Includes bibliographical references (p. [279]-282).

Husayn vs. Hussein -- Struggle in Iran -- Sacred journey -- The idea of America -- Bridge building -- The Muslim capital of the West -- Paranoid America and 'Islamofascists' -- Carrying the mission to the halls of power -- Our American Bin Ladens -- Lines in the sand -- Return to the cradle -- The Islamic frontier.

"My family and I arrived in Los Angeles on December 6, 1992, on a British Airways flight from Dubai, eager to see how America would greet us. The customs official could have glanced at the previous pages in my passport and learned of my trips to Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria; he might also have noticed that I hadn't been to America before, but he applied a red stamp in the 'Entries' column and ushered me past with an unexpected greeting: 'Welcome home.' As I waited for my wife and children to catch up, the words of Imam Ali came to me, a plea for civility and pragmatism over nationalism: 'Your country does not belong to you more than any other country. The best country is the one that treats you well.'" Book jacket.