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Robert's case is not just about one man's religious preference. According to Robert Pelletreau, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, his case is "part of a broader political pressure campaign to change the constitution to establish Islamic law as the sole source of legislation and jurisprudence in Kuwait." Yet at the heart remains what Islam sees as Robert's crime: converting to Christianity.

Born Hussein Qamber Ali, Robert was raised as a typical Muslim, learned the Qur'an as a child, prayed five times a day, and was taught that Mohammed was the greatest of all prophets. He became a contractor, specializing in new home construction, an especially lucrative business in Kuwait. He traveled a great deal throughout the Middle East, married, had two children, a boy and girl.

Then in 1984, the story changed.

"I began having visions, dreams," he says. As a culture, Arabs believe in dreams, especially to predict the future. But Robert's private dreams concerned the issues of Islam and Christianity. "This was the first time I began debating the Islamic religion," he explains. "I found myself asking, 'My Lord, I know you are here; how can I reach you?'"

Robert began to thoughtfully study the two religions-comparing, contrasting-until he reached his conclusion. Muslims, Robert explains eloquently, believe Mohammed is the greatest prophet, but they also believe "that Mohammed came from earthly parents who are now dead. Muslims also believe Mohammed is dead. But they believe Jesus is still alive and he is coming back, and his father is not an earthly father. They believe that." (Muslims believe Jesus neither was crucified nor raised from the dead; instead he was taken directly to heaven.)

"I ask other Muslims, 'Which one do you prefer-Mohammed or Jesus? They say, Mohammed.' This doesn't make sense, I tell them. If you believe that Jesus is still alive, then he is supernatural. It seems to me that they worship Mohammed, not Allah. But I cannot talk about my dreams to Muslims because these dreams deal with religious questions. If I mention them, they will accuse me of having a djin (genie/devil) inside."

Some dismiss him as an eccentric, but his defiance of authority, his consistency of message are engaging, arguing against eccentricity. As he speaks of these spiritually life-changing events, Robert's voice remains calm. He is forceful, dedicated, single-minded.

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