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	Hollywood's War on 'Reel' Bad Arabs by Jack Shaheen Article Abstract For reprints, please e-mail imqeditor@american.edu
In the post 9/11 US, policymakers purportedly have placed an emphasis on dissuading the American public and the world at large that the war on terrorism is a war of civilizations or religions. Rather, they have sought to portray the war on terrorism as a fight against a fringe group of radical fanatics. Yet, this portrayal is at odds with Hollywood 's depiction of Arabs. Over the last century, and particularly over the last 50 years, Arabs have been routinely de-individuated and portrayed as a group that is violent, anti-American, and generally threatening. The continued use of these dehumanizing stereotypes not only harms the image of the US in the Arab world, but also sows the seeds of ethnic discrimination in the US.