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How the kindness of strangers stopped my terror attack

Ex-US Marine Mac McKinney had a deep-seated hatred of Muslims and planned a terror attack on a mosque. Instead, the kindness of worshippers there led to his conversion to Islam.

Richard "Mac" McKinney served 25 years in the US Marines, and harboured a deep-seated hatred of Muslims. He planned to do the unthinkable — to bomb his local mosque. Mac visited the Islamic centre in Muncie, Indiana in 2009, expecting to find evidence that would back up his belief that Muslims were "the enemy". Instead he was met with such kindness and compassion that it led him not only to shelve his horrific plan, but to convert to Islam. We also hear from husband and wife and co-founders of the Islamic centre, Saber and Bibi Bahrami who took Mac to their hearts.

A warning: this programme contains very strong anti-Muslim references.

An award-winning documentary called Stranger at the Gate has been made about them, directed by Joshua Seftel.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: June Christie

(Photo: Former US Marine Mac McKinney. Credit: Photographer: Karl Schroder)

Available now

41 minutes

Last on

Fri 4 Nov 2022 03:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thu 3 Nov 2022 12:06GMT
  • Thu 3 Nov 2022 18:06GMT
  • Thu 3 Nov 2022 23:06GMT
  • Fri 4 Nov 2022 00:06GMT
  • Fri 4 Nov 2022 03:06GMT

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