ZIGHEN AYM - North African Author  and Blogger
Follow or Contact me
  • Home
    • Publications
    • First Chapter
    • Ordering
    • Reviews
    • Readers
  • Articles (en)
    • Articles- English
    • A Notable Life
    • A Jouney to Tamazight
    • brutal repression
    • hypocrisy
    • cultural apartheid
    • Independence
    • Book Reviews
    • Matoub
    • Berber Legend
  • Articles (fr)
    • Articles - French
    • Premier Chapitre
    • manipulation
    • obeissance
    • Hawaia: la langue officielle
    • prix de revient
    • scenario hollywoodien
    • tout est calcul
    • Le silence de Bush
    • fuite des cerveaux
    • Le New York Times
    • Blues For Allah
    • Exil en Amerique
  • Blog
  • Dilem
  • North Africa
  • More
    • Photographs
    • Inspired
    • Movies
    • QandA
  • About

Couscous and terrorism - "Body of Lies" movie

4/12/2009

 
I love couscous, the North Africa dish made with semolina. Do you? Sundays are my favorite days because my wife always prepares a couscous for dinner. In addition, when we have guests, she also makes couscous, and I love that. When she makes it for us, she makes it with garbanzo beans and she throws in a small piece of salted and dried mutton. Mmm..., I love the salted taste of the meat.

However, yesterday, I got offended. My daughter brought home the “Body of Lies” movie for us to watch. Directed by Ridley Scott with the screenplay by William Monahan and the novel by David Ignatius, it follows Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is a CIA operative in the Middle East. Ed Hoffman, played by Russell Crowe, is his control at Langley.

Now you must be wondering why I am blogging about couscous and then about the “Body of Lies.” It is simple: Couscous was mentioned twice condescendly as if couscous eaters are potential terrorists who can neither befriended nor trusted. I am really trustworthy. One friend from India told me so.

Now, I do not go around accusing hamburger eaters to be killers of Afghani and Iraqi children. I know better. Instead, I think that former President Bush should be dragged into the International Court of Justice for killing thousands of Afghani and Iraqi civilians.

Now given that couscous is mostly a North African dish, why in the hell did the movie refer to it? Couscous is hardly popular in Iraq and Jordan where the movie takes place.

Until recently because of TV images, the public believed that 70% of American Italians were members of the mafia. However, the true rate is about 0.03% because out of 15 million Italian American, there were only 5,000 who were “made” mafia, according to the FBI. In addition, out of the 500,000 members of organized crime in America today, Italian Americans only have 1,500 members, which means only 0.3% of organized crime members are Italian Americans. The jump from 0.03% to 70% is caused by TV and movie images and stereotypes.

I remember reading that the New York Post published an apology for the cartoon that depicted a police officer who killed a chimpanzee. I think that Scott Ridley should also apologize for spreading the idea that couscous eaters are potential terrorists.

This social construction of the image of foreigners leads the public to the stereotype that most couscous-eating are untrustworthy people or potential terrorists. This is unfair.

I am tired of the stereotyping by Hollywood, and I am going to write a letter and request an apology from the director. I mean what is this idea of spreading cultural misinformation that causes prejudice.

In addition, I am starting to be concerned: What if the FBI calls me back for an interrogation because I am a couscous eater…?



Comments are closed.
    RSS Feed Widget
    RSS http://feed.mikle.com

    Menu

    All
    America
    Author
    Bloomington
    Book
    Books And Souvenirs
    Ethnic Profiling
    France
    Friends' Stories
    Garbage
    Illinois
    Mediocre Software
    Movie
    News About Algeria
    News Websites
    North African Politics
    Patriotism
    Pay-As-You-Throw
    Richard Powers
    Terrorism
    Us Magazines
    Us News Media

    Archives

    June 2020
    November 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    August 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    June 2016
    June 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    September 2013
    June 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    July 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    July 2010
    February 2010
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    July 2008
    May 2008
    March 2008
    March 2007

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.