The British film chain Cineworld has already canceled the screenings of the film after protests over the portrayal of the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, Lady Fatima. Now the Moroccan Film Center (CCM) has issued a statement saying that no cinema in the country will be allowed to screen the film. Morocco’s Supreme Council of Ulema strongly condemned the film, arguing that its author, Shiite Muslim cleric Sheikh Yasser al-Habib, had been stripped of his Kuwaiti citizenship for his “extremist ideas”. He describes the “incarnation of the Prophet” as “an abominable act that cannot be accepted by Muslims” and says that he “categorically rejects the blatant falsification of facts in Islamic history.” The Lady Of Heaven is believed to be the first display of Lady Fatimah’s life on screen. Most Muslims find every depiction of their prophets extremely offensive, making attempts to make it extremely controversial. The directors say that they did a lot to avoid being portrayed as a sacred person by an actor. Instead, they chose to transmit them through a mixture of CGI, lighting and visual effects. The film “can lead to community violence” However, Roshan M Salih, editor of the British Muslim news site 5Pillars, warned that it could lead to violent unrest. He wrote on Twitter: “Let me just put it this way – Lady of Heaven should be banned because it can lead to community violence. “Muslims love the Prophet and the Companions [companions of the Prophet] so much so that such provocations can lead to criminal reactions from some misled people. “ He said the film could “provoke a reaction even if the reaction itself is wrong”. Read more: Why is The Lady Of Heaven so controversial? Egypt, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq are among the countries that condemn the film. In the United Kingdom, demonstrations took place outside cinemas in Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, Bolton, Blackburn, Birmingham and East London. It was to be shown in Cineworld, Vue and Showcase cinemas. However, since the former withdrew the views due to staff and customer safety concerns, only Vue views appear to be available for online booking.
