Rules of Engagement

The following press release was sent out by the Council on American-Islamic Relations regarding the new Hollywood movie, Rules of Engagement.

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

CAIR Action Alert

Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Alert #241
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C., 20003
NEW Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-659-2254
E-Mail: cair1@ix.netcom.com
URL: http://www.cair-net.org

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT STEREOTYPES MUSLIMS
CAIR says Pentagon should not cooperate with films that defame Islam

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/11/2000) - CAIR today called on Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen to amend his department's policy so that the Pentagon does not associate itself with anti-Muslim stereotyping in the film industry.

That call came in response to many complaints CAIR received from concerned Muslim moviegoers about the recently released Paramount Pictures film Rules of Engagement.   In the film, a Marine colonel orders the massacre of 83 civilian protesters outside the American embassy in Yemen. He is brought up on murder charges, but is ultimately acquitted.

In a letter to Secretary Cohen, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad wrote:

    This film, which was produced with the cooperation of the Department of Defense, seems to justify the killing of Muslim men, women and even children. (In a recent screening of the film, audience members cheered and laughed when the American troops opened fire on the crowd of demonstrators.)  It also offers a very negative and inaccurate image of Muslims and Islamic beliefs. Many media outlets seem to agree with this assessment.
    CNN movie critic Paul Clinton called the film 'blatantly racist, using Arabs as cartoon-cutout bad guys, and unrealistic in its depiction of a conflict in the Middle East.'
    According to the Austin American-Statesman (4/7/2000): 'Seems the Yemenis are upset about the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf. That's all we know, and director William Friedkin and screenwriter Stephen Gaghan seem to believe that that's all we need to know, since, you know, we're talking about Arabs here. The words 'terrorists' and 'jihad' are tossed in to reinforce the stereotype.'
    The Deseret News (4/9/2000) said the film shows the Yemeni people as 'American-hating terrorists, including a scene that shows a small child aiming a weapon at U.S. Marines.'
    The Toronto Sun said, 'Little attempt is made to humanize Yemeni people. On screen...they are stock villains, human cattle ready for herding and slaughter to demonstrate the right and might of the U.S. policeman's role.'
    Mr. Secretary, the average moviegoer who sees this film could come away with the impression that Muslims are a dirty and barbaric people who have a 'duty' to kill Americans whenever possible. This is offensive in the extreme and will inevitably have a negative impact on the lives of ordinary American Muslims who are an integral part of this society. Also, the perception of the Defense Department's
association with anti-Muslim stereotyping does not serve American interests in and relations with the Islamic world.
   Rules of Engagement is not the first film produced in cooperation with the Defense Department that stereotyped Muslims and Arabs. In recent years we have seen films such as True Lies and Executive Decision portray Muslims and Arabs as irrational terrorists who only wish to kill innocent Americans.
    While movie producers have the right to produce films with bigoted and stereotypical content, I believe it is inappropriate that our government and American taxpayers participate in these productions through use of military equipment, advisers and locations.
    I would therefore respectfully request that the Department of Defense amend its policies on cooperation with film producers to mandate
screening of requests for religious and ethnic stereotyping. A multicultural civilian advisory committee could assist this screening process.

CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper added, "We are not in favor of censorship. In fact, it is the movie industry that engages in censorship every time it fails to show the reality of the Muslim experience and instead offers a narrow and distorted view of Islam."

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED: (As always, be firm, but POLITE.)
Contact Paramount to express your concerns about anti-Muslim stereotyping in the film industry.  Contact:

Ms. Sherry Lansing
President
Paramount Film and Television Group
5555 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038

TEL: 323-956-5000
FAX: 323-862-8510
E-MAIL: motionpictures@pde.paramount.com
COPY TO: cair1@ix.netcom.com
URL: http://www.paramount.com/

Have you seen the film?  What do you think of stereotyping in the movie industry?  Let's talk about it in the Islam Forum.