![]() The earliest Western stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims arose during the Crusades almost a millennium ago, said Charles E. The arguments go on endlessly, and "Aladdin" sits in the middle of this political debate about Zionism and Palestinian rights. This last charge is denounced by others as racist in its own right, for its implications that Jews behave monolithically and are universally prejudiced against Arabs. government's support of Israel and the influence, some say, of Jews in the film industry and other media. They see it as part of a trend that reflects the U.S. Studio executives see the film as a simple entertainment, yet many Arabs and Muslims view it in a political context. It's a certain license that they're taking, but it's certainly not meant to reflect on the culture of today. As for the song, it's talking about a different time and a different place. All the characters are Arabs, the good guys and the bad guys, and the accents don't really connote anything, I don't think. Howard Green, a spokesman for Disney, rebuts the criticisms: "It's certainly coming from a small minority," he says, "because most people are very happy with it. (Disney has not responded to the request.) In the letter Mokhiber "applauds marvelous moments in the film when there is a successful fusion of Arab and American cultures, such as the scene in which the genie suggests that Aladdin 'wake up and smell the hummus.' These moments are unfortunately overshadowed by the surprisingly vicious opening lyric." Last month Albert Mokhiber, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Washington, wrote to Disney Studio Chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg to suggest that the lyrics to "Arabian Nights" be changed before "Aladdin" is released on videotape. "I have a daughter who says she's ashamed to call herself an Arab, and it's because of things like this."Ĭomplaints like these are coalescing into a public debate that seems to have taken Disney by surprise. "As an Arab, it made me feel, 'My goodness, this is not a film I want my children to see,' " said Salem. They've done everything but put him into a suit and tie. What makes him nice is they've given him this American character. Aladdin doesn't have a big nose he has a small nose. "All the bad guys have beards and large, bulbous noses, sinister eyes and heavy accents, and they're wielding swords constantly. Yousef Salem, owner of a Sunnyvale, Calif., engine-parts business and former spokesman for the South Bay Islamic Association, saw the film recently. If you were to replace the word 'Arab' with 'black,' 'Jew,' 'Italian' or 'Irishman,' it just wouldn't float because everyone would be up in arms." "It just drives another nail into the casket of what has been a bad image for decades. "It's gratuitous Arab-bashing," said Casey Kasem, a nationally syndicated disc jockey in Los Angeles, of Lebanese ancestry, who is particularly bothered by the film's opening song. The sting of "Aladdin" is particularly intense because it is a high-profile Disney release, playing to massive audiences, including impressionable children. Such caricatures exemplify the negative stereotyping with which Hollywood and the media have stamped Arabs and Muslims for nearly a century, these critics say. And they are violent, willing to chop off the hand of a woman who steals an apple for a hungry child. Many of its characters are portrayed as grotesque, with huge noses and sinister eyes. What's more, "Aladdin" has been hailed as politically correct: Its heroes are not white.īut for many Arab Americans and Muslims, the film is not innocent, funny or particularly triumphant. ![]() There is talk of Oscar nominations, and the film is topping 10-best lists. ![]() The movie is a charmer, the reviewers almost unanimously proclaim, a brilliantly animated fantasy-adventure in which Robin Williams, as the voice of the genie, gives a classic comedic performance. Millions of children and adults are streaming to theaters to watch Disney's retelling of the classic tale in which poor Aladdin finds a magic lamp and is granted three wishes by the genie who lives inside. As the opening credits roll, they watch a Bedouin riding his camel through the desert and listen to these lyrics from a song called "Arabian Nights":īarbaric? Chopping off ears? In the first minute of a children's film? For many this is the second or third time they've seen the film. The theater is packed with children munching popcorn, hungry for Walt Disney's "Aladdin" to begin. ![]()
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