They are never painted as smart or independent, as Western women are portrayed; there are no engineers, doctors or schoolteachers. This is in contrast to the reality of successful Arab women such as Abdel Baki, a specialist in conflict resolution who graduated from Harvard and speaks five languages fluently (Wilkins, 2009; 56). .
Additionally, Arab men are portrayed as sleazy, dim-witted and villainess who prey on fair complexioned, virginal Western women (Wilkins, 2009; 58). However, as a result of this racial stereotyping, innocent people belonging to this ethnic and racial group suffer (Shaheen, 2009; 64). For example, these representations of Arab identities echo the way those of Jewish faith were negatively represented in Nazi propaganda and the way African American were treated before they attained their civil rights (Shaheen, 2009; 64). When people are dehumanized and objectified in this way, it can lead to extreme circumstances. For example, the displacement of Native Indians and the death of six million Jews in the Holocaust. It can be argued this is already happening in a less extreme way, in America where racial profiling has increased, particularly after the 9/11 (Ramirez, 2003; 54). .
Furthermore, producers have falsified geopolitical realities (Shaheen, 2009; 74). For example, during World War Two many Arab nations actively supported the Allies. For example, Moroccan, Tunisian, and Algerian soldiers fought alongside French troops in North Africa, Italy, and France (Shaheen, 2009; 76). Despite this, most films have failed to show Arabs fighting alongside the "good guys". Instead, they appear as pro-Nazi potentates, some belonging to the "Arabian Gestapo" (Shaheen, 2009; 77). Further, the ways in which Arab states are depicted in films are highly stereotypical (Shaheen, 2009; 88). For example, it has become popular to envision Egyptians as the "undead" (Shaheen, 2009; 88).
