Queen Rania’s YouTube Crusade
by Racialicious special correspondent Fatemeh Fakhraie, originally published at Muslimah Media Watch.
Queen Rania of Jordan has posted her own video on YouTube, entitled, “Send me your stereotypes.” Her aim is to break down stereotypes about Arabs and Muslims through YouTube (I assume she focuses only on Arabs because she herself is Arab; however, this is problematic for the majority of Muslims who are not Arab but whose cultures are stereotyped similarly). It’s an admirable aim, but is it going to work?
So far, there are 35 responses. They come from Italy, Canada, the U.S., Ireland, etc. There are genuine questions about the “truths” surrounding Islam and homosexuality, view of Jews, terrorism, etc. There are also people who’d just like to hear themselves talk, and some that I am pretty sure have aims other than addressing questions about racism and Islamophobia.
There are also some great examples of Islamophobia in the media; I was tickled purple to see the opening scenes of Disney’s Aladdin in the queue. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Aladdin, but it’s important to address the latent racism (not to mention sexism) in Disney movies.
The most positive of all the videos in the “dispelling stereotypes” category is entitled, “A Land Called Paradise,” and features American Muslims of all walks of life with placards that reveal their inner thoughts and confessions, humanizing tidbits that reveal that they are “just like us”: worrying about one’s mother, cheating in school, liking Grey’s Anatomy, etc.
Many of the stereotypes that are put forth deal with Islam and women. Several posters questioned why a woman in Saudi Arabia was murdered for chatting on Facebook, why (some) Muslim women undergo female genital cutting, why women are punished for adultery and not men.
The questions asked are valid, the stereotypes presented are real and harmful. But I’m skeptical as to how much of a change this is going to make. The ultimate goal of stereotypes is to dehumanize a person or group; even if these videos somehow change a few minds, will they humanize Muslims and Arabs? I’m a little skeptical.
Though Queen Rania is a lovely spokeswoman for this movement, we don’t know what perspectives she’s bringing. She hasn’t responded to any of the videos yet, and so it’s unclear as to whether she’ll be answering them all by herself, or if she’ll bring it other Arab and/or Muslim voices.
My main worry about this project is that it will be an excuse for Islamophobic ranting, with loud voices who aren’t interested in allowing others to refute negative stereotypes about Arabs and Muslims. That it won’t be a dialogue, that no one will learn anything. Or that the “truths” presented won’t be accepted because they are not black-and-white, but instead are complex and sticky: for example, explaining that female genital cutting is not an Islamic practice, but one that is tied to local cultures, might not satisfy a poster who thinks this practice and all who engage in it are barbaric.
Though I’m a skeptic at heart, I do laud this as a positive step. Videos on YouTube proliferate so many stereotypes about Arabs and Muslims; now is a good time to start fighting fire with…dialogue.
The conversation will continue until August 12, 2008 (International Youth Day).
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of 
Lena wrote:
I think it’s a cool project, either way.
It is interesting that Aladdin is in there. I agree with you that Aladdin is both enchanting and wonderful and also full of racist stereotypes, but it occurs to me that it actually still has a more positive racial message than negative. Stereotypes notwithstanding, it is a movie about Arab characters, good, bad, and a few ambiguous, and I think it’s quite possible that Aladdin would never have been made at all after 9/11. Thus it also almost serves as a little reminder of the charm and diversity of the Arab world.
I don’t know, maybe I’m just saying this because I’m not an Arab and don’t have to deal with those stereotypes on a personal level. And because I thought Aladdin was so entertaining. But I do think it reflects a less anti-Arab past in not so distant history.
Posted 10 Apr 2008 at 8:13 am ¶
Meena wrote:
I actually found “A Land Called Paradise” troubling. I’m sick of having to “prove” my humanity…also, its as if Muslims only humans because we consume just like you!
its like we can only prove our humanity by shopping at V.Secret or watching bullshit like grey’s anatomy. Don’t worry, we CAN assimilate and buy the same things you buy!
maybe i’m just a pessimist, but the values promoted in A Land Called Paradise seemed super materialist.
Posted 10 Apr 2008 at 8:50 am ¶
Ms. Four wrote:
My take on this is that Queen Rania’s visibility is a compelling image for the world to see of a Muslim woman, in contrast to many of the stereotypical images.
Posted 10 Apr 2008 at 10:53 am ¶
Aaminah wrote:
I agree with Meena… I remember when that video was a hot topic and personally I didn’t care for it. No, I’m not “just like you” and that’s okay… and what similarities we have are of, I hope, a deeper relevence. I don’t want to have to say “I cheated in school” to be accepted. I didn’t cheat, and if I had it would have been wrong. Why do we have to blush and say we are the “just like” in ways that are negative or inappropriate to our beliefs?
Posted 10 Apr 2008 at 11:37 am ¶
Fatemeh wrote:
Lena, here are some places you can find information on the use of racism & sexism in the movie:
http://www.ithaca.edu/looksharp/U1L2guide.pdf
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/1995/03/03-29-95tdc/03-29-95dops-column.asp
Meena & Aaminah, you both make good points. It’s burdening and unfair to have to “prove” ourselves all the time, but I hadn’t considered the materialistic aspect of the movie before!
Posted 10 Apr 2008 at 1:29 pm ¶
Torontonian wrote:
@Meena & Aaminah:
They also had the green/environmentalist people and person against drinking, but I see your point now.
The materialistic aspect is there because the video is clearly about Muslim Americans, and the average American thinks that eating McDonalds, watching Grey’s Anatomy, and buying frivolous stuff is what it means to be American. It’s like you have to be like a privileged, middle-class person living in a G8 country in order for people to identify with you as a fellow human being.
So what about all the people in the world who are not privileged enough to be that wasteful in the materialistic way? Can people not identify with them as human beings?
Posted 10 Apr 2008 at 7:39 pm ¶
Aaminah wrote:
LOL, Torontonian.
So sad, but true so that you have to laught to keep from crying… You know though, devout Muslims were green/environmentalists long before it ever became another version of consumerism for some Americans. 
(and so were other cultures – I’m not saying Muslims have a corner on environmentalism by a long shot, but it is one of the values in the Qur’an itself and exemplified/taught by our Prophet).
Posted 11 Apr 2008 at 6:40 am ¶
Free wrote:
For sure, this effort won’t change those who have their minds made up and aren’t willing to change – there’s not much that can be done for them anyway. But for everyone else, I think it’s a good effort. Here’s a link to an interesting video response from The Equality Project
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6dlgRIz4oI&feature=related
@Fatemeh – yes it is unfair and, unfortunately, it ain’t gonna change any time soon.
Posted 11 Apr 2008 at 6:08 pm ¶
Fatemeh wrote:
Free, you’re right. I didn’t mean to imply that it would change any time soon.
That’s one of the big things surrounding representation debates: it’s not fair to us to always be, in the example of Muslims, “Encyclopedia Islamicas” all the time. But the alternative doesn’t work either.
So we just have to suck it up and keep on going.
Posted 11 Apr 2008 at 10:45 pm ¶
Orville wrote:
I have heard conflicting stories about Queen Rania. I think the theory behind this idea is a good one kind of wish it was expanded. I think I am going to read more about her I remember seeing her on Oprah.
Posted 12 Apr 2008 at 12:26 am ¶
Free wrote:
Fatemeh – I totally understand you and the comment about change was meant in solidarity with your struggle which is so familiar to me.
Posted 12 Apr 2008 at 3:39 am ¶