Abraham's Children

Nina Froriep's well-meaning but uneven documentary explores what it means to be young and Muslim in 21st-century America, along the way attempting to lift the veil of mystery and suspicion that often leads to unfair stereotyping. Attempting to cover the everyday lives of 10 Muslim children (age 10 to 17) and their immediate families, Abraham's Children flashes quickly from one household to another in dizzying fashion. As soon as the viewer begins to get acquainted with a particular kid (five are Pakistani-Americans, one is a recent immigrant from Yemen, and four are children of American converts to Islam), the focus abruptly shifts to another—and then another. Although Froriep's interviews with her subjects do go a long way in showing just how these young people can be both intensely devoted to their faith and still have a normal modern American adolescence, the manner in which the film presents their participation in conventional extracurricular activities sometimes feels heavy-handed (footage of Muslim-American teenagers participating in karate, figure skating, and basketball is neither particularly surprising nor interesting). That being said, Abraham's Children does delve into some lesser known and generously humanistic aspects of Islam that may surprise more than a few people. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (M. Sandlin)