In 2002 I began filing in-depth reports on the Arab World for ABC News. After nearly 100 assignments in Muslim countries, I came to a disturbing conclusion: the Al-Qaeda-inspired view of an evil America bent on destroying Islam has moved from the fringes to the mainstream. Today, a surprising number of America’s enemies are not wild-eyed fanatics but moderates, often middle-class and well educated, frequently young, many motivated by political convictions more than religious belief.

During my time abroad, I came to know a wide, even strange variety of people very well. They range from a former Al Qaeda jihadi turned electrician in Saudi Arabia to a Jordanian college student willing to risk his life by killing Americans in Baghdad; from a Christian woman who supports Hezbollah in Lebanon, to bitter pro-democracy advocates in Egypt who feel betrayed by the U.S. to British-born Muslim terrorists living in London. Through their stories and our many face-to-face encounters, I hope to build a revealing portrait of the depth and scope of anti-American sentiment.

Opposing America has become the unifying rallying cry for a rapidly growing pan-Arab nationalist movement. Conspiracy theories abound as Muslims feel they are targeted by America, their political autonomy sabotaged. The Iraq war has become one of the most powerful recruiting tools for enemies of the U.S.

Even at the worst times and in some of the scariest places, I found glimmers of hope for America to turn the tide of hate. I became friends with a young female student in Afghanistan who is cautiously optimistic that the U.S. will not fail her country in the rebuilding effort – and a reformed jihadi in London who is finding ways to counsel young British Muslims away from anti-American hate. Democratic ideals are still held in high esteem, even as America’s perceived actions against Muslims are not.

I like to think of Against Us as an urgent wake-up call for all Americans—and in particular those charged with formulating U.S. foreign policy—to rebuild relations with the Arab world and restore confidence in American values.