Iranian film 'Muhammad: Messenger of God' causes controversy

The movie, which will be based on the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) will depict the life of the prophet in a trilogy series. The project is the most expensive in Iranian film history, with a budget of $30 million.

Though Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a respected and admired personality around the world (especially for Muslims) the new movie has caused controversy and anger among Sunni Muslims mostly. A shot depicting the prophet’s back caused outcry and anger, as Muslims take strong objection to any sort of portrayal of Muhammad (peace be upon him) in any form. Majidi was mindful of the anger and frustration caused as a result of that shot and he replied by stating, “How should we introduce our prophet?” asked Majid Majidi in a Wednesday interview with the Associated Press. “Many relay their messages to the world through cinema and pictures.”

 

Egypt’s respected institution Al-Azhar university, considered as the most authentic authority for Sunni Muslims, also condemned the scenes showing the prophet’s back and called for Iran to ban the film. It must be kept in mind that the face of Muhammad (peace be upon him) will not be shown in the movie. Qatar has also announced its plan to make a rival film, focusing on the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with a massive budget of $1 billion and raking in Lord Of The Rings producer Barry Osborne.

The movie will be the first installment as part of a trilogy series, focusing on the childhood of the great prophet. The other two films will focus on his teenage life and the last will center around his mission of prophethood.