AMERICANS VIEWS Essay -- essays research papers

A stereotype is the creation of an unfair opinion or view; an individual will take the behavior of one person and state that all people belonging to that particular group behave in the same manner. Stereotyping encourages people to react and behave in a manner that is both judgmental and prejudiced. The perception of Arabs and the Islamic religion has created a system in which prejudices and stereotypes worked their way so thoroughly into literature, education, history, language, and social mores that they seem to govern the conflict as much as they are created by it, while newspapers and television news play a major role in the way we perceive Arabs and the Islamic religion. Movies, books, and sitcoms also play a major role in shaping these stereotypes. Popular films such as, "Villains," "Sheikhs," "Cameos," and "Cliffhangers," which portray Arabs as Public Enemy #1, brutal, heartless, uncivilized Natives bent on terrorizing civilized Western ers. These different types of things all have the ability to enlighten and enrich the lives of all the people they touch; however, they also have the ability to perpetuate and create stereotypes, as in the case of how Americans view Arabs. Television programs and the mass media do not examine the fact that the Islamic religion preaches equality and peace. A good example of media coverage in which presented the facts of an actual event in a prejudicial manner was the Oklahoma City bombing. In 1995...