Abstract

THE PORTRAYAL OF ARAB MUSLIMS IN SELECTED WESTERN NEWSPAPERS AFTER THE ARAB SPRING DERIVED RESEARCH

Mubdir Shihab Ahmed, Dr. Sarab Khalil Hameed

Volume: 8 Issue: 4 2018

Abstract:

This study is a Critical Discourse Analysis of the portrayal of Arab Muslims in the western news discourse after the Arab Spring. Hence, extracts from eight articles of two selected western newspapers, namely the Independent from U.K and the Washington Post from U.S were selected and analysed ideologically and linguistically using van Dijk's notion of "ideological square", categorized by Us vs. Them dichotomies. Naming, lexical choices, presupposition and collocation are utilized for linguistic analysis .The study has concluded thatthe Arab Muslims have been portrayed positively after the Arab Spring as they are explicitly or implicitly seen as peaceful and innocent, civilized and courageous people .The conclusions have also proved that these two newspapers have revealed similar attitudes toward Arab Muslims.Applying Ideological Square has emphasized Arab Muslims' good properties and action, and deemphasizing their bad properties and actions and made the demarcation between the West and Arab Muslims absent.

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