Characteristics of Orientalism, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Explain the difference between Muslims and Arabs.
Comparing Muslims and Arabs is kind of like comparing apples to oranges, or cats to dogs. Arabs are an ethnic group of people whose ancestors settled in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Muslims are people of the religious group, Islam, which was founded in the Middle East. Arabs, just like most other ethnic groups, can belong to many different religious groups. Three of the major religious groups in the world today sprang forth from the Middle East.
According to research and news reports within the past 2 years, what are some of the changes the United States has made to policies concerning the treatment of Muslim and Arabic members of society?
During the Presidency of George W. Bush, both due to attacks made upon the United States by terrorists in the name of Islam, and due to policies created by passage of the Patriot Act, Arab-American, and Muslim-American relations sunk greatly. Recently, President Obama has worked hard to try and improve those relations. It has been his policy from the very beginning, to try and forge a diplomatic bridge to the Muslim world. The very first interview Mr. Obama gave from the White House was to an Arab television station. Mr. Obama has also made many trips to the Middle East and Central Asia, in an attempt to strengthen relations with leaders in those regions.
List two to three characteristics of Orientalism. How may Orientalism and prejudice contribute to hate crimes against these groups?
Orientalism is a stereotypical view some people in the West have of people in the East. People from many different ethnic and religious groups are grouped together and viewed in a certain historical context, thus robbing them of their cultural diversity. Often these views are not supported by anything other than some outdated reference seen in a movie, or read about in a book. Because of...