Muslim Tribesmen and the Colonial Encounter in Fiction and on Film

The bulk of the average Westerner's infinitesimal knowledge of Islam and of Middle Eastern Muslim societies is derived from an image which not only film and television industries portray but also daily and weekly publications as well the media in general. This knowledge of these Muslim societies that are tribally organized appears to be images of violence and terrorism that we associate with the Middle East. In David Hart's view all of this represents the grossest possible misrepresentation. He has singled out a small number of films and works of fiction directed and written by both Westerners as well as Muslims. They tend to show tribesmen as one admittedly small but nonetheless striking segment of the overall Middle Eastern Muslim population, in a more favorable light.