In this impassioned letter to the West, the author leads the reader through the labyrinthine world of Islam. Setting the historical record of western prejudice against Muslims alongside her own experience of life in the West, she demonstrates that deep misunderstanding and fear continue to inform the way Islam is perceived today. With particular reference to the Salman Rushdie affair, she illustrates how quickly the old forms of hatred and bigotry surface in order to wage contemporary political battles and makes a plea for a new dialogue, free from historical bias or personal animosity, between these two civilizations. The author also wrote "Europe's Myths of Orient" and edited "The Passionate Nomad: The Diary of Isabelle Eberhardt".