From 1896 to Date Hollywood’s Villains: Muslims

Abstract

In this article, negative and positive Muslim stereotypes in Hollywood films over the decades are discussed. There are three main eras in Hollywood history of Muslim stereotypes. From beginning to 1970s, Muslims were portrayed as barbaric and lustful people live in desserts. They were portrayed as having no intellegence, which was an insult. Middle Eastern women were portrayed as sex slaves or femme fatales in this era. Between the 1970s and September 11, 2001, the exotic and erotic Muslim stereotype gave way to the terrorist Muslim stereotype. During these years Hollywood films portrayed Muslim men are brutal terrorists and Muslim women as either dangerous terrorists or unimportant persons behind their burkas. After 9/11, there are two kinds of Muslim stereotypes in the films. First, Muslim terrorists as sympathetic individuals seduced to commit acts of terrorism by religious fundamentalism. Second, Muslim terrorists as willing participants in violent activities motivated by Islamic fundamentalism. However, both portray Islam as the main motivation for terror acts. Moreover, from early film history to today, Hollywood cartoons portrayed Muslims as barbaric, foolish, and stupid. There have been few positive Muslim characters in Hollywood history.

Keywords

• Hollywood,Islamophobia,Muslim Stereotypes,Islam,Terror

1896’dan Günümüze Hollywood’un Kötü Adamları: Müslümanlar

Öz

Bu makalede kuruluşundan günümüze kadar Hollywood filmlerinde yer alan olumlu ve olumsuz Müslüman temsilleri ele alınmaktadır. Hollywood sinemasında kullanılan olumsuz Müslüman temsillerini üç bölümde ele almak mümkündür. Başlangıçtan 1970’e kadarki dönemde Müslüman erkekler çölde yaşayan barbar insanlar olarak sunulmuş, birçok filmde hakarete uğramış ve alay edilmiştir. Bu dönemin Ortadoğulu kadınları ise erotik birer obje olarak gösterilmiştir. 1970’lerde egzotik Doğu temsili yerini terör yuvasına bırakmıştır. Bu dönemden sonra Müslümanlar eli kanlı teröristler olarak temsil edilmişlerdir. Kadın karakterler de ya terörist ve terörist destekçisi ya da burkasının arkasına hapsedilmiş silik şahsiyetler olarak resmedilmiştir. 11 Eylül 2001’den sonra ise iki tür film ortaya çıkmıştır. Bunlardan ilkinde eylemi gerçekleştiren teröristler alt tabakadan sempatik kişilerdir. Onları teröre sevk eden imamlar ve şeyhler esas kötü adamlardır. İkinci türde ise doğrudan Batıya kinleri nedeniyle terör eylemi gerçekleştiren varlıklı ve cani teröristler bulunmaktadır. Fakat bu iki tür de temelde İslam’ı terör eylemlerinin temel motivasyonu olarak göstermektedirler. Hollywood’un kuruluşundan beri çizgi filmlerde ise Müslümanlar hep alay edilen, barbar ve aptal karakterler olarak resmedilmişlerdir. Öte yandan çok az da olsa olumlu Müslüman temsilleri de Hollywood filmlerinde yer alabilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Hollywood,İslamofobi,Müslüman Temsili,İslam,Terör

Kaynakça

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