In Defense of '24': An Arab-American defends the real-life Bauers.
Ubiquitous
Wednesday, February 7, 2007 12:01 a.m. EST
I am an Arab-American as well as a fan of "24." The two things are not
mutually exclusive, despite what the Council on American Islamic
Relations (CAIR) and other such groups have to say about this season's
opening episodes possibly increasing anti-Muslim and anti-Arab prejudice
in American society.
Most of the terrorists represented in "24" through the years have been
Arab Muslims. Why? Well, probably because most terrorists today are, in
fact, Arab Muslims. As a descendant of Syrian Muslims, I am very well
aware that the majority of Muslims world-wide are peaceful, hard
working, and law abiding. That still does not change the fact that the
greatest terrorist threat to the U.S. today comes not from the ETA, the
IRA, etc., but from one group: Islamic terrorists.
And this is what makes "24" a compelling drama every week. Instead of
pretending Islamic terrorists don't exist, the show presents
frighteningly real worst-case scenarios perpetrated by Osama bin Laden's
followers. So CAIR thinks it's over the top for the terrorists in "24"
to blow up Los Angeles with a nuke? Please, if bin Laden and his crew
had nukes, most of us would be way too dead to argue over such points.
There is a dangerous trend in the U.S. today that involves skirting the
truth at the risk of offending any individual or group. When Bill Cosby
talks to African-Americans about self-respect and responsibility, and
says publicly what many have been saying privately for years, he's
branded a "reactionary," "misinformed," "judgmental," and so on. When
"24" confronts America's worst fears about al Qaeda--whose goal remains
to kill as many Americans as possible whenever possible--the show is
said to be guilty of fueling anti-Muslim and anti-Arab prejudice.
Well, here's the hard, cold truth: When Islamic terrorists stop being a
threat to America's survival, viewers will lose interest in "24,"
because it will have lost its relevancy. Until such time, I will
continue to watch "24"--because, believe it or not, the idea that there
are Jack Bauers out there in real life risking their lives to save ours
does mean something to me.
And as for "24" causing a possible backlash against Muslims and
Arab-Americans, where's the evidence of that? The show is now in its
sixth season and there hasn't been one recorded incident of any viewer
ever slurring or attacking any Muslim or Arab-American because of
something that happened on the show. More to the point, in the latest
episode President Palmer stated, "The American Muslim community is the
greatest line of defense against these terrorists." He advocates
strengthening ties with Islamic leaders across the U.S., and is opposed
to measures that would in any way infringe upon the constitutional
rights of Arab Americans.
That said, I would certainly welcome more characters in movies, TV
programs and novels who reflect the overall Arab-American experience.
Truth is, most of us don't have bomb-making skills or a desire to become
human missiles. And there are Muslim and Arab-American CTU heroes out
there, as well as doctors, superdads, women scientists, etc. But just as
it took Saul Bellow to give literary voice to the Jewish-American
experience, we need our own storytellers to weave the pastiche of tales
that make up Arab-American life.
In the meantime, the next time a journalist decides to report on
Arab-American concerns about shows like "24," maybe he could actually
talk to someone other than CAIR and the Muslim Public Affairs Council,
and seek out Arab-Americans with a different point of view. We actually
do exist.
And maybe that same reporter could take a closer look at CAIR. Ask CAIR
about the Holy Land Foundation and its support of Hamas. Ask it about
the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the CAIR board member who was
named as an unindicted co-conspirator in that case--yet still sits on
CAIR's board. Look a little closer, and maybe you'll find that CAIR has
good reason to get nervous about shows like "24."
Because terrorists and their supporters continue to hide among us in
plain sight, we need Jack Bauer, now more than ever.
Mr. Dabul is a free-lance writer and the author of "Deadline," a novel
about modern terrorism.
--
The trouble with American journalism, in short, isn't that it's too
skeptical, but that it's too willing to throw skepticism to the wind
when it suits the agenda of proclaiming every war a Vietnam and every
Republican president a Nixon.