Muslims in America

On my way to the office this week I’ve been listening to NPR’s series on Muslims in America.  Today’s was particularly good, an interview with two Arabs working in Hollywood, Sayed Badreya, an actor, and Hesham Issawi, a director.

They talked about Arab stereotypes in Hollywood, but the interview also highlighted how much the image of the U.S. has changed in the Middle East.  For better or worse, there once was a time when Arabs and Turks were hooked on Dallas, wondering who shot J.R.  There was a fascination with American culture and quite often an appreciation of it.

I’m not saying that’s an unadulterated good, but it’s a far cry from where the image of the U.S. is today (in the dumps).

You can listen to the interviews and check out a clip from one of Badreya’s films on the website of NPR’s Morning Edition.