Orientalism and Contemporary References
Although the image of the �Arab� today seems so natural, right, and universal, it is everything but that. The idea of the �Arab� is a construction that has been around ever since the colonialist era; the Western world�s arts, literature, science, and folklore are drenched with an image of �the other�, in this case being one from a far and distant land, existing only in relation with the colonialists and their place in the world. It is no coincidence that this universal picture of an �Arab� persists today, due to a systematic effort by the colonialists and neo-colonialists after them to justify their actions towards a whole region and its people.
It is within the dominant ideological discourse where identities are produced and constructed. This discourse contains categories of identity, and these �categories are the products of cultural codes, which select some aspects of the body and make them significant. Such codes, organize signifiers according to relations of difference, so that any signifier of identity is only significant insofar as its difference from others� culture selects the relevant dimensions that will constitute people�s identities and organizes them into relations of difference� (Grossberg, 1998, p.226). The point of measure, or the naturalized race is the Caucasian one, in other words, it is what other people are measured against and compared to. It is the difference from the white, western, male that defines everybody else. It is within this context that oreintalism worked during the colonialist era, and it is precisely within this same context that misrepresentations of Arabs exist today, remaining mainly uncontested within the dominant ideological discourse of the present. Just like Africans and the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Arabs too, had to be represented as an inferior people who need the assistance of the West to save them from themselves. Just like �Orientalists provided �scientific� justifications for subjecting foreign peoples� (Karim, 2001, p. 56), the neo-colonialists today utilize the same tactics to provide moral and ethical reasons for the subjugation of Arabs.
When one thinks of Arabs vis-�-vis September 11th, one might be quick to point out that the misrepresentation of Arabs and the Muslim world in general has re-emerged in a strong way. While this is somewhat true, others might argue that this practice has never left in the first place. For example, the concept of �Arabs� as the enemy has remained prevalent throughout the past years in all types of media. From Hollywood films that portray Arabs as villains or unshaven terrorists out for world domination, to news reporters speaking of �Islamic terrorists� or �Jihad�, to what Greta D. Little brings up regarding children�s books that describe Arabs as dirty, lazy, irrational, cruel, violent, oppressive and sexist (Little, 1998). This practice is what Randall Marlin calls �pre-propaganda�, in his book entitled �Propaganda and the ethics of persuasion�. He states: �no direct propaganda can be effective without pre-propaganda, which creates images, ambiguities, and stereotypes� The essential objective is to prepare a person for a particular action and to do so without delay� (Marlin, 2002, p. 34).
The study of propaganda and in this case, pre propaganda is essential not only to oreintalism, but also to its contemporary, neo-colonialist equivalent. Marlin defines propaganda as being �an organized and deliberate attempt to influence many people, directly and indirectly� (Marlin, 2002, p. 22). In the case of the Middle East, American propaganda attempts to influence its citizens into action or inaction, in other words, to either build its oppressive social apparatus (i.e. police, army, navy, prison) or create a general population that is either compliantly passive about military action, or impassive but supportive of it. If since Sept 11th, commercial American media produced propaganda in an effort to create support for Washington and London�s foreign policy plans for the Middle East, then the movies, arts, and literature of the 80�s and early to mid 90�s served as perfect pre-propaganda.
When drawing parallels between oreintalism and today�s media practices towards Arabs and Islam, many commonalities are found, in fact many of the exact same stereotypes still persist. �Variations of the four primary stereotypes of Muslims having fabulous but undeserved wealth, being barbaric and regressive, indulging in sexual excess, and the most pertinent image as the �violent Muslim� have not only been reproduced in newspapers and television, but generally appear as the representations of the Muslim Other in popular culture, art, music, literature, school textbooks, public discourses, and in computerized formats� (Karim, 2001, p. 62). An example of one of the myths that remain prevalent today is the idea of contempt held by the Middle East towards Christians and Jews. Stories from 19th century literature describes Arabs as �cruel depots, who are the most ruthless persecutors of the Christians� The Moors and Mahometans, are bigoted with their own faith, and regard those of a different religion, especially Christians, with detestation and contempt� (Little, 1998, p. 266). Similarly, today, images are shown of Arabs and Muslims who talk about the �infidels� and their contempt for them. In fact Reverend Jerry Falwell of the USA went as far as denouncing the prophet Muhammad as a �terrorist�. Also, documentaries from many filmmakers and news organizations are everywhere as they clamour to uncover why �the Muslim world hates the West�. This erroneous belief of Arabs that the dominant ideological discourse of the West has created is a myth, mainly because first, since Islam was the last of the three major monotheistic religions, Jesus Christ is not only mentioned, but is also the most quoted prophet in the Holy Quran, and regarding the misconceived notion of contempt of all Jews, it is important to note that positive mention of Judaism and its prophets are also abundant. Another fact that would demystify this myth is that Arabs are not homogenous. Arab people stretch through many lands, �races� and religions. One of the biggest misconceptions of the Arab is that he is always Muslim; it is as if there are no Christians, Jews, Buddhists, or even Atheists among Arabs, which could not be further away from the truth.
Another myth is one which Gera D.Little writes about: �Even books that are relatively kind to Arab characters accept the wisdom of the 19th century and portray Arabs as unable to solve their own problems without the assistance of Western Civilization� (p. 269). Just like the colonialists presented Arabs as inferior beings who need salvation from the West in the form of colonial conquest, �We cannot help contrasting the excellent condition of Algeria under the French with the barbarism of Morocco as ruled by the Sultan� (Little, 1998, p. 270), Arabs today too, supposedly need salvation from their own evil, brought by American and British troops in the form of �Operation Iraqi Freedom�. �The United States has taken the place of Christianity and the colonial powers as guardian and guide to Arab peoples and states� (Little, 1998, p. 270). One needs only to look at the practices and foreign policies of the Western countries towards the Middle East and Africa to recognize that problems in these regions are directly attributable to the West. From colonization, to mandates, to the many wars and oppressive puppet regimes put in place and supported by the West, it is no secret that many of the problems pertaining to the Middle East have a direct trail that leads to many Western countries.
TThere are numerous myths and stereotypes regarding the Muslim world and Arabs in general. One could trace the commonalities found between these myths from the colonialist era to the present. It is important to mention that Arabs are not the only victims of such actions. Every colonized and/or occupied peoples and land have faced such misrepresentation in an attempt by today�s superpowers and the colonialists before them to justify their actions towards the area in question. Propaganda serves as an indispensable tool to create, fix, naturalize and cement the ideas found within the dominant ideological discourse and hegemonic order. To criminalize, dehumanize, and demonize a people is a perfect way to attain ulterior motives that go practically uncontested as the stereotypes created by the people in power are accepted as fact by most of the general public. Once the public perceives this information as �reality�, then to kill the �other� in the name of �freedom� and �salvation� and to protect oneself from a pereceived threat (no matter how unreal) becomes an easier pill to swallow. Orientalism is real and very much alive in today�s world; it never disappeared, and is stronger than ever. Since Sept. 11th, most of the general population of the West have been lied to in the same fashion as their ancestors and have become unknowing accomplices in the continued mistreatment of all �others� of the world.
References
Cleaver, E. (1968). Soul on Ice. New York: Random House.
Ellul, J. (1965). Propaganda: The Formation Of Men�s Attitudes. New York: Vintage Books.
Grossberg, L. (1998). MediaMaking: Mass Media in popular culture. California: Sage.
Karim, H. K. (2001). Islamic Peril. Montreal: Black Rose Books.
Little, G. D. (1998). �Representing Arabs: Relliance on the past� in Cultural Diversity and the US Media, eds. Yahya R. Kamalipour and Theresa Carilli. New York: Albany State University of New York Press.
Marlin, R. (2003). Propaganda and the ethics of persuasion. Ontario: Broadview Press.
