In the years following the election of Donald Trump, hate crimes against religious minorities skyrocketed. Bomb threats, knife and gut attacks, and hostage situations broke out in temples and mosques across the country as white supremacists and other xenophobic actors took Trump’s infamous Muslim travel ban and his vocal support of antisemitic protestors as carte blanche to attack these communities.
Formed before this surge in violence, the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom saw its membership explode as Muslim and Jewish women seeking a community to support them through the troubling times. Stranger/Sister gives us a front-row seat to the activities, administration, and activism of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom. We follow several key branches of the organization and are given a glimpse of educational activities and membership meetings over several years.
This statement from the filmmakers Kristen Kelly and Katie Taber explains the film well: “The bonds of Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom are indeed being tested, but that is why we — as filmmakers and the Sisterhood themselves — all believe that the core values of the movement are even more essential and can provide a model for courage and engagement to communities everywhere." the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom does serve as an interesting model for Muslim/Jewish relations. Still, its membership believes it doesn’t go far enough.
Salaam Shalom’s leadership is unwilling to engage in, support, or enact political engagement based on Muslim/Jewish solidarity. This causes dissonance in the portrayal of the organization alongside Civil Rights activists of the 50s and 60s, as their organizations were overtly political. The filmmakers also missed a chance to add the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom to the long history of Muslim/Jewish joint activism in anti-war movements. Furthermore, it is unclear how the actions of this organization combat broader societal hate.
While it is important for the Muslim and Jewish communities to work together and learn about each other’s faiths and cultures, It’s not Muslims and Jews bombing each other’s synagogues and mosques: It’s reactionary elements from white Christian society who are never confronted or educated by the organization or its efforts.
Those studying comparative religion may find the statements and discussions included in this documentary especially valuable. However, the format and messaging of Stranger/Sister are somewhat convoluted and contradictory, seeming to prop up an idolized version of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom that cannot exist due to its stated lack of political alignment or engagement. Strong Optional Purchase.
Where does this title belong on public library or academic library shelves?
This documentary should be placed on religion, activism, or recent history documentary shelves.
What type of instructor would use this title?
Professors teaching modern American history or comparative religions will find the most use in Stranger/Sister.