Bibi Bahrami stands for a portrait with her husband, Dr. Mohammad Saber Bahrami, at the Islamic Center of Muncie, Ind., on Friday, March 3, 2023, where she is one of the mosque's leaders. Bahrami is a subject of the documentary "Stranger at the Gate" that tells the story of the relationship she and others in their small Islamic community fostered with Richard McKinney, a former U.S. Marine who at one point had planned to bomb their community center.
March 10, 2023
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'Stranger at the Gate': Love after hate
Angry and filled with hate for Muslims, Richard McKinney once wanted to plant an explosive device outside the Islamic Center of Muncie in Indiana. The interactions with congregation members and the kindness that the tattooed veteran has encountered helped change not just his plans, but his life's course. That story of transformation and improbable bonds is chronicled in "Stranger at the Gate," which is nominated for best documentary short film for the 95th Academy Awards. Director Joshua Seftel calls it a story of love conquering hate. Seftel says his inspiration for telling tales about Muslim Americans that defy negative stereotypes is rooted in his memories of the antisemitism he's encountered, especially while growing up.