Iraqis Weigh In on ‘American Sniper’ – and Their Views Will Shock You

[Adam Montana]

Iraqis Weigh In on ‘American Sniper’ – and Their Views Will Shock You

 

By Barbara Boland | 3 hours ago

1.7K

 

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While some are howling that American Sniper is a racist film, Iraqis themselves have a surprising view of the movie, which played to sold-out theaters in Baghdad during its first week.  

“When [Chris Kyle] was hesitating to shoot [the child holding the RPG] everyone [in the theater] was yelling ‘Just shoot him!’” said Gaith Mohammed, an Iraqi in his 20s interviewed by the Global Post.

“Some people watching were just concentrating, but others were screaming ‘F*ck, shoot him! He has an IED, don’t wait for permission!!’” Mohammed laughed, recounting the film’s many tense scenes when US Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, played by Bradley Cooper, radios in for authorization to take out a potential threat in his crosshairs.

The Global Post reporter asked Mohammed if he thought the movie was “racist or anti-Arab,” and his answer is telling:

“No, why? The sniper was killing terrorists! The only thing that bothered me was when he said he didn’t know anything about the Quran!”

Although the movie was so popular that Iraqi moviegoers had to book their tickets in advance, the Mansour Mall, an upscale theater in Baghdad, a week after its release, pulled the movie after its first week. Unofficially, a theater employee told the Global Post  it’s, “because the hero of this film boasts of killing more than 160 Muslims.”

It’s possible that despite the movie’s popularity, the theater fears reprisals from radicals like the Islamic State militants that have taken over northern Iraq. An Iraqi government ministry employee said he was happy the movie was pulled because he thinks it’s “against all Muslims” and that Chris Kyle is “bloodthirsty like all the American troops.”

But the movie must be incredibly popular in Iraq, though, because even this official cops to watching the movie twice in the theater and once at his friend’s house.

The 20-something Mohammed sheds light on why the movie might be so popular: “I love watching war movies because, especially now, they give me the strength to face ISIS.”

 

link: http://www.mrctv.org/blog/iraqis-weigh-american-sniper-and-their-views-will-shock-you

[JayLay]

Join the chat Adam

[dontlop]

Interesting

Maybe this movie should be part of the training for the soldiers and hopfully they use the training on the bad guys

This could inspire young kids to learn to shoot accurately and take out the terrorists

[KDuesing]

“because the hero of this film boasts of killing more than 160 Muslims.”

Read more: http://dinarvets.com/forums/index.php?/topic/195745-iraqis-weigh-in-on-‘american-sniper’-–-and-their-views-will-shock-you/#ixzz3QEtSrPTV

 

Oops They could have worded that a lil differently lol.

[paperboy]

The Iraqis think it's a great movie -and the liberal idiots here in the US are slamming it.  

[Shabibilicious]

Watched it at his friends house?!!..........Apparently Iraqi's aren't aware that movie piracy is not a victimless crime.    

 

GO RV, and NO BV 

[uncirculd]

That's great,  love it,  "don't wait for permission just shoot him".....ask questions later he has an ied.  Most likely and iud too....lol... it bothered him that the sniper didn't know anything about the quran.... that cracked me up cause i wonder if he asked him if he knew what the bible really said?   that would raise some serious questions as it does with all muslims who seek the truth in love.  

[Saint]

I agree, just shoot him.  Gotta love it.

[climber7]

Interesting take.....

 

 

http://www.mrctv.org/blog/iraqis-weigh-american-sniper-and-their-views-will-shock-you#tmhmdj:WvJ   

[climber7]

Wait....I just posted this article a few minutes ago and now it's in the comments section of ADAM'S post.

 

How did that happen?? 

[Adam Montana]

Wait....I just posted this article a few minutes ago and now it's in the comments section of ADAM'S post.

 

How did that happen?? 

 

I posted it 4 hours ago. 

 

[mr.unlikely]

And there you have it folks. A threat is a threat. It's very sad to think children are being used in this vicious battle but the RPG doesn't care who you are or how old. The fact he hesitated shows the man has a conscious but the hesitation will get you killed. I'm not a vet but I have the utmost respect for them and what they are called upon to do, it's probably the hardest thing a man or woman will ever do but when this movie gets this kind of feedback from Iraqis it puts it all in perspective and regardless of the reasons for the Iraqi war I thank every man and woman who risked their lives over there, God bless

[EagleEye]

in the words of the late Eli Wallach....when you have to shoot...just shoot...don't talk

 

[wbuse984]

Excellent post Adam...thanks...

[MillieChatham]

We have a neighbor who is a military trainer of snipers. Our hats are off to him. He is incredibly skilled. He trains soldiers to protect their

Comrades. We may kid him - hey you teach people to kill people. Well, folks, that is what war is all about. All I can say is "God bless them." Our American heroes.

[sxsess]

The Iraqis think it's a great movie -and the liberal idiots here in the US are slamming it.  

This was a great American! This country is going to eventually have to face reality with this Islam extremism and exterminate these bastards once and for all.

[copper13]

Just saw American Sniper...Its a great movie, for a great American Hero! Thanks to all American soldiers, past and present that sacrifice your lives for our freedoms! God Bless You all and your families!

[calkid11]

Thank you Adam

[yota691]

American Sniper removed from Baghdad cinema for 'insulting Iraqis'

Cinemagoers protest against perceived inaccuracies in Clint Eastwood’s hit war film, with Iraq’s ministry of culture stepping in to remove the film from exhibition

 

 Bradley Cooper and Clint Eastwood shooting American Sniper. Photograph: Allstar/Warner Bros.

Ben Child

 

Wednesday 4 February 2015 04.11 EST

•  

 

Baghdad’s only cinema has been forced to cancel screenings of controversial war biopic American Sniper after filmgoers and government officials complained that the film “insults” Iraqis, reports the Washington Post.

Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-nominated drama, which stars Bradley Cooper as real-life US navy seal gunman Chris Kyle, has already proven hugely divisive in North America. The film has taken in $250m in the US and Canada alone in just three weeks after successfully marketing itself to nationalistic Americans. But it has also been criticised by commentators for celebrating a “hate-filled” gunman known for his 160 confirmed kills over four tours in Iraq, the highest total in US military history.

Chris Kyle and the Iraq war are more complex than American Sniper – or criticism of it

 

 

 

 

While some younger filmgoers in Iraq see the film as simply a movie about historical events, most have been left upset and angry by Eastwood’s portrayal of their country and its people, reports the Post.

“It glorifies Americans and makes Iraqis out to be nothing but terrorists,” said teacher Ahmed Kamal, 27, who said he downloaded the film for free because he didn’t want to pay to see a movie in which Iraqis are repeatedly referred to as “savages”.

“I wasn’t prepared to spend money to see it,” said Kamal. “It portrays Americans as strong and noble, and Iraqis as ignorant and violent.”

The six-screen multiplex in the upmarket Mansour mall witnessed scenes of chaos in one screening as three men in the front row jumped up from their seats and began swearing at the screen following a scene in which a child picks up a rocket launcher and prepares to shoot at an unseen target. “They were shouting, ‘It’s all a lie,’ and ‘You are demeaning our culture,’” said observer Mohammed Laith, 27. 
Other scenes that caused anger included the misidentification of Baghdad district Sadr City as a base for al-Qaida, which is a Sunni organisation. In fact, the area saw Shia militias battling US troops.

 

 

 

Sarmad Moazzem, 32, described his distress at Eastwood’s failure to note that some Iraqis worked alongside the Americans against the insurgents. The security adviser, who now has a job at the cinema which pulled the film, worked for five years with the US army as an official at the Iraqi interior ministry logistics division.

“The film makes out that all Iraqis are terrorists — men, women and children,” he said, “whereas, actually, there are some people who loved the Americans and wanted them to stay to help rebuild our country. The movie didn’t show any of them.”

The manager of the cinema, Fares Hilal, told the Post he eventually received a call from a senior government official at Iraq’s ministry of culture who warned he could face fines if he continued to show the film.

“He told me the film insults Iraqis,” said Hilal, who reluctantly complied. “If we show it, we will be criticised. But if we don’t, we lose money. A lot of people wanted to see this film.”