What is the stereotype about Arabs (Palestinians specifically)?
March 26, 2013 8:15 PM Subscribe
Can you please share the stereotypes that you know about Arabs and specifically Palestinians?
I've been reading Edward Said's Orientalism, which is basically about how the West forms stereotypes about the Orient and how these ultimately materialize in the media (specifically art, cinema, ..).
I know it is not necessarily true and that you don't necessarily hold these views and that they might be very offensive at times, but I would be very interested in what they are and whether it is that way in your specific region/culture or not. The stereotype includes and is not limited to (appearance, ethics, mentality, intelligence, social class, social status, relationship with other nationalities/cultures, ...). Please be as specific as possible.
I've been reading Edward Said's Orientalism, which is basically about how the West forms stereotypes about the Orient and how these ultimately materialize in the media (specifically art, cinema, ..).
I know it is not necessarily true and that you don't necessarily hold these views and that they might be very offensive at times, but I would be very interested in what they are and whether it is that way in your specific region/culture or not. The stereotype includes and is not limited to (appearance, ethics, mentality, intelligence, social class, social status, relationship with other nationalities/cultures, ...). Please be as specific as possible.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Sorry, but asking for examples of stereotypes of X gender, race or nationality is not a good use for Ask Metafilter; they are stereotypes, and thus imminently searchable online. -- taz
...where they cut of your ear if they don't like your face. It's barbaric, but hey... it's home.
Not really Palestinian specific, but the kinds of people who hold these stereotypes aren't really going to know their geography, are they?
posted by sparklemotion at 8:27 PM on March 26, 2013
Not really Palestinian specific, but the kinds of people who hold these stereotypes aren't really going to know their geography, are they?
posted by sparklemotion at 8:27 PM on March 26, 2013
Stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims in the United States - Wikipedia
posted by knapah at 8:31 PM on March 26, 2013
posted by knapah at 8:31 PM on March 26, 2013
unshaven, turban-wearing, scimitar-wielding, white-girl-raping, big- and/or hook-nosed...
posted by facetious at 8:31 PM on March 26, 2013
posted by facetious at 8:31 PM on March 26, 2013
Orientalism in 19th century European art - a short summary from the Metropolitan Museum of Art explaining some of the dominant themes/stereotypes depicted in those paintings, which had a huge influence on the western perception of the middle east even through most of the 20th century. (One of the most popular subjects was harems.)
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:33 PM on March 26, 2013
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:33 PM on March 26, 2013
yeah and if it's palestine specifically, then just see any portrait of yasser arafat. the keffiyeh, the jowlishness, the big nose. if he had a reputation for piracy and/or priapism that would complete it.
posted by facetious at 8:37 PM on March 26, 2013
posted by facetious at 8:37 PM on March 26, 2013
Overly dramatic (Arabs in general) and that they believe that only their kind can truly feel emotions.
Sadly, where I live many people confuse Palestinian with Pakistani so it's hard stereotype ifthey aren't thinking of the right group. Palestinian-specific stereotype: that they are all irrational, angry, down-with-Israel campaigners.
posted by Neekee at 8:42 PM on March 26, 2013
Sadly, where I live many people confuse Palestinian with Pakistani so it's hard stereotype ifthey aren't thinking of the right group. Palestinian-specific stereotype: that they are all irrational, angry, down-with-Israel campaigners.
posted by Neekee at 8:42 PM on March 26, 2013
Mod note: As this is obviously a sensitive kind of question, please take extra care to be as neutral as possible in phrasing the stereotypes you are familiar with. Thanks.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:49 PM on March 26, 2013
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:49 PM on March 26, 2013
Response by poster: I met a person who said that during the 70s, a lot of people had this stereotype that Palestinians were these Kuffiyeh-wearing, nomadic-type guerrilla freedom fighters who hijacked planes (no casualties) and had strong connections with the IRA and various groups labeled as terrorists in the USA/Europe. Check out Carlos the Jackal, Leila Khaled, Wadie Haddad, ...
Thanks LobsterMitten. To anyone replying to this post, I find it useful to state your own view in addition to the stereotypes you know about.
posted by omar.a at 8:55 PM on March 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Thanks LobsterMitten. To anyone replying to this post, I find it useful to state your own view in addition to the stereotypes you know about.
posted by omar.a at 8:55 PM on March 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
I was implicitly taught that anyone of even remotely Arab descent = conniving, doggedly bargain-centric, untrustworthy, aggressive, and sexist. I have also seen Arabs portrayed as a monolithic entity devoid of cultural, religious, and ethnic idiosyncrasies.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 9:03 PM on March 26, 2013
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 9:03 PM on March 26, 2013
This may be more based on personal experience, but I think its a stereotype as well: sexually repressed. Based on their prevailing religion their women are largely shrouded head to toe, and when my wife and I walk through a souq we consider it a "good" experience if she only gets constant leering and the occasional cat call. And she dresses extremely modestly. Its quite infuriating.
Regarding Pakistani (I'm in Islamabad at the moment), I think the culture here is much more conservative and strangely that type of thing doesn't seem to be as much of an issue here.
posted by allkindsoftime at 9:08 PM on March 26, 2013
Regarding Pakistani (I'm in Islamabad at the moment), I think the culture here is much more conservative and strangely that type of thing doesn't seem to be as much of an issue here.
posted by allkindsoftime at 9:08 PM on March 26, 2013
Regarding Pakistani (I'm in Islamabad at the moment)
Just a note, Pakistanis are not Arabs.
Another stereotype is that all Muslims are Arab and all Arabs are Muslim. (Not saying allkindsoftime is saying this, but I often see this).
posted by sweetkid at 9:16 PM on March 26, 2013 [2 favorites]
Just a note, Pakistanis are not Arabs.
Another stereotype is that all Muslims are Arab and all Arabs are Muslim. (Not saying allkindsoftime is saying this, but I often see this).
posted by sweetkid at 9:16 PM on March 26, 2013 [2 favorites]
I think there are both positive and negative stereotypes in the west right now.
For example, the adoption of the keffiyeh as fashionable by young cool city-dwellers in the west partly is driven by a glamorized freedom-fighter stereotype.
I think people in the west tend to think that everyone in the middle east is the same (very low awareness of regional/sectarian/class/language/ethnic etc differences), and that everyone thinks the same (everyone is anti-American, for example). I also think a lot of the perception in the US is that everyone in the middle east thinks about the US all the time, that their political decisions are oriented around the US in one way or another (whether as a slight to the US, or as a sign of loyalty, etc), in a way that's just not true.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:18 PM on March 26, 2013
For example, the adoption of the keffiyeh as fashionable by young cool city-dwellers in the west partly is driven by a glamorized freedom-fighter stereotype.
I think people in the west tend to think that everyone in the middle east is the same (very low awareness of regional/sectarian/class/language/ethnic etc differences), and that everyone thinks the same (everyone is anti-American, for example). I also think a lot of the perception in the US is that everyone in the middle east thinks about the US all the time, that their political decisions are oriented around the US in one way or another (whether as a slight to the US, or as a sign of loyalty, etc), in a way that's just not true.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:18 PM on March 26, 2013
Palestinians specifically?
In the US media Palestinians are alternately portrayed as either helpless victims huddled in filthy refugee camps or bloodthirsty antisemitic terrorists.
Meanwhile one of my high school English teachers was Palestinian and just... normal. She had all these wild stories about the various wars, and going to college in Lebanon, and the like. And she spoke at least three languages. But otherwise pretty much your typical soft-spoken John Donne worshiping high school English teacher.
posted by Sara C. at 9:19 PM on March 26, 2013
In the US media Palestinians are alternately portrayed as either helpless victims huddled in filthy refugee camps or bloodthirsty antisemitic terrorists.
Meanwhile one of my high school English teachers was Palestinian and just... normal. She had all these wild stories about the various wars, and going to college in Lebanon, and the like. And she spoke at least three languages. But otherwise pretty much your typical soft-spoken John Donne worshiping high school English teacher.
posted by Sara C. at 9:19 PM on March 26, 2013
Arab stereotype: kaffiyeh-wearing, hot-tempered, and either a sand-weathered Bedouin or an urbane oil baron. Likes horses. Very patriarchical. The stereotype I received is a little different from TBoaF: that they live by an exacting moral code, but its sense of honor isn't always what a westerner would consider honest.
Palestinian stereotype: has a beard, gets bombed by Israel, hijacks airplanes, knows terrorists (but isn't typically one himself, for some reason). Kind of a scanty stereotype really, I'm surprised I can't dig up more.
posted by hattifattener at 9:19 PM on March 26, 2013
Palestinian stereotype: has a beard, gets bombed by Israel, hijacks airplanes, knows terrorists (but isn't typically one himself, for some reason). Kind of a scanty stereotype really, I'm surprised I can't dig up more.
posted by hattifattener at 9:19 PM on March 26, 2013
Along the lines of what sweetkid said, keep in mind that Palestinians don't necessarily consider themselves "Arabs".
posted by Sara C. at 9:21 PM on March 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Sara C. at 9:21 PM on March 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yes - Sara C. brings up a good point - another stereotype is that all Palestinians would be big into Israel-Palestine politics, following the latest skirmishes and ins-and-outs, and be very passionately on one side.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:23 PM on March 26, 2013
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:23 PM on March 26, 2013
ai, i can't believe no one said suicide-bombers yet!
posted by facetious at 9:42 PM on March 26, 2013
posted by facetious at 9:42 PM on March 26, 2013
Response by poster: @ facetious
I have an intense feeling these are your own views. Am I wrong?
posted by omar.a at 9:54 PM on March 26, 2013
I have an intense feeling these are your own views. Am I wrong?
posted by omar.a at 9:54 PM on March 26, 2013
oh god yes - i would say that the only prejudices i harbor about palestinian/arab culture is that they eat a lot of lamb and yogurt-based foods, and are terrible at basketball. the vehemence of my reaction was solely because of what an obvious prejudice it seems these days.
posted by facetious at 10:00 PM on March 26, 2013
posted by facetious at 10:00 PM on March 26, 2013
They turn against their "own". My (racist) parents always used to mock the Palestinians because "even the other A-rabs wouldn't have them."
posted by 3491again at 10:03 PM on March 26, 2013
posted by 3491again at 10:03 PM on March 26, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
Mysterious, exotic, inscrutable, erotic, irrational, superstitious, childlike, guileless, cunning, rapacious, lustful - all of these are stereotypical Oriental attributes.
posted by KokuRyu at 8:25 PM on March 26, 2013