the kingdom of heaven is at hand

when i first saw a trailer for it, i remember thinking that it looked like an ill-timed joke. then i read this article by robert fisk. this marks the first time i’ve been moved to tears by a description of people watching a movie. it’s rare to come across something so hopeful written about the middle east, unless it’s written by some terminally irritating bush apologist like david brooks or thomas friedman. but fisk is no apologist for anyone, including the status quo in the countries that he has spent his adult life living in and reporting on. 29 years in lebanon would make a pessimist out of anybody. plus, he’s british.
in my conversations with my muslim friends, they constantly emphasize the historical tolerance for other faiths in the islamic empire. while i’ve found many evangelical sites debunking the stories my friends tell, isn’t it significant that these muslims, in this time, want to see mercy and tolerance for others in their history? for all the hyperventilating in certain circles, i’d sooner give my back to a moderate muslim than a fundamentalist christian.