Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson. This item is unavailable.Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson

The press has been filled with information and misinformation about the true nature of Islam. Hasan represents what is left out of the daily newspapers and explains why being a Muslim is not merely a matter of birth, but it is a matter of choice.

In the wake of 9-11, the activities of Osama Bin Laden and Hamas, and the most recent Gulf War, the western press has been filled with information and mis-information about the true nature of Islam. Is it a feudal misogynist belief system that is a threat to Western values? Is it an ideology of oppression? Or, is it a religion that is as varied as Christianity; a "big tent" that includes not only bomb-throwing ideologues, but also those committed to an authentic spirituality that embraces many of the values shared by the mainstream in Europe and America?

Why I am a Muslim is an attempt to grapple with these issues. Part memoir, part polemic, it represents the side of Islam that is left out of the daily newspapers. For Hasan, being a Muslim is not merely a matter of birth, but it is a matter of choice.

In seven chapters, she presents seven reasons why she is committed to Islam and why it is a viable spiritual option for anyone.

1. Because I was born Muslim.
2. Because Islam gives me a direct relationship with God.
3. Because Islam has a rich mystical tradition in Sufism.
4. Because Islam allows and expects me to make mistakes.
5. Because Islam is ethnically diverse.
6. Because Islam is a woman's religion.
7. Because being Muslim makes me a better American (and being American makes me a better Muslim).

Scott Peterson was convicted of two counts of murder on November 12 and on December 13, he was sentenced to death. After Laci Peterson was thought to have disappeared and a month into the investigation, Amber Frey came forward to tell the police of her affair with Scott Peterson. The affair began 6 weeks before Laci disappeared. Amber had no idea that Scott was married, and in fact thought he was the man of her dreams, the one and only. She has been set up on a blind date by her best friend. She and Scott had been intimate and she thought they were planning a future. Little did she know that on the day he was arrested the police found a knife and tape and a newly printed map to Amber's office and USD 15,000 in cash. Was she in danger? We will never know, but considering the evidence she was able to give the prosecution, there is little doubt that Scott Peterson was not a good man. Loyola Law School Professor, Stan Goldman, has said "The jury never saw Scott the same way. Her testimony just haunted the defense until the verdict." In fact, Amber was asked to meet with Laci Peterson's mother and three of her girlfriends after Amber held the press conference.