The face of evil : demonising the Arab other in contemporary Australia

The 'face of evil' has become a common media and political figure over the last few years. Most typically evoked in representations of international terrorism the events of September 11, 2001, the Bali and London bombings and so on the 'face of evil' has also become a recurring motif in local media representations of crime when questions of certain, visibly distinct, cultural and religious backgrounds are seen to be involved. Newspaper articles about 'race rape' and 'ethnic crime' among young Arab and Muslim men are often accompanied by graphic images of alleged wrongdoers who are seen to embody evil.