TT p. 150

In both of these films, Arabs are portrayed as savage and violent. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones is ready to fight a wildly fierce Arab, his face mysteriously hidden. Arabs are seen as mystical yet feral, believing in ridiculous things because they know nothing else. In Lawrence of Arabia, the Arabs are only introduced to "culture" when Laurence Olivia graces him with their presence, and the few Arabs in the still either leer or stare dumbly. 10 years ago, we had a much better grasp on what Middle Eastern society was--simply a different culture, like that of Southeast Asians or Inuits. And while we still held our head high and would like to introduce them to our culture, we didn't necessarily see them as inferior. But after 9/11, the idea of an Arab changed drastically in American society. All of a sudden they were mongrels, violently adhering to some ridiculous dogma that taught them to kill innocents in the name of their ludicrous god. It looks as if we're back to square 1.