The East Marches wrote:On that note however, I think that today his book has even more value than it did in the past. How much do we really know about the Orient today compared to 50 years ago even? How much more has mass media shaped our cultural perspectives and stamped its authority on the way we view things? I would argue that it has even more so today. The sort of portrayal of the ME as weak and decadent has only spread. Just ask people on how they think Arabs should be governed. You'll find alot more saying "they can't understand democracy and need a strong leader" than I think you would in the past.
I think that is very true in quite some ways. Current Media coverage is - safe from some exceptions like Robert Fisk, whose Independent column I can wholeheartly recommand - kinda biased in the one or other way. Either they're going indepth to explain why Islam is the Religion of Peace or why it is evil. Historical or Regional connections are completly disregarded and only mentioned if they do fit into the main narrative.
Most of my knowledge about the Middle East, Orient and ultimatively Arab world and Islam is comming from the Books of Peter Scholl-Latour, a german-french Author who published afaik mostly in german language. To my knowledge none of his Books but the Vietnam one have been translated.