THE ARABS

It is somewhat ironic to find Roraback’s gross generalizations about Arabs (perhaps reflective of the books he was reviewing, but he makes no attempt to correct their stereotyping) in the same issue with a review by Edward Said, who has tried so hard to educate people about “Orientalism” and put a stop to such stereotyping of Arabs.

What with the situation in the Persian Gulf (referred to, by the way, by Arabs as the Arabian Gulf), such inaccuracies only serve to perpetuate and harden prejudices when what is most needed is an educated and informed public.

ELIZABETH SMITH

SANTA MONICA