Hollywood Does Not Feature Positive Muslim Characters

The head of an Istanbul-based rights watchdog said that the US film industry did not "positively" depict Muslim characters

ISTANBUL, Oct 2 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 02nd Oct, 2017 ) : The head of an Istanbul-based rights watchdog said that the US film industry did not "positively" depict Muslim characters. Ayhan Kucuk's remarks came during a symposium in Istanbul titled "Global politics and Cinema," organized by the International Center for Watching Violation of Rights (UHIM) and Turkey's Ministry of Culture.

"According to a report by a US-based researcher Jack Shaheen, only 12 characters of the 900 Muslim roles in Hollywood movies were positive, and 50 others are presented as neutral," said Kucuk, chairman of the UHIM.

Shaheen (1935-2017) worked on anti-Muslim and anti-Arab stereotyping in the US's mainstream media and published his acclaimed book titled "Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People" in 2001.

Kucuk said Muslim characters, especially in Hollywood movies, were not featured "positively." "In this way, a negative image of Muslims is being transmitted to the masses through cinema," he added.

Speaking at the event, Turkey's former Culture Minister Nabi Avci said the way cinema and political relations were shaped was "significant." Avci also said Turkish people prefer to watch their own films rather than Hollywood movies.