(Bloomberg News) - Khalid Kelly and Aaron Taylor believe the world is heading toward an apocalyptic battle between good and evil. They just can't agree on who's good and who's evil.
Kelly is an Irish Muslim who named his son Osama as a tribute to the 9/11 mastermind and wants to spread Islamic law around the globe. Taylor is an American evangelical missionary who travels to Muslim countries to convert people to Christianity.
Their divergent paths are charted by filmmaker Stephen Marshall in "Holy Wars," an incisive documentary about religious fundamentalism. Marshall followed British-based Kelly and Missouri resident Taylor for three years as they spread their messages, even arranging a meeting between the two in an empty London warehouse.
That encounter proves both discouraging and encouraging. Khalid's fervent defense of the 9/11 attacks and draconian punishments like cutting off a thief's hands will surely infuriate those who consider radical Muslims to be a threat to Western civilization. But Khalid's complaints about Western intrusions in Muslim countries has a profound effect on Taylor, who reconsiders his stalwart support of American power and begins preaching about bridging the religious gap.
Taylor provides hope for moderation and reconciliation. Yet Khalid remains as dogmatic as ever, even after he's forced to leave Pakistan for espousing his radical beliefs.