Can cinema cement the relationship between US, Muslim communities?

Jameel W. Karaki
The cinema is not a screen or medium that disseminates moving pictures neither is it the product of billions of dollars invested by Hollywood, Bollywood or Arabic producers but it is a humanitarian message that reflects and incarnates the different aspects of our lives. During my attendance at the Middle East International Film Festival in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, I could not but help to observe and see how the cinematic power can be utilized to further the goals of interـcultural understanding among people from different cultures and civilizations. It was also a reflection on the relationship of cultural identities and diversities among all the participants.
On the first day of my arrival, and hours before the opening ceremony, I was totally nervous and tense because of the excitement of my first coverage of such a prestigious cinematic event. The first person received me with a smile and a warm greeting. She was none other than Dr. Connie Van Horne, a Canadian professor, from the Zayed University who volunteered to establish new communication channels and to observe the environment around her and add values of her academic researches about the tourism industry as well as her exposure to different cultural initiatives.
Another volunteer that I met was Maryam Keivani an Iranian cartoonist, who described her volunteering experience as an opportunity to meet new people from different cultures. In my opinion, such events can create mutual respect among the people from different countries and it eradicates preconceived and negative stereotypes that are usually associated to lack of communication.
Recently, President''s Barack Obama administration has been trying to establish a new start with Muslim communities around the world. This new and long road of travel can only start by investing in Hollywoodـproduced moves that reflect what Islam is actually all about? Who is Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), his family and companions? Americans should be educated about the current situation of Islamic sects and the various interpretations of the holy Quran and the Sunnah.
How can we expect some Americans to accept the Islamic cultural notions while some of the American media and cinema expose Muslims as ignorant, stupid, terrorists and trouble makers? To them all Iraqis are Saddam Hussein, they see women are being degraded and all the Muslim communities are camel riders while brandishing swords around the clock aiming and planning to assassinate the American dream. Finally, it should be the role of the US media to promote the positive aspects in the Islamic World in an objective way instead of using cheap film scenarios that degrade both sides and waste the taxpayers'' money on some cheap T.V serials scripted by some cheap writers.