From the film: Reel Bad Arabs on Kanopy
https://dom.kanopy.com/video/reel-bad-arabs-how-hollywood-vilifies-people
1. Can you think of any examples of films you have seen that include depictions of Arab or Arab American people? What were those images like?
2. Aladdin is an animated film aimed primarily at children. Do you agree that we should take the images and representations of a film like this seriously? Why or why not? Can you think of other children’s films that include stereotypical representations of groups of people?
3. This documentary is from 2006, as I was unable to find a more recent one that addressed images of Arab peoples. In what ways and how much do you think things have changed from the time this film was made to the present day?
4. Why do you think reporters blamed Middle Eastern terrorists for the Oklahoma City bombing?
5. Dr. Shaheen encourages us not to remain silent when confronted by prejudicial stereotypes. Have you ever spoken up in a situation such as that? What was that experience like? What challenges do people who refuse to remain silent face? How can those challenges be met?
6. Write a quotation from the film that was meaningful to you and explain why you think it’s important.
7. What commonalities do you see between what this film documents happens with images of Arabs and the previous documentaries you saw about images of African Americans and Asian Americans