Christians and Muslims Gather to Watch Kingdom of Heaven Film in South Florida

May 7, 2005

Source: Sun Sentinel

http://www.southflorida.com/movies/sfl-likingdom07may07,0,1862611.story?coll=sfe-movies-headlines

On May 7, 2005 the Sun Sentinel reported, "three South Florida friends -- a Protestant pastor, a Muslim activist, a Catholic priest -- watched an advance screening of Kingdom of Heaven this week, then talked out their widely diverging feelings. 'I felt the film's message to people of all faiths, Jews, Christians and Muslims,' Altaf Ali says. 'We all have to see how religion played a role in those times. We have the opportunity not to make the same mistakes.' Father Paul Edwards hated it. 'Just another blood-and-guts war movie, with no value for interfaith relations,' he says. The Rev. Jeffrey Frantz felt a stinging message in the film. 'It's a reminder of how barbaric we've been to each other, even in our own times. I don't know if our attack on Iraq was any better.' That they can talk like this about a movie that shows their spiritual ancestors killing each other, though, indicates how far they've already come. The three have become acquainted through joint services and an occasional lunch."