Gendering Terror:Representations of the Orientalized Body in Quebec’s Post-September 11 English-Language Press By: Yasmin

Jiwani

Presentation by: Gizem K., Hannah Y., Jonathan W.

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Outline

1. Binaries 2. Binaries in the Media3. Where is Home?4. The Rescue Motif5. Muslims in the Media Post-9/116. Muslim Women: East vs. West7. Muslim Men: East vs. West8. Media Reinforcement of Stereotypes 9. Media Coverage of Muslims in

Quebec

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Part 1: Gizem K.

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Binaries “US vs. THEM”

“You are either with us or with the terrorists”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sfNROmn7bc

The “others” are clumped into one group and are seen

as potential threats to Western safety

Fox News: Muslim Profiling http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT54PpHdT0E

West East

Liberation Tradition

Freedom Oppression

Modernity Primitiveness

Over here Over there

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Binaries and the MediaThe coverage of

Muslims in the media help reiterate these binaries

News coverage of Middle East often involves topics such as uprisings, violent attacks, human rights/women’s rights violations

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Examples of Media Headlines

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“Home”• “Tolerance is always on the side of the

strongest... which says of the other from its elevated position, I am letting you be, your are not insufferable, I am leaving you a place in my home, but do not forget that it is my home...”- Derrida

“Go home.” Looks of suspicion, angerWarned not to leave homes wearing hijab,

incase of an attack. Not being seen as a legitimate member of the

community.

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“Home”All American

Muslim: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0E7-9e6GPM

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HomePark 51: “Ground

Zero Mosque” misconception

Daily Show: http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart/correspondents/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart---wyatt-cenac/clip335156#clip335156

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Part 2: Jonathan W.

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The Rescue Motif In Western media, the

burqa is a symbol of the oppression of Muslim women and the primitiveness and backwardness of Muslim culture

Through this, Western media has created the rescue motif where the West must go and liberate Muslim women from the oppression of their culture

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The Rescue MotifA recent

example of this rescue motif is Operation Enduring Freedom, which is the recent invasion of Afghanistan by the United States and its Allied Forces

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The Rescue MotifOne of the purposes of Operation

Enduring Freedom was to free oppressed Muslim women from the constraints of their culture

Therefore, the West is shown as a liberating force which saves the Muslim women by offering modernity and progress which characterizes Western civilization

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The Rescue MotifPresident Bush on Women’s

Oppression http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/01/bush-wit

hdrawal-afghanistan-women-suffer_n_843537.html

The focus on the veil creates the rescue motif which legitimizes the US’s invasion of Afghanistan in the name of liberation and progress

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Muslims in Post-9/11 Media CoverageThe ideological function of the news is

the provide hegemonic views of ourselves and has a certain level of influence and legitimacy◦ Reinforces the dominant ideologies of “us”

vs. “them”

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Muslims in Post-9/11 Media CoverageSince 9/11, a majority of the coverage

of Muslims been negative in Western media (news, movies, etc.)

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Muslims in Post-9/11 Media CoverageMuslim cultures as violent and

primitive ◦ e.g. torturing of prisoners

Body of Lies (2008)◦ VIOLENT: you have been warned... Prepare

yourself◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRnQA5

kP1rk

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Muslims in Post-9/11 Media CoverageAssociation with Bombs and Suicide

Bombers

Family Guy – Reference to bombs◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U9v5H

3tKDI

Family Guy – Reference to bombs/Jihad◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpzAYH9

yUo0

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Part 3: Hannah Y.

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The Gazette and La Presse

◦ Promote xenophobia intolerance of other language groups

◦ 100-200 Muslims live in the Montreal area◦ Montreal described as more European than

other parts of Canada◦ Montreal significant Jewish population &

growing number of middle eastern communities

◦ Gazette = owned by Asper family Israel Asper vocal critic of Canadian media for pro-Palestinian coverage

◦ Local groups argue it tends to be anti-Islamic

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Muslim Women: East vs. West

The Gazette did a study over 20 day period◦ Searched ‘women’, ‘veil’, ‘burqa’◦ 362 articles found◦ 56 articles centered / mentioned of women◦ 29 addressed Muslim women living in the

west◦ 18 addressed non-Muslim women living in

the west◦ 9 addressed Muslim women in the east◦ All the other articles were about men

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Muslim Women: East vs. West

56 stories analyzed◦ 23- passing references to women◦ 3 American/Canadian & Jewish women as

kind, compassionate & forgiving◦ 4 women mentioned as observers◦ 3 women were committed members of

organizations like CIA or NORAD◦ 6 women as innocent victims and survivors◦ 2 critical anti-racist or anti-war messages◦ 1 Muslim women is allegedly part of a

militant organization

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Muslim Women: East vs. West

Muslim women are rarely portrayed as compassionate and forgiving◦ weak◦ Has no voice◦ needs male authority

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Muslim Women: East vs. WestMuslim women are not so different

after all◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQkZJb

5aQ5Y

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Muslim Men: East vs. West

Muslim men living in the west◦ authoritative◦ reasonable◦ compassionate◦ desperate

Attempt to distance themselves from the acts of those who attacked the Twin towers

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Muslim Men: East vs. West

In contrast, Eastern Muslims are represented by the media as being: ◦ fanatic◦ ruthless◦ barbaric◦ supporting patriarchal violence

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Muslim Men: East vs. West

The Gazette articles are rendered, by their very geographic location, more like ‘us.’ Such a sentiment clearly is articulated by one Muslim spokesperson—a professor at the University of Waterloo and president of the Canadian Islam Congress—who is quoted as saying: ‘We are part of you and you are part of us.’ (Jiwani, p. 278)

Western Muslims attempting to convince Westerners that they are not so different and that they are not affiliated with terrorism

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Media Reinforcement of StereotypesThe ideological function of the news

media, as the bearer of ‘news,’ as a sentinel of warning, and as a purveyor of hegemonic views of ourselves vis-à-vis the world, lends it a certain kind of influence and legitimacy. (Jiwani, p. 272)

Particular stereotypes shown in the media◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcsWQv

qREnc

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Media Reinforcement of StereotypesThere has been considerable criticism

of the coverage of Muslims in the dominant Western media. Jack Shaheen, author of The TV Arab, argued that the consistently negative stereotyping of Arabs in popular media resulted in negative consequences for those Arabs living within the United States. (Jiwani, p. 272)

Muslims threatened◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EzC-riif

2M

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Media Reinforcement of StereotypesPart of this discourse essentializes

Arab/Muslim cultures as interchangeable entities that are inherently and innately violent and primitive. (Jiwani, p. 273)

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Discussion Time

Organize Yourselves into Groups of 4

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Gizem’s Qs Jonathan’s Qs Hannah’s Qs

#1 1-1 2-1 3-1

#2 1-2 2-2 3-2

#3 1-3 2-3 3-3

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1-1

In your opinion, have Muslim representations in the media

improved at all in the past couple years? Explain

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1-2

How do you think we can combat the problem of stereotyping race in the

media? Do you think it can be combated, or will the problem simply

remain as it is?

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1-3

In the past few years, there have been an increasing amount of TV

shows and documentaries (i.e. The All-American Muslim, Little Mosque on the Prairie, The Muslims are Coming) that aim to shed a positive light on

Muslims. Do you think this has changed how Muslims are viewed by

the West?

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2-1 

In terms of the rescue motif, how has the West used it veil its alternative

agendas? (e.g. the war in the Middle East) Has the West actually rescued women from the oppression of their

male counterparts?

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2-2 

Muslims have been stereotyped negatively by Western media which

reinforces the ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ concept. What groups are involved in keeping this stereotype in the media? What purpose does it serve to constantly remind the people of this dominant

ideology?

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2-3 

Throughout much of Hollywood’s history, they have generally depicted non-whites as criminals, gangsters, terrorists, etc. What impact do you think this has on viewers of these movies in non-Western countries?

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3-1

Women who voluntarily wear the veil are perceived as being brainwashed by the patriarchal structures within their own communities. What are your immediate thoughts? In what

ways do you think the media plays its part in your thoughts.

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3-2

Muslim men living in the west are authorization, reasonable,

compassionate, desperate to distance themselves from the acts of those

who attacked. How do you think these rationals come about? How do we

verify these statements? 

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3-3

The study done by Gazette said out of 362 articles, 56 were centred on

women, and the rest were about men. Why is this?

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Thanks for Listening and Taking Part in our Presentation!

The End