Sunday, February 12, 2012

Ordinary Muslim Man Origin

Muslim old man Royalty Free Stock Photo


Above is the original photo uploaded on iStock photo by the photographer Aman Khan which then was taken into creating a meme commonly known as "Original Muslim Man" The man in the photo is said to believe to be a fifty year old Pashtum Muslim. This photo has now evolved into a meme that is being generated my internet users with any caption they want to write on it. The captions can go so far that it can be borderline too offensive and racist for Pakistani Muslims such as mocking the 9/11 incident by mentioning destroying the towers as the meme below. Jokes about epidemic disasters are not funny considering the families lost in the disaster. This also gives a false representation of Pakistani Muslims and their hats and linking them to be a terrorist is a stereotype in which society views it as acceptable. There has to be a point in which society draws the line in displaying humor with stereotypes about an ethnicity and when it goes too far and becomes racist. People however have no sense of character and pride in their own ethnicity that they accept and agree with the stereotypical joke such as this "Original Muslim Man" meme associating Pakistani Muslims being very Anti-American with the captions written on the meme. This stereotype is seen today in the airports. Most of the time, people who wear the Muslim hats are put to the side after going through the metal detectors for further inspection in the airports in fear of having another disaster as 9/11 again. It is racist towards them and unfair for having a general stereotype of being a terrorist just because of a disaster that was associated with their ethnicity. There are Pakistani people who are not Muslim and don't follow their appreciation of killing themselves for their religion to find paradise and doing an action that is giving praise. 



Ordinary Muslim Man

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