Middle Eastern people have long been used as archetypes of hatred from the CIA-scripted paranoia of Homeland to the endless stream of nameless brown “terrorists” in shows like 24, Western media has choreographed a decades-long spectacle of othering. Homeland alone—winner of Emmys and Golden Globes—built its success on the fantasy that every Arab is a potential threat, every Middle Eastern city a breeding ground for "chaos". It turned suspicion into plot structure and made Arab, and specifically Arab Muslim identity synonymous with violence.
Artists write 'Homeland is racist' graffiti on set
Hollywood didn’t invent racism, but it gave it high production value.