TEHRAN- Based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi novel and directed by Denis Villeneuve, the film "Dune" portrays a feudal society on a fictional desert planet 1,000 years in the future, which is more similar to the current situation in the Middle East. The second part of the movie was recently released. In the "Dune" series, major powers battle over a nomadic desert planet, Arrakis, because it is the only place that spice (read oil) - a product essential to space travel - can be mined.

Arrakis, where “Dune” takes place, is inhabited by a nomadic group known as the Fremen. It is evident that they are meant to represent Arab culture; this was also true in the original books.

When watching "Dune: Part Two", it is difficult to escape references to current and ongoing political realities affecting our world today. Many have reported on the significant influence that Islamic and Near Eastern cultural attributes – including Arabic, Persian, and Turkish – have had on Frank Herbert’s Dune universe.

That includes terms such as ‘Lisan Al Gaib’ or ‘Mahdi’ for the messianic leader Paul Atreides, to ‘Shai-Hulud’ (eternal thing) for the sandworms, ‘Fedaykin’ for the desert warriors (drawn from the Farsi term Fedayeen), ‘Padishah’ for emperor, and even ‘jihad’ in the books – which the movies chose to leave out.

Also, the Fremen men wrap keffiyeh-like scarves over their heads and the women — at least those who do not fight in the Fremen guerilla force — cover their hair with something like a hijab or chador.

All these references, along with those that will be mentioned, have caused the international audience to compare this film to conditions in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Gaza.

For example, the Harkonnens, the colonizing force who control the mining of spice, want to wipe out the Fremen so they can control Arrakis without dealing with the local populace. Some of their statements are very similar to quotes from some members of Netanyahu's government. When the Harkonnens call the Fremen “rats” and roar “exterminate them all!”, they seem to be echoing Yoav Gallant, Zionist regime’s defense minister, who has said that Israel is fighting “human animals”, as well as numerous Israeli talking heads and leaders who have called for the destruction of the entire Gaza Strip.

The Tehran Times conducted an interview with Emad El-Din Aysha, formerly an adjunct assistant professor at the American University in Cairo and the British University in Egypt, about the similarities between the film and the conditions in Gaza. Following is the text of the exclusive interview with Emad El-Din Marei Aysha:

Q: Why can the desert-dwelling Fremen be seen as a metaphor for Palestinians, resisting the invasive and aggressive Harkonnens, who represent the Israeli occupation forces and Zionist settlers? Why do international audiences constantly associate the pattern of "oppressed-oppressor" in science fiction (such as "The Hunger Games" series) with the situation in Gaza and the Palestinian people's resistance?

A: Science fiction has always been a center of protest. It became a key part of counter-culture in America in the 1960s and 70s, evidenced by sci-fi giants like Philip K. Dick and Norman Spinrad. You won’t believe this but an American sci-fi buff told me, at WorldCon last year in China, that Bush sr. went from city to city arguing against the Iraq War, against his own son George W., and he never got reported by the mainstream media networks!

And despite all my criticisms of the Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” movies, watching the second installment you got the distinct impression that the Fremen were stand-ins for the Palestinians, especially in the scene where Sietch Tabr is bombarded by the Harkonnens and you see a child wandering in the destruction with blood on his face. And dressed like an Arab.

Q: In your opinion, why does Hollywood continue to produce such science fiction films despite the fact that they are constantly linked to the Palestinian situation by the international audience, especially the movie "Dune," in which the presence of Middle Eastern geographical and Islamic cultural elements is undeniable?

A: Hollywood is a complicated, complicated place! People like David vs. Goliath type scenarios. Just look at the Native Americans in "Prey" (2002), which was applauded by everybody, white Americans and the Native Americans alike. Something I talked about in my review of the “Predator” prequel in fact is that “Star Wars” has lots of little cultural references to the Native Americans, such as the Ewoks and Princess Leia’s infamous haircut. 

As for "Dune," I would say that the pressure of social media is finally what did the trick. Netflix is even more racist and anti-Islamic but cancel culture got the better of it with the "Cuties" (2020) fiasco. When I watched part two in 2024, I felt like they had read every single sentence I had written attacking the first movie, even down to the oversized scale and bland coloration. Never mind the absence of Arabic actors and words.

Part one has (rightfully) been accused of being Orientalist. Stilgar is a walking buffoon, Jamis is portrayed as being a mindless animal (he ‘growls’ at Paul as if trying to give him a heart attack) and Chani is only impressed by violence. In Villeneuve’s “Dune,” the Fremen are not secretly terraforming the planet and Liet Kynes is a joke. They have no agency. You never hear their story, how they were enslaved and brought to this planet to suffer. Even worse, the Harkonnens are portrayed as Oriental despots, with their servants prostrating themselves before them like Muslims in prayer – an image not found in the novel. 

Q: It is said that Frank Herbert’s novel is originally based on the story of “Lawrence of Arabia” and presents the stereotype of the white savior. Additionally, Frank Herbert’s novel addresses the recurring issue of important Middle Eastern resources, such as oil, which has been considered in films like James Cameron’s "Avatar." What do you think about this?

A: That’s spot on! My students, when I was teaching at the American University in Cairo, caught on to this before me. They explained that Padishah Emperor Shaddam is in fact ‘Saddam’ and ‘Arrakis’ is in fact Iraq. 

Herbert was inspired by “Lawrence of Arabia,” the movie or the person, and how gullible the Arabs were to follow him. And I’d say he wanted to criticize that all.

"Avatar" is an interesting case though and for a whole other reason. Cameron’s "Aliens" (1986) has actually been described as the ultimate Reagan-movie, a Vietnam type scenario with American ‘colonial’ marines saving a U.S. settlement from dark natives that blend in with the surroundings. Also, Cameron was no environmentalist hack. I have seen an interview of him in a documentary about "The Terminator" and he does not believe in any ideal garden of Eden situation in the past, and yet he produced "Avatar" where the Marines are the bad guys and the natives are living in harmony with nature – with both African American and Native American actors! 

What happened in the meantime? I guess the ‘mood’ changed with global warming and James Cameron either wanted to ride the wave, or make amends for his jingoism in "Aliens". (He also wrote the script for "Rambo: First Blood Part II").

Q: How much capacity does science fiction have to express political issues? How should Muslims use this capacity to explain their anti-colonial and anti-Israel views?

A: Science fiction is the most self-reflective of the literary genres, so it has always been political. It’s all about world-building too, so you can make your ideal world as you see fit. With the proviso that one man’s utopia is another’s dystopia. Third World authors are no different. If anything they need science fiction more, as a tool for development and spreading scientific literacy. 

One of the lessons is that it is often better to build than attack. Prove we can be creative in our solutions for our own problems and think up our own near-perfect future worlds and put those on display. If they are attractive, plausible and distinctive, then foreign audiences will flock to our causes.

I’ve got a story in a forthcoming Future Fiction anthology, “Arabilious: Anthology of Arab Futurism,” and to my amazement the story they liked from the bunch I gave them is about a future Tripoli dominating the Mediterranean because of its ecofriendly economics to the point that Europeans are flocking to the Libyan shores to work in the agricultural communes, being unemployed in Europe because of robots and soil erosion. The story was a spur of the moment thing, written originally for a Utopian contest (got nowhere), and was influenced in part by the historical example of Tripoli, in the Qaramanli era, thanks to a Libyan friend and SF writer – Abdulhakeem Amer Tweel.

SF is doubly important for peoples in exile because it’s a way to recreate a lost world, as well as improve on it and critique it – by checking your reservoir of so-called memories. I did that in my story in "Palestine+100", and the same for the forthcoming "Thyme Travelers[A1]". Quite independently of each other we focused on setting the record straight as both an act of defiance, especially against those who want to wipe out any trace of you or your people, and an instrument of healing to unite us and learn from our mistakes.

AH/SAB