Erasing Arabs from Dune

I was published in INKSTICK on what it means to create a Dune story without the people it’s based on.

https://inkstickmedia.com/erasing-arabs-from-dune/

From my Twitter thread:

Part of what Herbert wanted to do with #Dune was create a setting that was islamic and middle eastern at its root. Even if we ignore The Fremen (who are explicitly based on Amazigh ppl) the rest of the universe is deeply Arab and MENA. 1/5

The emperor is Shaddam IV Of the Padishah dynasty, these are explicitly Islamic names with Persian and MENA roots. The Sardaukar have Arabic ranks like Bashar. 2/5

Atriedes characters like Gurney Halleck (who is very dark skinned and a former Harkonnen slave in the book) are deeply religious and the holy book he quotes from is based on the Quran. Some scholars even claim Gurney is based on Othello, Shakespeare’s black Moor 3/5

Several characters including the head rev mother of the BG and Paul Atriedes exclaim Kul Wahad. An Arabic phrase that basically means “that’s a lot to take in all at once”. 4/5

Herbert studied Islam and he wanted his books to incorporate MENA and Muslim culture as part of the universal human heritage. But all the adaptations of his work erase that, which says a lot about who’s allowed to shape our future who isn’t . 5/5