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Atlanta Journal-Constitution – January 29, 2007
Stereotypes resented:
Critics say all Islamic characters are
painted as terrorists
For several years television shied away from story lines connected to Sept. 11, 2001. Now, five years later, things have changed. Scripted television programs no longer avoid terrorism-related story lines. Muslim characters are increasingly commonplace, mostly in a negative way.
From episodes of "The Unit" and "Without a Trace" to the upcoming BBC America miniseries "The State Within," it appears any Muslim who isn't a terrorist is suspected of being one. Or a sympathizer.
"There really are no other images of Muslims in the media now," says Rabiah Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which worked with Fox two years ago on a public service announcement that aired during "24." But Ahmed says her group was somewhat surprised by the intensity of this story line, featuring a string of attacks on U.S. cities by Islamic militants.
"People frame it as a freedom of speech issue, and we support that. But these portrayals have real consequences on how people view Muslims."
Tuesday on CBS' "NCIS," Special Agent Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) barely thwarted a plot by terrorist Mamoun Sharif to expose thousands of Americans to a toxic chemical weapon. Hissed Sharif: "Every one you kill, you just make 10 more like me."
"Law & Order" repeated an October episode on Jan. 19 in which a Muslim-American was beheaded, apparently by a pro-America group; in fact, it was Muslim terrorists determined to silence an acquaintance with knowledge of their nefarious plans.
And then there's "24." Two seasons ago, its plotline about a nuclear missile attack on America focused heavily on a Muslim family. This year's saga has raised the ante: a suitcase nuke has killed thousands, and a teen Muslim-American turned out to be a terrorist who killed one neighbor and took the white family next-door hostage.
It has elevated concerns that all Muslims are being painted with the same scripted TV brush.
"Right now, the word 'terrorist' only means Muslim or Arab," laments Tayyibah Taylor, editor and publisher of Azizah, an Atlanta-based magazine for Muslim women. "People get most of their information about Islam and Muslims from TV and the movies. They can't separate what's truth from fiction, what's religion from culture, and it all gets lumped into one —- 'This is what they're about. They're all a bunch of terrorists.' "
The fact that the vast majority of Muslims aren't terrorists is something many feel gets lost in translation on TV. The issue burst into prominence last week when CAIR said "24," with its "repeated association of acts of terrorism with Islam, will only serve to increase anti-Muslim prejudice in our society."
In its own statement, Fox described "24" as "a heightened drama," and one of the network's top executives later defended the show as an equal opportunity offender.
"We've had Baltic bad guys, German bad guys, Russian bad guys and even an Anglo-American bad guy president," Fox Entertainment President Peter Liguori said at the Television Critics Association meeting in Pasadena, Calif. recently. "The writers don't need to single out any specific group."
"Middle Easterners are where blacks and Latinos were many years ago —- we're always the sidekick or the bad guy," says Iranian-born Maz Jobrani, who plays a cab driver on ABC's sitcom "The Knights of Prosperity."
"When you have a character in a show that is a normal Middle Eastern guy next door and then ends up being a terrorist, I can't help but think that might put doubt in regular people's minds. I know that it makes for great drama, but unfortunately, it does have an effect on how people think in the real world."
Jobrani says he no longer is willing to portray terrorists but won't judge anyone who does. Instead, he advocates humor to break down negative stereotypes —- he's part of the "Axis of Evil Comedy Tour," starring Middle Eastern-American comics, whose special is tentatively scheduled to air on Comedy Central in March.
Two weeks ago, a new Canadian sitcom, "Little Mosque on the Prairie," attracted 2.1 million viewers for its CBC debut, an eye-popping number in a country where an audience of 1 million is considered substantial.
"It allows you to see more than one personality of Muslim," says Azizah editor Taylor of the show, about Muslims and non-Muslims living in a small Western town, and the progressive young imam who arrives from Toronto (the first two episodes can be seen on YouTube).
That's all they're asking television to do, Muslim-Americans say. In a conference call with Fox executives last week, CAIR requested that "24" hire Muslim consultants and incorporate more positive Muslim characters……
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2007/01/29/lvmuslim0129a.html
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