Orientalism, Prejudice, and Discrimination

Arabs are an ethic group like Irish or German and Muslim is a religious group like Christian or Buddhist. According to our text many Arabs are not Muslim and 85% of Muslims are not Arab. Arabs generally come from one of the 22 nations defined by the League of Arab States, North Africa, and the Middle East.

I could find very little policy changes in the US towards Muslim and Arab citizens. What I did find was a lessening of restrictions on travel, an effort to move away from stereotyping Muslims and Arabs for security purposes, and a push for a unification in the United States. The United States government can set policy for here and abroad but it is the people that ultimately decide if the policy sticks or fails.

Orientalism has three main characteristics:

1. Provides a simplistic view of a people and their history

2. Does not recognize changes in the population

3. Ignores the diversity of the many different cultures

Orientalism is an extreme form of stereotyping which refuses to see the individual. Orientalism groups all people from a set location together. When a few from the group commit a crime the entire group is sought out and punished. 9/11 is a perfect example of how the lack of education in our country led to retaliation on a people that were not involved.

I believe the article makes a very good point about getting to know other races. People are scared of what they do not know and that lack of knowledge can fuel undue concern and even hatred in times of trials. There was a time when entire communities would get together for a barbeque and families would interact with each other. If communities would start these types of gatherings up again we could get to know our neighbors and fear can be replaced with love and intolerance can be replaced with acceptance.