Stereotyping of the Middle East

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Stereotyping of the Middle East People From all over the world always ask me why I love Bahrain so

much. When one asks this question, their tone is always shocked like I

have gone mad. I always reply positively and make myself sound very

enthusiastic. As I have found most Americans haven't the faintest idea

what people in the Middle East are really like. One will read

newspapers and get the idea that the Americans are the strong side of

the two. However if you talk to someone American about the Middle East

they look petrified. Most Americans have been conditioned to accept

the negative stereotypes of Arabs being terrorists, or oil sheiks.

However if people took time to visit these countries and realize that

these stereotypes are far from the truth, then the world would change.

There were many times when my mother and I would visit the souk and

wander around. All over the souk there are disabled beggars, sitting

helplessly by the side of the road. Since I was young I was scared of

them and steered well clear. However one say we were both rather

peckish and saw an old man with one arm sitting on one corner of a

street, selling dates from a large square tin. "How much?" I asked. He

didn't speak English, but a Bahraini gentleman from a nearby shop over

heard us, and came over to offer his service. He asked how much I

wanted, and when I offered him a dinar for two handfuls he laughed.

(1dinar is about 2.50). "That is way to much," he said, "Why don't you

just come and sit with us, and eat in our Bahrain tea shop."

Before I knew it everyone was talking to my mother and myself.

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