Rules of racism
The Australian Arabic Council (AAC) wishes to bring to your attention the film Rules of Engagement, directed by William Friedkin and produced by Paramount Pictures, which will be distributed in Australia from August 17 by Village Roadshow.
Rules of Engagement is yet another Hollywood film that presents the Arabic people as maniacal terrorists and the malevolent enemy of the West, along the same lines as True Lies, Executive Decision and The Siege did. The AAC strongly condemns its portrayal of the Arabic culture in a negative and false manner, and as being without one redeeming quality. Rules of Engagement flagrantly maligns an entire culture, without apology or explanation. It therefore may have racist repercussions that will affect Australia's Arabic community.
The movie is centred around the character played by Samuel L. Jackson, a marine commander who orders his men to fire into a crowd of protesting Arabic people outside the United States embassy in Yemen (the reasons for the protest are never divulged). The order results in the death and injury of many of the men, women and children protesters and an investigation and trial of the commander takes place which questions whether correct procedures or "rules of engagement" were used in the massacre.
The conclusion drawn in the film is that this course of action was the only one possible against the unruly mob of Arabs, who would surely have wreaked more death and destruction had they not been stopped. Even the Yemeni children are shown bearing arms and using them against the marines; thus Jackson's order is "justified" and the charge against him is dismissed.
Even some mainstream media have acknowledged the problems in this film. For example: "At its worst, it's blatantly racist, using Arabs as cartoon-cutout bad guys, and unrealistic in its depiction of a conflict in the Middle East", said Paul Clinton from CNN. "Friedkin also risks accusations of racism. Little attempt is made to humanize Yemeni people ... they are stock villains, human cattle ready for herding and slaughter to demonstrate the right and might of the US policeman's role", wrote Bruce Kirkland of the Toronto Sun. "The continuing scandal of Hollywood's Arab-bashing smells to high heaven ... (it's) the only racial stereotype that's not only still permitted but actively endorsed by Hollywood", said Godfrey Cheshire from New York Press.
The AAC has begun a campaign of letter writing, article distribution and meetings to counter this movie and its potentially damaging effects. We call on Australian and Arabic people to join in this campaign and help combat such racial vilification and assist the discouragement of racism in all its forms. The AAC can be contacted at <mail@aac.org.au>.