By Ismail Auwal
A Shiite movie on the life of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, Lady of Heaven, has generated widespread protests outside the theaters in the United Kingdom (UK) over claims that the film illustrated the life of revered figures of Islam.
Protestors of all ages could be seen holding picket signs – some reading: “It’s not ok to offend 1.8 billion #handsoffoursuperheroes” and “Stop the screening”.
They accused the film’s authors of inaccurately depicting religious history and negatively portraying three of Islam’s most important figures.
One person in Bradford, West Yorkshire, said “We are very offended. We have a right not to be insulted.
“You talk about freedom of speech but where does your freedom of speech go when it goes to criticising your policies when it goes to making critical analysis of your version of history.”
“You have no right to tell us our history. We will not let this film go on further.”
The movie released in the UK on 3 June, depicts the story of Lady Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad.
The film’s director Eli King depicts Fatima as a faceless character, shrouded by a black veil.
In the movie, Lady Fatimah’s death was also described as the first victim of terrorism”
The film written by Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Yasser al-Habib which was the first ever to do so was considered “blasphemous” and also “misrepresents orthodox historical narratives and disrespects the most esteemed individuals of Islamic history.”
This story is intertwined with the tale of a young Iraqi child in modern times some 1,400 years later.
The movie also depicts Islamic prophets on screen and in art has long been contentious.
However, Islamic tradition forbids the direct portrayal of religious figures.
The critics of the film are largely focused on the portrayals of several other characters, including the Prophet Muhammad’s companions, Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab, the first caliphs of Islam.
Some groups have criticised it for representing the Prophet Muhammad – considered an insult in Islam – as well as its portrayal of significant venerated individuals in early Sunni Islam.
The producer of the film, Malik Shlibak, said the subject matter being provocative “depends on who you ask”, and added: “Any religious topic you tackle is going to have disagreements amongst different groups…
“We’re not presenting an over-romanticised version of history. We spent a year in pre-production making sure the history is accurate.”
Shlibak said people are free to criticise the film and have their own opinions, but says the protests have “over-stepped boundaries” and are an attempt to “censor other people with different views”.
