UK cinema chain cancels screenings of film on Prophet's daughter amid protests
June 08, 2022 19:41
One of the UK's largest cinema chains has announced the cancellation of all screenings of a controversial new film claiming to reflect the story of the daughter of Prophet Muhammad after British Muslim protests across different cities.
Cineworld said in a statement on Tuesday that it took the decision to cancel all showings of The Lady of Heaven to ensure the safety of staff and customers.
An online petition calling for the film's removal from all UK cinemas has attracted over 123,000 signatures, with several British Muslim groups issuing statements in protest.
"Due to the recent incidents regarding screenings of The Lady of Heaven, we have made the decision to cancel upcoming screenings of the film nationwide to ensure the safety of our staff and customers," Cineworld said in an email to the protesting groups.
"Please accept our sincere apologies for the caused inconvenience," the chain said.
The film, described on its website as a heart-wrenching journey of Lady Fatima 'the daughter of Prophet Muhammad.'
"In accordance with Islamic tradition, during the making of this film no individual represented a Holy Personality. The performances of the Holy Personalities were achieved through a unique synthesis of actors, in-camera effects, lighting and visual effects," the website reads.
But the protesters and those behind the online petition on Change.Org have condemned it for inaccurate depictions of early Islamic history and claim the film has been created to "cause heartache for all Muslims as well as spread false information on Islam."
"It is underpinned with a sectarian ideology and is blasphemous in nature to the Muslim community," reads a statement from the Bolton Council of Mosques, which led protests against the screenings in north-west England. -- PTI
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