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December 17, 2005

Commentary: Where Does the Ignorance Comes From?

There is something that bothered me about the following story about Albert Brooks's film "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World." But before commenting, here is the story: American comedy pokes fun at US ignorance of Islam

DUBAI (Reuters) - It may seem odd for an American to go to Asia, and not the Middle East, to learn about Islam after the September 11, 2001 attacks by al Qaeda.

But U.S. comedian Albert Brooks said this peculiarity underscores the basic premise of his satirical film "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World," which pokes fun at U.S. ignorance about Arabs and Muslims.

The 19 suicide hijackers who struck New York and Washington in 2001 all hailed from the Middle East, which is also the birthplace of Islam.

"One of the subtle things I think the movie was trying to say is that the U.S. government really makes no distinction ... between Arab Muslims and South Asian Muslims," Brooks told Reuters in an interview in the Gulf Arab emirate.

"To the United States -- and it's unfortunate -- all Muslims are the same. Once 9/11 happened, they're afraid of all of them."

Well, the first thing that bothered me about the story was Reuters's obvious bias: I'm used to it, but it still bothers me. But it goes beyond that. The first non-obvious bothersome thing is a hidden premise so common, people don't even notice it; namely, that it is up to Americans and Europeans to "understand" (that is, to excuse) the behavior of whichever culture we happen to clash with. That is why Brooks's character goes on a mission to India, but not equivalent Muslim Indian character goes on a similar mission to America. Sometimes, even worse, it is assumed "they" (muslims) have a "sense of history" and that their grievances (the Crusaders, etc.) are held because of their admirable sense of history. (Never mind that the Crusades were justified and that the Muslim outraged is not based on history, but myth.)

The second non-obvious thing that bothers me is that in this type story there is never an attempt to know where does that "ignorance" (when it is really ignorance) of Islam comes from. It is assummed away that Americans are ignorant bores who cannot help but be ignorant about everything. No comparisions are necessary; that slur in well-entrenched in the rest of the world. (Say, how much does the average snotty Reuters correspondent knows about Texas.)

At any rate, this is a truly disgusting piece of propaganda, fitting for a suicidal Western News Agency like Reuters. I hope the movie is not as groveling as the story makes it to be.

Posted by Ruy Diaz at December 17, 2005 12:43 PM

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