread or circulate a wrong image of the Muslims, should be asked strictly. The State and the government should take actions against them. The objectives of these agencies and forces are merely to ruin the relationships of the both communities i.e. West and the Muslims. Just because of this misrepresentation, Muslims feel humiliation and disrespect in the Western countries (El-Aswad 3). Western media do not highlight any other community as they stereotype Muslims and especially the Arab Muslims. In this way, Muslims feel a discriminatory behavior of the Western people regarding themselves. The anti Muslim groups continue to spread a common stereotyped violent image of the Arab Muslims in the entire Western community. This may cause a base of conflict between the people. West people usually think that Muslims are very much prone towards myths, violence etc. In addition to this thinking, the producers of some TV programs make it firm by presenting the Fictional characters in the form of terrorists. It seems like they want to spread an ill imagination of Islam and the Arab Muslims in the entire world. According to their point of view, Muslims are the whole and sole responsible for all the evil activities occurring in the world, because Muslims reinforce such behaviors and activities. Another major mis-conceptualization is about the role of women in the daily routine activities in Muslim communities. Western people always think that women are the most miserable creature and thus treated badly in the Arab Muslims (Mesic 2). They not only think so but also even generalize it without any verification. They think that Muslim women are confined to the homes and they are not involved in any other activity outside their homes. According to their perception, abusive behavior is very common in the Arab Muslim culture with the women. They not only think so but even they are involved in the propagation of this thought pattern (Mesic 2). The western community should think over this misconception regarding women role in the Muslim community. It is not hundred percent true for the entire Muslim community. It is right that there may be some cases where women are not so much involved in the outside activities. However, the generalization of these behaviors for the entire community is not an ethical and moral practice (Mesic 2). The problem is that they are not just confined to their own perception rather they are propagating the false image through media and TV channels. If we talk about certain programs then in the cartoon movie of Aladdin, a very sensual dancing woman is portrayed as an Arab women keeping in the view of the respect of a woman. This is only one example; there are many other cartoon movies and the postcards examples in which the image of an Arab woman is really ruined badly just because of the false thinking of the makers behind this movie. Contrary to this argument, some authors actually support the idea of stereotyping of the Arab Muslim community in the Western perceptions. They are of the opinion that any research study is not possible unless and until we observe some sample. It is really hard to study the behaviors of the entire population. It is always a basic rule of any scientific research that the behaviors of a sample or a specimen are usually generalized over the entire population. The supporters of this practice are of the opinion that stereotyping is usually beneficial and time saving because usually the characteristics, which are generalized, are the common observation of the people. Nevertheless, critics said that stereotyping is not at all a good practice. We actually destroy the image of the community if we generalize or stereotype any un-ethical practice of some people of the community. It is common observation that there are always some supporters and some critics of any practice in the society. But overall, it is not good to generalize the behavior of some black sheep of the community over the entire Arab Muslim community. At least one should not involve in the propagation of these unethical practices. Western media and the community should also consider their thought pattern regarding Arab Muslim people. This will be beneficial for the mutual relationships of the Western, the Arab Muslim people, and the entire community. It is very much obvious that people and communities are different from each other regarding every field of life. There behaviors, cultural practices, religious believers and even living styles are very much different from each other but it does not mean that anyone can create any mis-conception about any other community. On the other side, it is also a fact that when we have many communities, differing societies then stereotyping, and generalization of nature, characteristics and behaviors is really unavoidable. However, it is really an immoral and unethical practice that any one is generalizing the inevitable properties of any specific culture. There is a possibility of presence of some evil cases in every community but we cannot simplify their specific behaviors over the entire community. References El-Aswad, El-Sayed “Images of Muslims in Western Scholarships and Media after 9/11”, Digest of Middle East Studies, (January 1, 2013), Volume 22, Number 1, page 39-56 Khan, Nasir “Images of Islam and Muslims in the Western Media”, Middle East News Analysis, (May 18, 2010), Web 12 May 2014. Mesic, Mirza “The Perception of Muslims and Islam in the Media and the Responsibilities of European Muslims towards the Media”, Zagreb Madrash, Zagreb Mosque, Croatia Ridouani, Driss, “The Representation of Arabs and Muslims in Western Media”, School of Arts and Humanities, Meknes Read More