This should be required reading for Americans! Not only is Ali's story a page-turner, but her inside knowledge of Islam turns the West's typically tolerant, politically-correct view of Islam as "a peaceful faith" on its head. The worldview of the terrorists, she argues, is not the exception, but the rule.

The author grew up in several places in Africa and the Middle East, the daughter of fundamentalist parents. As an adult, she found refuge in Holland from a forced marriage. There, she earned a college degree and became a member of parliament. Her honest and forthright assessment of Islam made her the target of extremists and forced her into hiding. She lives in the States today and works for a think tank. Her mission is to provoke the "Enlightenment" of Islam.