DUBAI: Morocco is the latest country to ban the British film “The Lady of Heaven” from being screened or commercialized across the country.
On Saturday, Morocco’s Council of Ulema strongly condemned the contents of the movie, saying that it constitutes a “flagrant falsification of facts” and contains a heinous “act which cannot be accepted by Muslims.”
In a statement, the council expressed its “categorical rejection of the blatant falsification of established facts of Islamic history.”
Released on June 3, the movie, made by Eli King and Yasser Al-Habib, tells the story of Fatima, Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, and draws links between the Daesh group in the 21st century and historical figures in Sunni Islam.
Much of the criticism around the movie centers on the way the Shia Muslim filmmaker and cleric, Yasser Al-Habib, has portrayed prominent revered figures in early Sunni Islam, implying that there are comparisons between their actions with those of the Daesh terror group in Iraq, according to the BBC’s religion editor Aleem Maqbool.
With this move, Morocco joins other countries such as Egypt, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq in condemning the film.
Last week, British cinema chain Cineworld canceled all screenings of “The Lady of Heaven” following protests by Muslim activists claiming the film is blasphemous and offensive. Protesters in the UK were seen holding signs, with some reading: “It’s not OK to offend 1.8 billion #handsoffoursuperheroes” and “Stop the screening.”
