AMMAN - Stereotyping of each other by Danes and Arabs has increased since a Danish newspaper published offensive cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in 2005, according to participants in a discussion last week.
Danish, Jordanian and Lebanese comedians, filmmakers and media representatives explored stereotypes of Danes and Arabs at the event, organised by the Danish Centre for Culture and Development, the Danish embassy in Amman and Jordan's Royal Film Commission.
While certain Danes of Arab origin try to embed themselves in a "closed" Scandinavian society, others conserve their Arab identity and traditions, according to Denmark's Georg Larsen and Lebanon's Ahmad Ghosein, who produced a 2007 documentary about the Arab community in Copenhagen.
"There are serious problems there... Arab teenagers are nervous and Danes stereotype Arabs as they see them in the media," Ghosein told the audience at last week's discussion.
The two filmmakers screened parts of their documentary, "An Arab Comes to Town," in which Larsen and Ghosein interviewed Danes of Arab origin about their lives in Denmark.
"Our traditions are different than theirs," said a Lebanese woman interviewed for the film, explaining that Arabs are more sociable. But she also noted that Danes have "nice and humane habits".
Meanwhile, a teenager in the documentary, who wears the hijab (head cover), noted that sometimes people look at her in a different way, as being "strange".
"I work here and pay taxes, I'm just as Danish as they are," she told Ghosein.
Arab and Danish stereotypes emerged after the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in September 2005, which drew a wave of protests in the Muslim world.
A teenager in the documentary said he presents himself as "Danish" in front of Danes, but as an "Arab living in Denmark" when he is with other Arabs.
Meanwhile, Danish journalist Adam Hannestad spoke of how an Egyptian changed his attitude towards him when he knew he was Muslim.
Danish-Egyptian comedian Omar Marzouk shared his own experience with the 300 spectators in a stand-up comedy show on political contradictions and stereotypes.
"As I am both Danish and Arab, it was confusing for me what to burn and what to boycott," he said, in reference to boycott campaigns and protests in the Arab world following the publication of the cartoons.
Marzouk explained that his shows are usually about politics rather than stereotyping.
"It's stupid to talk about Arab stereotypes in front of Arabs because they know them," he told The Jordan Times on the sidelines of the discussion.
Marzouk said he tries to utilise stereotypes in a way that does not humiliate or make fun of peoples, but instead "provokes them to think".
The comedian pointed out that Arabs would accept criticism of their stereotypes if it comes from an Arab like him.
Swedish citizen Lala Ruhani, who lives in Jordan, believes that people in the Middle East are "not ready to laugh at themselves or their stereotypes".
"In Sweden, we can laugh at our own stereotypes... but maybe this is again stereotyping," the 28-year-old told The Jordan Times after the event.
The discussion also tackled the stereotype of "loose" Western women.
Jordanian blogger Mariam Abu Adas presented a cartoon by Imad Hajjaj, which shows a bad welcome given to an American girl by her Jordanian in-laws because of her revealing clothes.
"We put all foreigners [Ajnab] in the same category... we would say they all come from the same country 'Ajnabia'," she remarked.
Abu Adas said many Arabs watch "Ajnabi" movies that portray them as "terrorists", and form their impression of the West from these films.
But she does not consider stereotyping a negative aspect of life.
"It is normal behaviour... I don't think it is necessarily bad or something good," Abu Adas noted.
Danish Ambassador in Amman Thomas Lund-Sorensen agreed.
He said the cartoon crisis may be repeated again in a different part of the world.
"We cannot avoid that... it's human nature that anyone can say anything in an open society," he noted.
"What we can do is to discuss... we need dialogue," the ambassador remarked.
By Thameen Kheetan
© Jordan Times 2009
