Arabs in the Media — 4 hour special on Link TV

Link TV will broadcast a four-hour special, ARABS IN THE MEDIA, on Tuesday, October 10th and Thursday, Oct. 19th beginning at 5p.m. PST and 8 p.m. EST.

Since 9/11, Arabs, Muslims and terrorists have become conflated into one identity for many Americans, fed by stereotypes in the U.S. media. In this 4 hour special, Link TV deconstructs how Hollywood portrays Arabs in film and television; and shows how Arabs and Muslims are telling their own stories—through new documentaries, and special programs during the Holy month of Ramadan. The two present dramatically different pictures of the Arab world.

In the world television premiere of Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People, Professor Jack Shaheen examines Arab stereotypes in the movies—from Bedouin bandits and belly-dancing maidens to cruel terrorists and sinister sheiks—and looks at how these negative images affect our real relationships with the Arab world? Hosted by journalist Gina Smith, this special also explores the impact of new films by Middle Eastern directors that offer humorous, nuanced depictions of Arabs. Media professor, Dina Ibrahim, helps explore the roots of stereotypes in film and television.

Link TV’s original production, Ramadan Primetime, takes a tour of Arab television, from call-in sheiks to last’s year’s sensation, “Beautiful Virgins,” a 30-part miniseries tackling terrorism in the Arab world. What do these Ramadan specials tell viewers about the tastes, preoccupations and perceptions of viewers in the Arab world?

And, in the new documentary, American Ramadan, we delve deep into the American Muslim experience. This film follows five American Muslim families: from a divorced dad, a student coping with school, an interracial couple, and an American convert, we follow the faithful who fast through the holiest of rituals.

In the studio, host, Gina Smith examines the American Muslim experience with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, founder of the Zaytuna Institute and host of a global Ramadan series, Journey with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf.

Tune in for four hours of examining Arabs in the media. Only on Link TV.

Link TV is available on DIRECTV ch. 375 and Dish Network ch. 9410 and on cable in select markets, including New York, San Francisco and Washington DC. See programs streamed on-line, and check out our schedule at http://www.linktv.org.