Muslim protesters offer to help vet ‘blasphemous’ film

MUSLIM protesters have offered to help regulators vet a “blasphemous” film after it was dropped by cinemas following rallies in several British cities.

Cineworld cancelled all screenings of The Lady of Heaven, to “ensure the safety” of their staff and customers, after venues across the country were picketed by hundreds of Muslim demonstrators earlier this month.

The £12million British production claims to tell the story of the Prophet Mohammed’s daughter, Lady Fatima.

But it has become the centre of a freespeech row in the UK after protestors branded the film “offensive” and sectarian in its depiction of Islam’s history and early leaders.

Now the row has escalated, as the Muslim Action Forum (MAF) has said it could help the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to screen films before they are certified for release.

In a letter to the BBFC on June 15, the MAF wrote: “The BBFC should not have given [a] licence in the first instance, and we request to review your decision in regards [to] this film.

“We are happy to assist you in any way possible in this regard, if required.”

Shoaib Malik, the MAF’S national coordinator, claimed in his letter that “the film is blasphemous, historically inaccurate, and blatantly anti-muslim, designed to cause outrage and hatred between communities, especially between Shias and Sunnis”.

He compared it to showing a sectarian film about Northern Ireland issues, adding: “On this occasion, the beliefs of over two billion Muslims have been deeply offended.”

The call attracted criticism from MPS who warned that some Muslim groups “seem to struggle with basic British values such as freedom of speech”.

BBFC rated the film as age 15 for “strong bloody violence, gory images, and threat” but said there was “nothing in The Lady of Heaven that exceeds our Classification Guidelines at 15 or deems it unsuitable for classification”.

However, Muslim groups have claimed they should have been consulted before it was certified.

It comes as new research from Policy Exchange, a think tank, identified evidence that Imam Irfan Chishti, a second Government anti-extremism adviser, has backed the protesters.

Earlier this month, Imam Qari Asim was sacked from his roles as adviser on Islamophobia and deputy chairman of the Anti-muslim Hatred Working Group, after endorsing the protesters.

The Muslim Action Forum, the BBFC and Imam Irfan Chishti were approached for comment.