Waging Peace: Muslim and Christian Alternatives

This hopeful documentary presents some strikingly positive individuals amidst the largely discouraging recent developments in Christian-Muslim relations, highlighting members of both faiths who are effectively reaching out to try to bridge the gap. Opening with the fact that Christians and Muslims have lived together for 1,300 years, Waging Peace acknowledges the longstanding history of struggle between the two populations, but also notes that despite the actions of extremists, both faiths value peace and are based on human respect. Jesus said that people should love their enemies, while Muhammad argued that killing one innocent person is like killing all. Voiceover narration, interviews, and on-location footage spotlight a wide range of activities and organizations, including Muslims and Mennonites coming together in Ontario, Canada (“getting-acquainted” events lead to a joint project to make quilts for Palestinian refugees, and Muslim students attend classes at a Mennonite school); the Interfaith Peace Camp in Harrisonburg, VA, which promotes understanding and acceptance among its young Christian, Jewish, and Muslim attendees; the UMMA Community Clinic, founded by Muslim medical students in 1992 to address the health needs of a South Los Angeles neighborhood; and a Christian Peacemaker Team that has promoted non-violent principles in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East. The theological complexities are not ignored—exemplified by a conflict over the construction of a mosque near a Baptist church in Temecula, CA—but this documentary ultimately presents a refreshingly uplifting and optimistic message. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Block)