Popular American show "Homeland" has constantly sparked outrage for its skewed depiction of the Middle East, and with the debut of the fifth season's trailer, it seems like things haven't changed. We looked through the show's four-year run to root out its misrepresentation of Lebanon and its people.
1. Women are so oppressed, they're not allowed to show their hair
Although Lebanon boasts a diverse religious landscape (a Lebanese citizen can belong to any of 18 different sects), "Homeland" completely disregards that to paint a stereotyped representation of a Middle Eastern country as profoundly Muslim.
2. And you can't be blonde have blue eyes?
What is historical accuracy? Scratch that: what is Google?! A quick search on the World Wide Web of "Lebanese women" yields a plethora of pictures of Haifa Wehbe (are her eyes blue or is she wearing contacts?) and other famous Lebanese stars. But really, blonde people are just so exotic for us.
3. You better find somewhere else to drink tonight 'cause Hamra's become a Hezbollah stronghold..
According to the episode's plot, Hezbollah holds court in Lebanon after the civil war, and has turned the iconic Hamra street into something out of a dystopian novel.
4. ...where you can find Hebrew signs.
But maybe Hezbollah likes Israel?
Fun fact: Showrunners opted to film the scenes set in Beirut in Haifa, Israel, instead of Lebanon because one of the show's creators holds an Israeli passport. "Homeland" was adapted from an Israeli show called "Prisoners of War."
5. But everyone wears keffyehs anyway.
You're not an Arab terrorist if you don't wear a keffyeh. It's the accessory every aspiring terrorist and Arab radical has to have in his or her closet. The stylish, scarf-like cloth is multifunctional: it can help disguise its wearer's features whilst alleviating the sting of tear gas. Available now in all outlet stores!
6. Men wear dashdashas.
No keffyeh-wearing Arab can really call himself a self-professed terrorist without purchasing these retro dashdashas, which can be complimented with an assortment of head-pieces akin to those you saw in "Lawrence of Arabia" when you were a child. This sort of fashion never becomes outdated in Hollywood!
7. Beirut has no skyscrapers and no modern infrastructure
Solidere never existed in this version of Beirut. Chanel and Louis Vuitton shops were replaced by archaic bazaars where you can find old, round-bellied shopkeepers ready to barter with customers over the great quality of their scarves and perfumes and spices!