I think for most Americans, knowledge of the Islamic world was pretty slight before 9/11, and then it was thrust upon us in one of America's darkest hours.

Source: "Weaving Narratives in Museum Portraits." TED2012. Feb. 2012. Conference Presentation. Additional Information: This quote is from a 2012 TED Talk given by Thomas P. Campbell, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It means that prior to the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, most Americans knew very little about the part of the world where Islam is the dominant religion, i.e., the Middle East. Since the attackers were of Middle Eastern descent and belonged to a militant sect of Islam, and the attacks led to the U.S. invading two Middle Eastern countries, Americans were forced to become more aware of the Islamic world following the attacks. In their galleries, the Met depicts the history of Islam, thereby providing important context to inform Americans' knowledge of the Islamic culture. Watch the full TED Talk here: Thomas P. Campbell - Weaving Narratives in Museum Galleries