Hook: What happens when a thousand-year narrative of fear shapes modern policy and identity? In this 3-minute summary of Philion’s 37-minute episode, host Philion traces the long history behind Western attitudes toward Arabs and Islam—from 7th-century expansion and the Crusades to Orientalism, colonialism, terrorism, and today’s debates over immigration, Sharia, and Gaza. You’ll learn how medieval memory, dhimmi laws, jizya, Janissaries, Barbary piracy, and nineteenth-century scholarship helped manufacture a persistent villain image, and how that image influences contemporary politics and public opinion. Key takeaways: the past is more complex than slogans, myths can become policy, and challenging those narratives is a practical step toward changing outcomes. Keywords: Islam, Arabs, Western values, Crusades, Orientalism, colonialism, Gaza, immigration, history. Listen now to get the key ideas in minutes.