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'Stranger at the Gate' short film shows how kindness can change a would-be terrorist's ways

Left to right: Mac McKinney, Jomo Williams, Saber Bahrami and Bibi Bahrami. (David Herbert)
Left to right: Mac McKinney, Jomo Williams, Saber Bahrami and Bibi Bahrami. (David Herbert)

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Former Marine Richard “Mac” McKinney was determined to bomb the local Islamic center in Muncie, Indiana. But the kindness he was shown there not only made him drop his plans but eventually become a member of the community.

The story is told in the short film “Stranger at the Gate” which has just made the shortlist for an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Short Film.

We revisit Robin Young’s September 2022 conversation with McKinney and Bibi Bahrami, co-founder of the Islamic Center of Muncie.

Watch on YouTube.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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