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The Arab scenes last for nearly 25 minutes. An unkempt slaver, played by actor Omar Djalili, shuffles along in Zaccahabar's souq. Apparently, producers relegate Djalili to portray only slimy need-a-shave-and-bath Arabs, as he did in "The Mummy" (1999). The unscrupulous slaver entreats Proximo, his Roman procurer, to pay him an outrageous fee for the captives. "We can negotiate," he says; I give you "bargain," and "a special price." Proximo pays the Arab a much lower amount for the gladiators, including Maximus. Soon, Maximus' multi-cultural gladiators duel before Arab and Roman audiences in the "flea-in-fested toilet hole." Yet, no Roman or Arab spectators cheer on Arab gladiators. There are none--not in this movie.

Afterward, I moved to investigate the out-of-place slaver scenes. Harvard's Kathleen Coleman, an authority on Roman history who served as a consultant on "Gladiator," responded to my missive, writing, "I'm quite sure Arab slave-traders would not have penetrated Spain [where the scene was set] to kidnap Maximus." Explained Professor Coleman, "I was not present during any of this process, so when I saw the preview I was unpleasantly surprised." Adding, "I was under the impression that although the plot was fictitious, DreamWorks wanted the atmosphere to be authentic. But that is evidently not the case."

THE HOLLYWOOD HATE MACHINE: "The Gladiator"; How in the World Did Bad Arabs Happen to This Roman on His Way to the Forum?

Media critic Jack G. Shaheen is the author of The TV Arab and Arab and Muslim Stereotypes in American Popular Culture, both available from the AET Book Club.

Nothing disturbs my daily beach walk, except a shrill telephone ring. "It's Michele, she needs to speak with you, now," said my wife, Bernice. Expressing urgency, Michele instructed me, "Daddy, drop whatever you're up to and go see `Gladiator.' It's got sneaky Arabs."

How could that be?, I mused. Producers would not inject Arab curs in a sword-and-sandal movie about Romans battling Romans. Or, would they? To do so makes as much sense as tossing into a Roman epic, detestable Hebrews, Indonesians or Norwegians. Besides, nearly all the critics applauded the film; not one said anything about nasty Arabs.

Fathers know it's best to respect their little girls' wishes. Though Michele is about-to-be-married I still call her my "little girl." So, I immediately rushed off to see "Gladiator."

Thirty minutes into the film, set in A.D. 180, Rome's triumphant General Maximus (Russell Crowe) returns to his home in Spain. Roman soldiers attack, crucifying the warrior's family, and seriously wounding Maximus.

Michele's observations were on target. Presto! Out of nowhere, Arabic-speaking men surface, abducting the general. Middle East music underscores the action. Out came my notepad. Amazingly, a camel caravan begins trekking to "Zaccahabar, a Roman province." Next, the camera displays ugly Arab slavers overseeing their captives. An African prisoner advises Maximus, "If you die, the Arabs will feed you to the lions." Note the resemblance of Zaccahabar to Zanzibar, an island off Tanzania's coast once ruled by the sultan of Oman.

The Arab scenes last for nearly 25 minutes. An unkempt slaver, played by actor Omar Djalili, shuffles along in Zaccahabar's souq. Apparently, producers relegate Djalili to portray only slimy need-a-shave-and-bath Arabs, as he did in "The Mummy" (1999). The unscrupulous slaver entreats Proximo, his Roman procurer, to pay him an outrageous fee for the captives. "We can negotiate," he says; I give you "bargain," and "a special price." Proximo pays the Arab a much lower amount for the gladiators, including Maximus. Soon, Maximus' multi-cultural gladiators duel before Arab and Roman audiences in the "flea-in-fested toilet hole." Yet, no Roman or Arab spectators cheer on Arab gladiators. There are none--not in this movie.

Afterward, I moved to investigate the out-of-place slaver scenes. Harvard's Kathleen Coleman, an authority on Roman history who served as a consultant on "Gladiator," responded to my missive, writing, "I'm quite sure Arab slave-traders would not have penetrated Spain [where the scene was set] to kidnap Maximus." Explained Professor Coleman, "I was not present during any of this process, so when I saw the preview I was unpleasantly surprised." Adding, "I was under the impression that although the plot was fictitious, DreamWorks wanted the atmosphere to be authentic. But that is evidently not the case."

Aided by university colleagues and Rob Turfe, an Arab-American screenwriter, we took the research process a step further. Rob checked out De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors. We found no historical record of any small band of Arab slavers plundering Rome's soldiers' homes, A.D. 180 to A.D. 1483.

As Dream Works wanted its "Gladiator" to be "authentic," why did the studio embrace inauthentic images, picking apart Arabs? The studio's motives, as well as director Ridley Scott's intentions, should be addressed. Scott directed "G.I. Jane" (1997), which also displays gratuitous Arabs. In "Jane," Scott tosses in ungainly Arabs; actress Demi Moore and her Navy Seal pals terminate them.

The time is long overdue to engage in dialogue with image makers responsible for perpetuating dehumanizing images. Viewers as well as organizations focusing on discrimination should commit themselves to resolve this longstanding problem. As Michele advised, "Daddy, if everyone worked together, you wouldn't have to write these kinds of essays."

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