How often is it that we see positive portrayals of Muslims--especially Arab Muslims--in our popular entertainment.
Generally, they're either terrible villains or "A-hab the A-rab" stereotypes. 

I'm wracking m brain for Muslim heroes. 

Here's one:
Morgan Freeman as "Azeem" in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves."
Of course, that was safely tucked away in the mythical past, but "Azeem" was a man integrity, rationality, and science.

Let's play.

Name me another good Muslim of the silver screen.

How often is it that we see positive portrayals of Muslims--especially Arab Muslims--in our popular entertainment.
Generally, they're either terrible villains or "A-hab the A-rab" stereotypes. 

I'm wracking m brain for Muslim heroes. 

Here's one:
Morgan Freeman as "Azeem" in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves."
Of course, that was safely tucked away in the mythical past, but "Azeem" was a man integrity, rationality, and science.

Let's play.

Name me another good Muslim of the silver screen.




The Imam from the Chronicles of Roddick?  (This may not count, but I thought I would throw it out there anyway...delete if necessary)

Tony Shalhoub in The Siege.  He was also in the T.V. shows Wings and Monk I believe.  This is the movie with Denzel Washington and Bruce Willis.  He played a Muslim New York cop and a caring dad.

The Imam from the Chronicles of Roddick?  (This may not count, but I thought I would throw it out there anyway...delete if necessary)

I haven't seen that one yet, so I couldn't say either way.
I do think the examples of positive Muslim and/or Arab characters will be weighted towards the last 20 years.  You know, liberal Hollywood PC and whatnot!

Tony Shalhoub in The Siege.  He was also in the T.V. shows Wings and Monk I believe.  This is the movie with Denzel Washington and Bruce Willis.  He played a Muslim New York cop and a caring dad.

Oh, that's a good one.  Notice "The Siege" came out in '98.

The 13th Warrior with Antonio Banderas.   Good movie.

Kingdom of Heaven.   Muslim leader Saladin and Nasir.

Three Kings.  I remember some Iraqi Civilians being portrayed in a positive way and some Iraqi soldier being portrayed in a negative way, not a stereotype. 

Tony Shalhoub in The Siege.  He was also in the T.V. shows Wings and Monk I believe.  This is the movie with Denzel Washington and Bruce Willis.  He played a Muslim New York cop and a caring dad.



You're right about his tv shows.  He was also Jeebs, the jewelry store alien in Men in Black.

Name me another good Muslim of the silver screen.


Super Triple Irony Fun Bonus:  In Rambo III, name the group of hardscrabble honest salt-of-the-earth tribesmen needed the help of John Rambo in fighting the good fight against Goddless Communist Russians...

Hint:  The movie was set in Afghanistan.

Super Triple Irony Fun Bonus:  In Rambo III, name the group of hardscrabble honest salt-of-the-earth tribesmen needed the help of John Rambo in fighting the good fight against Goddless Communist Russians...

Hint:  The movie was set in Afghanistan.

Plays into the stereotype of Muslims being religious fanatics.

How about this: Correct me if I'm wrong, but did you ever see a Muslim on any version of Star Trek?  ::)

What about "I Dream of Jeannie"?  I beleive that she and her relatives were likely Muslims.

Yeah I know, it was not a movie, just a TV show.


Also in the song "Midnight at the Oasis" Muslims were portrayed positively:

Midnight at the oasis
Take your camel to bed
Shadows painting our faces
Traces of romance in our heads

Heaven's holding a half-moon
Shining just for us
Let's slip off to a sand dune, real soon
And kick up a little dust

Come on, Cactus is our friend
He'll walk down the way
Come on, till the evening ends
Till the evening ends

You don't have to answer
There's no need to speak
I'll be your belly dancer, prancer
And you can be my sheik

I know your Daddy's a sultan
A nomad known to all
With fifty girls to attend him, they all send him
Jump at his beck and call

But you wont need no harem, honey
When Im by your side
And you won't need no camel, no no
When you take me for a ride

Come on, Cactus is our friend
He'll point out the way
Come on, till the evening ends
Till the evening ends

Midnight at the oasis
Take your camel to bed
Shadows painting our faces
And traces of romance in our heads 

Reposted.  I heard the song on the radio today, above are more complete.  No negative islamic stereotypes there.  In fact it makes things sound quite pleasant.

How about this: Correct me if I'm wrong, but did you ever see a Muslim on any version of Star Trek?  ::)


Did you ever see a Christian?

There really wasn't much religion on earth, people had matured past it.

Did you ever see a Christian?

There really wasn't much religion on earth, people had matured past it.


That is not true.  It was somply not portrayed.  But in one show there was a definate allusion to Christianity.

In the Second Season spisode "Bread And Circuses", they came across a society that was patterened directly after the Roman Empire.  And the opposition was a group that worshiped a "Sun God".

At the end, Uhura realized that they had all been mistaken.  It was not a "Sun God", but a "Son God" that the pacifistic opposition worshiped.  It ended with Kirk saying "Caesar ... and Christ; they had them both."

However, another movie to look at for "Heros" is Lawrence Of Arabia.  It shows Islamic heroes in the vein of Olliver Cromwell, "warts and all".

And another can be found in a movie that covers a pre-Islamic period of history.  A lot of Muslims protested about the portrayal of Xerxes in the movie 300.  Yet last year there was another movie that showed a very different version of Xerxes that they never talked about.  One Night With The King was a retelling of the story of Esther, and Xerxes was portrayed in a very favorable light. 

That is not true.  It was somply not portrayed.  But in one show there was a definate allusion to Christianity.

In the Second Season spisode "Bread And Circuses", they came across a society that was patterened directly after the Roman Empire.  And the opposition was a group that worshiped a "Sun God".

At the end, Uhura realized that they had all been mistaken.  It was not a "Sun God", but a "Son God" that the pacifistic opposition worshiped.  It ended with Kirk saying "Caesar ... and Christ; they had them both."

However, another movie to look at for "Heros" is Lawrence Of Arabia.  It shows Islamic heroes in the vein of Olliver Cromwell, "warts and all".

And another can be found in a movie that covers a pre-Islamic period of history.  A lot of Muslims protested about the portrayal of Xerxes in the movie 300.  Yet last year there was another movie that showed a very different version of Xerxes that they never talked about.  One Night With The King was a retelling of the story of Esther, and Xerxes was portrayed in a very favorable light. 


On earth, you never saw religion, between the crew-mates and such like.

On earth, you never saw religion, between the crew-mates and such like.


"On Earth"?  How many times did we see "Earth" during the TV series?

In fact, most of the time they showed Earth, was when they had traveled back to the 1960's.  And you can't deny Religion existed in the 1960's.  But how many times did you see it?  None.

Come to think about it, how often was religion shown on I-Spy?  The Man From Uncle?  Get Smart?

Star Trek was not a religious show.  It was not about religion, but about people.  So unless it was something specifically involving the story, there was no reason it should ever be mentioned.  After all, it was Star Trek for goodness sake, not "PTL: The Next Generation".

"On Earth"?  How many times did we see "Earth" during the TV series?

In fact, most of the time they showed Earth, was when they had traveled back to the 1960's.  And you can't deny Religion existed in the 1960's.  But how many times did you see it?  None.

Come to think about it, how often was religion shown on I-Spy?  The Man From Uncle?  Get Smart?

Star Trek was not a religious show.  It was not about religion, but about people.  So unless it was something specifically involving the story, there was no reason it should ever be mentioned.  After all, it was Star Trek for goodness sake, not "PTL: The Next Generation".


Fair point on earth, but in regards to the actual crew themselves, it was very very rarely mentioned. I can't ever recall seeing any sort of religious ceremony, prayer or anything.

It was alluded to numerous times, but in different cultures.

I like the portrayal of the Moroccans in Babel, and even better the Americans' reactions to being in their village.

Fair point on earth, but in regards to the actual crew themselves, it was very very rarely mentioned. I can't ever recall seeing any sort of religious ceremony, prayer or anything.

It was alluded to numerous times, but in different cultures.


There was a wedding ceremony at the beginning of the classic episode "Balance Of Terror".  The speech that Kirk gave was as follows:

"Since the days of the first wooden vessels, all ship masters have had one happy privilege: that of uniting two people in the bonds of matrimony. And, so, we are gathered here today with you, Angela Martine, and you, Robert Tomlinson, in the sight of your fellows in accordance with our laws and our many beliefs, that you may pledge your–"
(siren) "Alert! Alert! All decks, alert! Alert! Alert! Captain to the bridge, please!"

"Our many beliefs".  That says it rather plain and simply that Religion exists.  But much as in real life in most of the world, it is not an all-consuming passion.  And the wedding itself was to take place in the ships Chapel, which in another sign that Religion is alive and well, if not talked about very often.

You even find chapels on modern US Navy ships.  But how many times do you ever seen them in movies or on TV shows?

To take it a step further, you never see toilets in Star Trek.  Does that mean that in the far future, they have eliminated the need to use them?  No, not at all.  It simply was not important to the telling of the story, so they were not used.  And toilets in American TV apparently did not exist until the first episode of "All In The Family".

There was a wedding ceremony at the beginning of the classic episode "Balance Of Terror".  The speech that Kirk gave was as follows:

"Since the days of the first wooden vessels, all ship masters have had one happy privilege: that of uniting two people in the bonds of matrimony. And, so, we are gathered here today with you, Angela Martine, and you, Robert Tomlinson, in the sight of your fellows in accordance with our laws and our many beliefs, that you may pledge your–"
(siren) "Alert! Alert! All decks, alert! Alert! Alert! Captain to the bridge, please!"

"Our many beliefs".  That says it rather plain and simply that Religion exists.  But much as in real life in most of the world, it is not an all-consuming passion.  And the wedding itself was to take place in the ships Chapel, which in another sign that Religion is alive and well, if not talked about very often.

You even find chapels on modern US Navy ships.  But how many times do you ever seen them in movies or on TV shows?

To take it a step further, you never see toilets in Star Trek.  Does that mean that in the far future, they have eliminated the need to use them?  No, not at all.  It simply was not important to the telling of the story, so they were not used.  And toilets in American TV apparently did not exist until the first episode of "All In The Family".


Ok, don't remember the wedding, Oh wait, the one between the engineering guy and that thingy chick? When Data tries to help but isn't so good at it?

Ok, don't remember the wedding, Oh wait, the one between the engineering guy and that thingy chick? When Data tries to help but isn't so good at it?


No, it was in The Original Series.  "Balance Of Terror" was where we first met the Romulans.  In reality, it was basically just a retelling of a WWII Submarine movie The Enemy Below.

Although the wedding dialog was recycled in a TNG episode "Data's Day".

Coincidentally, I watched "Star Trek The Motion Picture" last night for the first time in over 10 years.  And there was a quote in there by Spock that also says that faith is alive and well:

"Each of us... at some time in our lives, turns to someone - a father, a brother, a God... and asks...'Why am I here? What was I meant to be?'"

Much like the later series "Battlestar Galactica", Gene Roddenberry quite often hid spirituality in the show.  And this is copied in other shows he did like "Genesis II" and "The Questor Tapes".  Gene described himself as a "Secular Humanist", but also thought that faith was important.  In one of his last projects (Andromeda), the main villans were the "Nietzscheans", a group that took the teaching of Friedrich Nietzsche as their philosophy (strong individuals are "Gods", this is the only life to take everything from it you can, the strong have the right to control the weak).

No, it was in The Original Series.  "Balance Of Terror" was where we first met the Romulans.  In reality, it was basically just a retelling of a WWII Submarine movie The Enemy Below.

Although the wedding dialog was recycled in a TNG episode "Data's Day".

Coincidentally, I watched "Star Trek The Motion Picture" last night for the first time in over 10 years.  And there was a quote in there by Spock that also says that faith is alive and well:

"Each of us... at some time in our lives, turns to someone - a father, a brother, a God... and asks...'Why am I here? What was I meant to be?'"

Much like the later series "Battlestar Galactica", Gene Roddenberry quite often hid spirituality in the show.  And this is copied in other shows he did like "Genesis II" and "The Questor Tapes".  Gene described himself as a "Secular Humanist", but also thought that faith was important.  In one of his last projects (Andromeda), the main villans were the "Nietzscheans", a group that took the teaching of Friedrich Nietzsche as their philosophy (strong individuals are "Gods", this is the only life to take everything from it you can, the strong have the right to control the weak).


Huh, I'd never really noticed you know, but you're right, there was often an underlying message..

The things you learn.