"The Traitor" suggests "start with Salaam"--

Just saw "The Traitor"--a wonderful and thoughtful film. True enough it has action, but the really defining element is the character and development of the protagonist..is he good or is he a terrorist? What I really like was the honest portrayal of the worldviews of the Taliban and the terrorists and the "ordinary Muslims" who get recruited to blow up a bus. While it challenges people of all faiths to act out of compassion and respect for each other, it is not naive either about the extent to which radicalism has taken over true Islam. And to be fair, In a pivotal scene the protagonist quotes Martin Luther King--a challenge to Christians to live for something worth dying for...So I think it has value if it encourages open dialogue and discussion. In an interesting observation, one of the key figures says that in asymmetric warfare, the object is to play to an audience. He goes on to identify the audience as the American people whom he wants to convince that "it is not safe anywhere." He also expresses the sentiment that all Americans everywhere are permissible targets because they are responsible for their government's policies. That is precisely what many of the Fatwas have said, and this is not understood by many of us. I thought it fairly represented the resentments that many Middle Easterners feel about Western presence in the land they hold to be holy. It is such a complicated situation, but this film works hard to try to explain--without being exhaustive. The last line is the greeting--Salaam Aleikum--Start there--start with friendship and a hope for peace. Blessings!