Protests over The Lady Of Heaven have occurred in Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, Bolton, Blackburn, and Birmingham, with some claiming that the picture “disrespects the Prophet, Muhammad.” However, free speech advocates and critics of the decision have attacked the film’s “restriction.”
Cineworld has canceled screenings of a film about the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, which was deemed “blasphemous” by a Muslim council and prompted demonstrations outside of some theatres.
The movie chain stated that had removed The Lady Of Heaven, which was released on Friday, “to guarantee the safety of our employees and guests.”
Protests have occurred in Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, Bolton, Blackburn, and Birmingham, and more than 120,000 people have signed an online petition denouncing the film as “racist” and demanding that it be withdrawn from all UK theatres.
In a letter to Cineworld uploaded on its social media pages, the Bolton Council Of Mosques stated that the film had caused “much sorrow among Muslims worldwide.”
However, a member of the House of Lords has condemned the decision to delete the film as “catastrophic” for the arts and “dangerous” for free speech, and critics of the decision have attacked the film’s “censorship.”
A video circulating online purportedly shows a member of staff at a Sheffield theatre informing demonstrators that a weekend screening of the film has been canceled.
“The heartbreaking journey of Lady Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad,” the film’s website describes.
Separated by 1,400 years, an Iraqi boy in a war-torn country learns the value and strength of patience.
The film’s trailer, which was uploaded to YouTube in December 2020, has been viewed more than three million times, but comments have been disabled.
In a letter regarding the film, the Bolton Council of Mosques stated, “It is sectarian in nature and disrespectful to the Muslim community.”
“It gravely disrespects the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a variety of ways and disturbs every Muslim.”
What have movie theatre chains said?
A spokeswoman for Cineworld stated, “Due to previous occurrences involving screenings of The Lady of Heaven, we have decided to cancel scheduled screenings of the film countrywide to guarantee the safety of our staff and customers.”
According to reports, another theatre company, Vue, has also canceled some screenings, although the film is still listed at some locations.
A representative for the chain stated, “Vue takes the responsibilities that come with providing a platform for varied content seriously and believes in exhibiting films of interest to diverse populations across the United Kingdom.”
“Vue will not screen a picture until the independent British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has evaluated and rated it. The Lady of Heaven has received BBFC certification and is currently playing in a number of our theatres.
“Decisions about the length of a film’s run are made on a site-by-site basis based on a range of commercial and operational considerations.”
According to The Lady Of Heaven’s website, the film was also scheduled to play at Showcase theatres.
Not worthy of a free and enlightened nation
Baroness Claire Fox stated in a tweet that the decision to ban the film from theatres was “catastrophic for the arts, hazardous for free speech, and a lesson for those who maintain that identity politics are not a threat to democracy.
And about 3,000 individuals have signed an online petition urging UK Cinemas to support the film, stating that “putting it down due to online mobs and bullies is not befitting of a free and progressive nation like the UK.
The BBFC stated that The Lady Of Heaven was rated a 15 for “strong bloody violence, graphic visuals, and threat,” however there is nothing in the film that violates classification rules or makes it unfit for classification.
“Filmmakers are free to explore controversial or historically significant subjects and events in their films,” the organization stated in a statement. “It is the responsibility of the BBFC to ensure that content is suitably categorized by our criteria to safeguard children and other vulnerable groups from potential harm and to enable consumers to make informed viewing decisions.”
