Educational Media Reviews Online

Stranger/Sister begins with a great idea but soon devolves into just another piece of activist propaganda. The underlying idea is that over 1400 years of animosity between Jews and Muslims could be overcome by women of both groups forming a personal network of members who meet regularly to build trust between the two groups. This group is the brainchild of a Muslim and Jewish woman that eventually became the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom. Although laudable as a goal, the video does little to show that much has been achieved except creating a new us versus them dynamic between the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom and those outside. Although recognizing the differences between Muslims and Jews, the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom is based mainly on eliminating deep-seated distrust and misunderstanding, the video does little to show how the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom will bring a new understanding developed in the group to a larger world.

Several negatives dominate the video. The video frequently devolves into activist language, designed to create an us versus them dynamic. Although possibly beneficial to the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom’s recruitment efforts, this does little to fix the problem of distrust and misunderstanding so prevalent in the world today. Furthermore, this language creates an overtone of propaganda that stands in stark contrast to the stated mission of the Sisterhood. Another negative is that the people involved in the video are from similar backgrounds in the United States, despite some differences in religious belief and group identity. The problem between Jews and Muslims worldwide is far greater, and this video does little to address the more significant problem and, with its rhetoric, adds to it.

On the positive side, the idea behind the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom could become part of a larger and more inclusive group working to eliminate distrust and misunderstanding between many groups without creating an us versus them dynamic. An engaging portion of the film shows a teen group of Jews and Muslims coming to the realization that their heritages are more similar than different.

This film is rated recommended with reservations because of the many and significant negatives. The underlying idea has merit, but the adaptation of that idea needs much work. This means anyone wanting to use this film for productive work needs to do a significant amount of work. Potential audiences could be schools, religious groups, discussion groups, and the academic world. Academic libraries specializing in Jewish/Muslim topics and Peace Studies would be ideal places to make this video available.

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