At a time of profound regional and international transformations that

extend beyond the political, Middle Easterners in general and Arabs in

particular ponder their future, as well as how to best preserve and protect

their interests and, equally important, their cultures.

As non-Arabs interpret and opine about Arab civilization far more than

indigenous thinkers, how can we understand what motivates scholars and

opinion-makers, and how can Arab analysts highlight indigenous perspectives?

What are the core factors that separate non-Arab scholars from their

Arab counterparts? Can the perceptions of nearly 500 million individuals

be mislabeled so frequently and so easily, and what ought to be done to

repair the damage already done? Do Arab thinkers bear any responsibility

for what may appear to be little more than a campaign to denigrate?

To answer these questions, this paper first offers an overview of the dilemmas

involved, then identifies and analyses two major concerns—censorship

and translation matters—and finally focuses on the case of the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to test the assertion that books authored by

non-Arabs, many of whom shroud themselves in the cloak of authority

but, in reality, harbor a sharp dislike, if not outright hatred, of Arabs,

dominate over works written by Arabs. The paper closes with a few recommendations

that call on Arab thinkers to overcome existing academic

as well as journalistic prejudices.