In an essay in "The Scotsman" newspaper, Robert Irwin discusses how Arab culture affected the western world and how modern life has changed interpretations of these effects. According to Robert Kilroy Silk, "we owe the Arabs nothing." According to other historians, we owe them everything. To Robert Irwin, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. In a recent article in the online version of The Scotsman newspaper, Irwin looks at how current politics are affecting historical views of Arab culture.