ENGLISH- STEREOTYPING OF ISLAM AND MUSLIMS IN HOLLYWOOD MOVIES: AN ANALYSIS OF REPRESENTATION

  • Muhammad Yousaf Lecturer/PhD Scholar in Media and Communication Studies Department of Communication and Media Studies (DCMS), Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU), Old Presidency, The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3753-6840
  • Nauman Sial Research Associate/Ph.D. Scholar in Media and Communication Studies, Department of Media and Communication Studies (DMCS), Faculty Block-I, International Islamic University (IIU), New Campus, Sector H-10, Islamabad, Pakistan. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3232-462X
  • Adnan Munawar Ph.D. Scholar in Media and Communication Studies Department of Media and Communication Studies (DMCS), , International Islamic University (IIU), New Campus, Islamabad, Pakistan. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7140-4481
  • Muhammad Shahzad https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6006-3084
Keywords: Stereotyping, Islam, Muslims, Representation, Hollywood Movies, Pakistan

Abstract

Hollywood movies are very popular in most nations around the world and the viewers of these countries turn to Hollywood blockbusters for entertainment purposes. Hollywood movie images have the ability and power to allow audiences to generate thoughts, views and opinions about different social, political or ideological issues. Islam, the world’s second largest religion as well as Muslims with more than a billion and half in numbers, have often been a subject of mis-representation and ridicule in the Hollywood. The current study attempted to explore the representation of various segments of Muslims in Hollywood movies. The study also tried to find out the image of Islam through the portrayal of Islamic countries in the movies. The qualitative content analysis has been used as a research design for this study. Through the technique of purposive sampling, four Hollywood movies from the year 2012 were selected for the analysis. The results indicated that all the segments of Muslims were depicted as anti-West. The representation of all the five Islamic countries was also depicted negatively in the movies. The results also revealed that life in Islamic countries was portrayed as clearly troubled rather than peaceful, and the people of Islamic countries were also shown as uncivilized citizens.

Published
2020-05-31