raise (or deiconify) windows from scripts?

[Ben Tracy]

Fellow blackboxers:

Is there a way to raise or deiconify a window from a script?  I've
set up my mail checker to put up an xdialog if the mail program is
already running, so I don't get several of them running at the same
time, but I thought it would be great if it would just bring it to
the front in that case... The question is, can it be done?

TIA
Ben