Nonie Darwish, a freelance writer, interpreter and public speaker, was born and raised as a Moslem in Cairo and the Gaza strip. Her father was killed in Gaza in 1956 in the Jihad against Israel and became a national hero, a martyr — "Shahid" — and a symbol of the resistance against Israel. Nonie was only 8 years old when he died. In 1978 she moved to the United States, where she now holds citizenship. She is a much sought-after speaker on US campuses, where she talks about Arab-Israeli relations and inter-religious dialogue. She has spoken to Hadassah, ORT, Amit groups, synagogues, Young Zionists of America and Chabad. She is currently writing her first book "Lifting the Veil: by the Daughter of a Shahid". Ms. Darwish is a staunch believer that Moslems must learn to support and appreciate Israel. She promotes a diverse Middle East with protection for human rights, respect and equality to all minorities. As a result of the many supportive e-mails she has received from Arabs worldwide, Darwish recently created the "Arabs for Israel" website. Darwish's life story relays the fascinating journey she followed from being indoctrinated to hate Israel to her current belief that the time for true reconciliation between Arab countries and Israel has arrived. She believes that Israel is an asset and not a threat to the Middle East and she is committed to bringing about an understanding between her culture of origin and the Western non-Moslem world.