Anti-Arab racism

Anti-Arabism is prejudice or hostility against Arabs. Anti-Arab sentiment may be expressed in negative stereotypes. This happens, in particular, when Arabs are deindividualized and portrayed as intolerant, backward and violent, while positive aspects of Arab culture are ignored.

In the Western world, Anti-Arab feelings are complicated by issues of Middle Eastern politics. As in the case of anti-Semitism (hatred of Jews), hatred of Arabs is different from political opposition to the policies of Arab states. In Europe the perception of Arabs as foreigners often results in their discrimination and social isolation. In the USA, incorrect conflation of Arabs and Muslims adds to a stigma held especially after September 11, when Muslims (and therefore Muslim-majority Arabs) have been viewed as potential terrorists.

Terminology

Owing to the etymology of the term anti-Semitism, some argue that anti-Arabism, as well as miso-Judaism, constitutes anti-Semitism. To make clear that the prefix anti- in anti-Semitism does not imply "against Semitism" and the term anti-Semitism almost always means "hatred of Jews", some scholarly authorities of the subject (such as Emil Fackenheim and Yehuda Bauer, among others) prefer the unhyphenated form antisemitism. Using the term anti-Semitism to refer to anti-Arab sentiment is likely to cause confusion.

In Western media

After the end of the Cold War, American films (such as Hot Shots or True Lies) generated controversy over what some considered a disproportionate number of Arab villains in American movies. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center there were reports of assaults on individuals who either were or were perceived to be Arab. These reports were generally given national prominence in the US media, and US President George W. Bush issued a statement condemning the incidents.

Anti-Arabism in polls

In March 1990, according to a poll reported in Le Monde:

• 76% of those polled said that there were too many Arabs in France (46% said there were too many blacks);
• 39% said they had an "aversion" to Arabs (21% to blacks). [1]

Anti-Arabism in Iran

There are many reasons that make Arabs hated among Iranians. Persian were attacked by Muslim Arabs and were forced to accept Islam, and Millions of Persians were killed,tortured,and discriminated by Muslims. Iranians never accepted Islam and they are always trying to fight against this evil Arabic terrorist ideology. Historical documents always prove how Arabs treated Iranians and discriminated them.Iranian people did not do anything bad to Arabs and always tried to act peacefully; but Arabs were uncivilized and barbaric and made themselves satanic. Iranians refer to Arabs az Tazi, which means wild and uncivilized.

Groups that fight against discrimination

There are a number of Arab American groups in the USA and Europe that work to protect the civil rights of Arabs, and fight against anti-Arab discrimination, such as the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

Many Jewish groups have committed themselves to rejecting Anti-Arab prejudice. The Central Conference of American Rabbis (Reform Judaism) states that "Our commitment to the State of Israel also implies a commitment to helping it realize values which we as liberal Jews hold dear; peace with her neighbors and full civil, human and religious rights for all citizens, Jews, Muslims, Christians and others. Whether or not we or those dear to us are living there, our commitment to the State should impel us to work with those in and outside the Land to achieve the vision of a society in which Reform Jewish values and practices can help create a better life for all. Peace, of course, does not merely mean the signing of peace treaties, as much as we have longed for that, but for the establishment of political, economic and cultural relations with Israel's neighbors which can create a peace which will enhance the lives of all the citizens of the region." (Source: Commentary to the Pittsburgh Principles of Reform Judaism)

The Israel organization Rabbis for Human Rights is dedicated to promoting peace, and ending what it sees as anti-Arab discrimination in Israel.

The Anti-Defamation League, (ADL) dedicated to combating anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry, gave this response shortly after the terrorist attacks on 9-11. "We are disturbed that a number of Arab Americans and Islamic institutions have been targets of anger and hatred in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. At this time of profound anger and anxiety, no group in this country should be singled out for hatred, prejudice or blame based on their ethnicity or religion. Threats, harassment or acts of hate-motivated violence against members of a group are un-American and must be forcefully condemned. In laying blame on an entire people, we undermine our nation's core values of equality and respect for the individual."

During July 2003 the Anti-Defamation League urged the Speaker of the United States' House of Representatives to approve a bill condemning bigotry and violence against Arab-Americans and American Muslims. (The bill was resolution 234.) The American Jewish Committee, and American Jewish Congress have issued similar responses.

There are many organizations working to end Anti-Arab bias among Israelis, as well as to end Anti-Semitic bias among Arabs. See the entry on projects working for peace among Israelis and Arabs.

Examples of anti-Arab incidents

• Two members of the Jewish Defense League, Earl Krugel and Irv Rubin, planned to bomb Arab-American Congressman Darrell Issa's office and the King Fahd Mosque in Culver City, California. The two were arrested as part of a sting operation when they received a shipment of explosives at Krugel's home in L.A. and both met their end in prison.
• Anti-Arab graffiti has been spraypainted in Jerusalem.
• An anonymous IDF soldier stationed in Hebron said, "Often I've heard settlers complaining that we prevent them from beating up Arabs, breaking into their shops and vandalizing their property. And thus, they say, we do not protect the Jewish interests in the city. And I innocently thought my job was to preserve the Jewish and Israeli law in the city."[2]
• Anti-Arab riots spread in Sydney, Australia in December 2005.
• ADC member Alex Odeh was assasinated by a pipe-bomb that the FBI has identified JDL members as planting [3]

See also

• Arab
• Anti-Semitism
• Islamophobia

Organizations

• Anti-Defamation League
• American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee

References

• J. G. Shaheen, Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood vilifies a people, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 588 (July 2003), 171-193. Also see an interview with the author.

External links

• Rabbis for Human Rights
• ADL statement against Anti-Arab prejudice
• ADL Urges House of Representatives to Consider Resolution Protecting Arabs, South Asians, Muslims and Sikhs
• AJC statement on avoiding stereotyping or scapegoating
• AJC deplores slander against Palestinian Arabs