For the great enemy of truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived, and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the clichés of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.1
Introduction
Popular literature, film, and media have a tremendous impact on readers and viewers of all ages and all walks of life. This influence is quite pervasive in political echelons as it may command policy decisions. For instance, in the US, President Ronald Regan was an admirer of Tom Clancy, an American novelist, who was invited to lecture to the Pentagon, CIA, and White House staff. President Bill Clinton, in his 1992 election campaign, spoke of his admiration for Walter Mosley’s novels.2 Similarly, British Prime Minster Stanley Baldwin was an avid reader of the works of John Buchan, while President John F. Kennedy was one of Ian Fleming’s faithful readers. The validation sought in the fictional works by some politicians, presidents, and leaders shows how popular fiction can be put to effective use by harnessing general thought patterns en masse.
At the same time, many works may be cited as references for exhibiting different degrees of Islamophobia. Novels like At Risk (2004) by the former head of MI5 Stella Rimington, and Congressman Peter T. King’s novel Vale of Tears (2004) on Muslim terrorism stand as recent examples.3 It may, therefore, be deduced that art, literature, and popular media have far more influence than we realiz
