Do you ride camels to school?

Media has become a major part in people's lives as it is a form of entertainment and a form of "understanding" the world. The media in the United States has become so powerful; they are able to control what the people see. The Middle East has been quashed by the American media due to their long ever-lasting insistency on showing stereo-types and causing false assumptions of the Middle East, Muslims, and Arabs.

A documentary called "Reel Bad Arabs" by Dr. Jack Shaheen gives us an overview of films and shows in history that show similar forms of how Arabs were filmed. Since about the 1940's, directors have been displaying the same image of Arabs, with turbans on their heads, camels everywhere, and women either belly dancing or completely covered with black material. They have also made Arabs deliberately "less educated" than other races.

As for shows and media such as news channels, censorship plays a major role in "educating" the Americans and the world. The ability for news channels to put what headlines and news they want on television and the internet has caused people to fear, and attack anyone who looks like an Arab. Mostly after 9/11, People in America always associate terrorism with Arabs but mostly Muslims due to the vast coverage of the media on terrorism and relating it to Islam. Talk shows or missionary channels like to attack Muslims and also relate them to Terrorism. This has caused people to fear Arabs or who look like an Arab. People then start attacking them and causing tension because they immediately associate them with bombs or killing.

I remember the day when 9/11 happened; I was about 8 years old and was going to school. I did not understand the true meaning of the news or the event but I knew it was something big. Living in America as an Arab Muslim after 9/11 was terrifying. I remember when the FBI used to come to our mosque and ask for certain men to go with them. I also remember when our imam, the one who leads us in prayer in the mosque wanted to travel. They did not allow him to leave because they assumed that he had TNT in his bag and wanted to bomb the airplane. His name was Mohammed, I am sure that was the reason for the commotion. They had a trial in court and decided that he couldn’t leave his house within a 100 feet radius. It was unjust.

The majority of the people in the United States are brainwashed by the media and films concerning Arabs and Muslims. The consumption that all Arabs are stupid and ride camels and that Muslims are terrorists is false. The idea of Humanism or humanizing comes here where people in the world are all humans, regardless of their race or religion. It is a fact that each person has a brain, a heart, a stomach, but does not have a bomb around his waist as an organ. Arab teenagers have the same ambitions as other races. Media should show the whole story for everything they show. Arabs are humans; Islam is a word that comes from peace, not bombs or terrorism.