HiJACKiNg CATAStROPhe

This film was really disturbing. I don't care for George Bush and I don't want an in-depth analysis of how he managed to do what he did and walk away without any regret or apologies. The video was mainly about how he constructed a false image of himself and gave authority to specific conservatives whose had a vision of "American power," which resulted in the war in Iraq. The less I know about Bush and his accomplices the happier I am that day  :) Bush is one of those characters who you cannot be neutral about. I personally feel very strongly about him and it scares me to think he has supporters and has brainwashed so many Americans to believe in him. My favorite part of the film was the introduction of the quote by the Nazi Reich Marshall Hermann Goering: The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country. Bush and his administration exploited people's fear and terrified them into submission. The message of his administration was that "we" need to live in fear because the "evildoers" hate America and "we" have to defend ourselves from the "axis of evil." The video pointed out that that was not a necessary response. Bush basically positioned the West against the East. He stated you're either with us or with the terrorists. That kind of attitude and ideology is problematic and harmful to the American people demonstrated in the movie American East. Because of "politics of fear" Americans are the ones stuck dealing with and suffering over post 9-11 while Bush and his accomplices sleep sound knowing they accomplished their goal. 

George Bush and his accomplices fed America numerous statements about Osama Bin Laden and his possession of "Weapons of Mass Destruction." There was a tremendous amount of discourse about the Middle East and Bin Laden and all these known "facts" that perpetuated throughout the American media. The problem was how Bush and his team continued to talk about the Middle East and present false, unproven statements as "facts." There was tremendous amount of discussion about "WMD" that terrified and paralyzed Americans from challenging Bush and his order to declare war and no questions were asked. It is so painful to look back at those 8 years and see what Americans willingly gave up in order to protect their "freedom" and feel "safe." And the answer is military force, that is the universal language. America does not need to dialogue or consider resolution because we solve problems through "shock and awe." We are the military force. A theme that PRofessor Metcalf continues to bring up is to question what we "know." If only Americans would have questioned the "facts" maybe Bush and his evildoers might not have gotten away with it.

AraB iN AMERiCa COMiC & LOOse CHANge 9/11

Loose Change was one of the strongest conspiracy theories I've heard and i was blown away. One of the girl's even said it, "It was a hard pill to swallow." I was not directly affected by 9/11 or post 9/11 but it was a national event that affected and changed the way we would react to 9/11. The video presented outstanding evidence against what we know happened on Sep. 11 and countless questions that still haven't been answered. It reminds me of the "self-incrimination" the American government is famous for because the more they bullshit the American people, there is a counter idea and brave individuals who are going to call some people out. There is overwhelming evidence that challenge the official story of 9/11 and it is obvious that the government is withholding vital information. Our only hope is to challenge the bullshit and demand justice. The truth is being hidden and many people just want to know what happened. The answers the video alluded to are sadly possible, but they still leave us asking questions and with the damaging aftermath of 9/11.

A comic book that explores some of these damaging aftermaths is Rassi El Toufic's Arab in America. Similar to many of the Arab Americans dealing with post 9/11, Toufic admits that the America's anti-Semitic culture made him ashamed of being Arab. Rassi's critical perspective was interesting because it allowed him to notice Arab discrimination and prejudice normally overlooked and accepted in American society. He also points out American's ignorance in not being able to differentiate Arabs from Muslims from other nationalities. Similar to my observations in the movie The Kingdom Americans have been socialized to construct themselves against the "other," an enemy.  Important to note is that Americans were not the only ones terrified after 9/11, Arabs like Rassi also lived in fear of being targeted or deported. On a bus ride, Toufic becomes increasingly uneasy when he questions if an American would be able to distinguish him from the photos of the hijackers that in fact "looked like him." Toufic also comments on the photos themselves. The photos were problematic because of the humiliation and terror they were intended to invoke. Much like the American funded "reality" tv show in Iraq, the government uses methods such as humiliation to dehumanize and shame their subjects. "Catching" a criminal and circulating a humiliating mug shot is a strategy meant to reaffirm the stereotypes against Arabs and Muslims. Toufic mentions that one of the terrorist photos was of a man who was arrested when he was in bed. He obviously was going to look wild and disgruntled, but the photo was meant to "invite mockery." The importance of language and discourse is shown with the way "arab" and "muslim" are immediately synonymous with terror and violence. Especially post 9/11, the propaganda was everywhere.

From an Arab perspective he clearly believes that racism against Arabs is tolerated, encouraged and supported in America. His perspective is interesting and complicated because like many immigrants he is caught in the middle: he doesn't feel like he belongs to America and yet he is not entirely devoted to Arab or Muslim culture and tradition. As Toufic presents the alternative Arab perspectives he shows the varying ways Muslims and Arabs deal with their identity in America varying from denial, rejection, protest and him, unwanted and lost. When he tries to become a citizen he realizes that he was on his own with "these" people. He reveals that "this is not my country and never could be." 

One of my favorite points was when he reveals that Americans don't even know who they hate. America was founded on the idea that "we" are here, superior, dominant and everyone else is the "other." The American "enemy" shifts every time the government has a political agenda. If its not the Mexicans, it is the Arabs, if it is not the Arabs it is the Indians... Overall, Toufic, similar to Said, identifies the problem with the West's perception and constant representation of the East. As he observes some palestinian photos taken by a white college student, he finds the photos to be "exploitative" and came to the same conclusion as Said: everything Americans know about Arabs is almost always filtered through the eyes of a white American, whether it is from a biased, prejudiced newscaster or an educated college student Arabs are always represented by someone else. In the end, Toufic chooses to take pride in his Arab identity and not only appreciates the beauty of his people, but the beauty in humanity. There are political and social reasons for racial profiling, racism and discrimination but at the end of the day we have to realize that "we" are all human and there is no "other."

FiLM ANALySiS: tHE KiNGdOM

Antionette Rodriguez

Film Analysis

             The Kingdom is a fascinating movie that portrays Americans and the Middle East working together and fighting for justice. The movie begins with a brief history of Middle East and United States relations, concluding with Saudi Arabia as the number one oil producer in the world and the United States as the number one consumer in the world.

The video clearly indicates that America has strong motives for its presence in Saudi Arabia, as the movie shows through the Western compounds that were set up. The initial action begins with a suicide bombing at an American baseball game and an even bigger explosion while American officials were investigating the scene. A few Saudis overlook and record the game, while others are shooting Saudi police and American bystanders; terror is associated with all the Middle Eastern characters because the viewer does not know who is good or bad. The scenes alternate between a young Saudi who is being told to watch the attack and an American FBI agent, Agent Fluery, who is at school with his son. There is an interesting contrast between the two boys: the American boy is at school having a show and tell with his father, while the young Saudi is with his grandfather watching Americans being killed for the glory of Allah. Both children live and are brought up in two different worlds, the Saudi is taught that Americans are the enemy and the American boy knows his dad fights “bad people.” This scene foreshadows the ultimate predicament at the end of the movie: who is the enemy?

As the FBI team discusses their options and situation one thing is clear, the Saudis are threatening, dangerous, and killing Americans on a large scale. Even in Saudi Arabia everyone is suspect, one scene shows the Saudi army assaulting one of the Saudi guards for supposedly being involved in the bombing. The enemy could be anyone, but whoever they are the Americans are preparing to bring justice. When the FBI arrives in Saudi Arabia, they are unwelcome and tension occurs when they are told their cooperation is limited. Agent Fluery asks if they could at least question witnesses. When he visits the compound an American witness shouts at the first sight of Faris Al Ghazi, Saudi policeman in command, and accuses him of his wife’s death. The American does not differentiate Middle Eastern people because he only sees one thing, a terrorist. Of course he is traumatized for what happened to his wife, but it just reaffirms America’s quick tendency to blame an entire people for the actions of a few.

However, when Agent Fluery phones his son from Saudi Arabia the scene also shows Al Ghazi and his family coloring and watching television with their kids, another Saudi officer arrives home and helps his father get ready for prayer, it is an intimate moment because unlike the beginning it shows the obvious, not all Muslims are terrorists. There are Muslims in Saudi Arabia who have families, lives and are innocent victims in their country’s struggle for peace and stability. At first, there is tension and discomfort between FBI agents and the Saudi police, but during a car ride, Fluery and Al Ghazi understand that they are on the same side; they both want justice. The movie is unique because it does not rely on common Middle Eastern stereotypes; it presents the differences between Faris and Agent Fluery such as their different lifestyle, religion, customs, and traditions but what unites them is their duty and struggle for justice. The movie makes me think that there is no reason why Muslims and Christians or the West and East cannot live in tolerance. There is “othering” by the Saudi terrorists and American tourists, however Fluery and Faris are above that. They realize their similarities and represent what brings the two sides together. The conclusion of the movie shows how the problem is that “we” are taught to believe “they” are the enemy and vice versa. In both societies, the “other” is created to amplify differences and justify acts of violence. "They" are always going to be there, but "we" can resolve conflicts by putting differences aside and working towards a morally fair society.

As Faris and Fluery work together, the Saudi terrorists continue to plot their attack on the American team. The enemy changes from Saudi Arabia, to an exclusive group of Saudi Arabian Muslims who preach extreme violence. At the end of the movie, the Americans are attacked and one is kidnapped for execution. Unlike the beginning of the movie, the viewer knows the good from the bad. The FBI team and Saudi police work together to retrieve the agent and capture the mastermind behind the attacks. The movie does not fall short of portraying in terrorists in true fashion when they prepare to torture and record the American in order to publicize it on the Internet. After the American is retrieved safely the team searches the building. The building ends up being the residence of Abu Hamza, the leader of the terrorist group. When Faris realizes he is in the presence of Abu Hamza, the viewer clearly feels the terror and pride in Hamza's face. The viewer sees him as a body of evil, not because of his grinning expression, but because we have some background on his actions and what he believes in. He is not just another Middle Eastern face whose role is to terrify the audience, he is in fact a terrorist and the viewer's feelings are vindicated. During the shootout, Abu Hamza, one of his teenage followers, and Al Ghazi are shot dead. As Agent Fluery holds onto Faris for his last moments he rejoices in saying, “We got him. We got him.” There is relief in that their mission was accomplished. 

The concluding scene of the movie is the one that is critical and leaves the viewer in despair. The last words used to console the FBI agents and Abu Hamza’s grandson was, “We are going to kill them all.” Both sides continue to believe that “they” are going to kill “us," whether it is for security or the greater good it is not clear. What is clear it that the violence and innocent deaths are not going to stop. The “other” exists on both sides and as long as "we" are constructed against the "them," peace is impossible.    

AMERiCAN EASt

wOw. The video was an exceptional representation of the Arab post 9/11 struggle in America. Issues such as humiliation, shame, terrorists, post 9/11, and racial profiling were highlighted throughout the movie.

The first scene in the movie shows Mustafa's son begin ashamed of his culture and religion. Muhammad rejects being Muslim because he is surrounded by American anti-Semitism. The atmosphere around the movie is constantly reminding Arabs of the terror and threat they pose to Americans. When Mustafa loses his son he reacts the way any parent would when they lose their child, but because he was at an airport and was frantic, he was racially profiled as a terrorist. There was no threatening reason to arrest Mustafa other than the police's personal fears and biases. It was humiliating for Mustafa to get arrested in front of his son for being an Arab, it makes Muhammad want to deny his culture in America even more. The multiple interrogations by the government were also humiliating for Mustafa because they devalued and instigated him until he was completely ashamed. 

 

Out of all the characters, Omar was especially conflicted because his acting roles were promoting Arab stereotypes. His roles were almost parallel to the way people viewed him in real life. The three boys at the coffee shop recognized him as a terrorist on t.v and assumed that was who he was. They could not to distinguish Arab characters on t.v. from real Arab Americans. Because the terror alert was "red" the police publicly detained Omar and made an example of how Arabs, whether innocent or guilty, all have the potential to be terrorists. Because of American's long history of misrepresentation and biased attitudes towards the Middle East all it took was a few Arabs on Sept. 11, for all Americans to "justify" their anti-Semitic feelings. 

 

All "races" are profiled and this movie succeeds in showing the Arab point of view and showed their ongoing fight to be accepted in America. The movie showed Arab Americans as human, Mustafa and his family are average Americans struggling for better lives. I liked the movie because it didn't capitalize on the differences between "us" and "them." The characters all have their problems, but their main struggle is that America sees them as Arabs and not as living human beings.