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in: Trope, Mistaken for Terrorist, Playing With

Mistaken for Terrorist/Playing With

< Mistaken for Terrorist
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Basic Trope: A Middle Eastern character (or someone who looks Middle Eastern) is mistaken for or accused of being a terrorist. Bonus points if he/she's a Muslim.

  • Straight: Karim is waiting in line at the airport when Ryan accuses him of being a terrorist. Everyone gasps.
Cquote1

 Karim: "Hi, Jack!"

Ryan: "AHA! You're a terrorist!"

Everyone: "Le Gasp!"

Cquote2
  • Exaggerated: Ryan accuses Karim of being radicalized at a Wahhabbi Madrassa in Yemen in 1984 and then traveling to Afghanistan in in 1986 to fight the Soviets up until their eventual withdrawal in 1989 and then living in Pakistan while establishing further contacts before traveling to Bosnia in 1993 to fight the Serbs while learning advanced bomb tactics prior to leaving for Sudan in 1995 to join Al Qaeda and being ordered by Bin Laden to infiltrate the United States and sneak a dirty bomb into an airport. Karim replies with a Flat What.
  • Justified: The show wants to create tension by having Karim be the victim of intolerance or suspicion.
    • Or, some of Ryan's family was killed in 9/11, and he wrongly blames it on Middle Easterners. (or similar).
  • Inverted: Karim accuses Ryan of being a terrorist.
  • Subverted: Ryan mistakes Karim for a terrorist. Karim just smiles and detonates his suicide vest.
  • Double Subverted: Ryan was just tripping out.
  • Parodied: ???
  • Deconstructed: Everyone avoids/hate Karim because they think he's a terrorist.
  • Reconstructed: Until Alice makes friends with him, and the others realize that they've misunderstood him and apologizes.
  • Zig Zagged: ???
  • Averted: No one mistakes Karim for a terrorist.
  • Enforced: The writers wanted to do a Very Special Episode, and chose to deal with this subject.
  • Lampshaded: "Oh great, not again. Listen guys, just because I'm from the Middle East doesn't mean I'm out to kill you. Get it through your heads!"
  • Invoked: Karim decided to have a little fun by making people believe that he's a terrorist, while he's not.
  • Defied: Despite Ryan's suspicion, he decides to shake it off and doesn't judge Karim by his looks.
  • Exploited: Karim takes advantage of this trope by making Ryan do whatever he wants, claiming that he's a real terrorist sent to assassinate Ryan and his friends.
  • Discussed: "Look at that Arabian guy over there, with the big suitcase. He is so gonna be in a lot of trouble."
  • Conversed: ???

Back to Mistaken for Terrorist

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