English sacked a Muslim imam, Qari Asim, from a government advisory post for inciting a wave of protests against films about children the Prophet Muhammad.
The British government conveyed this dismissal directly through a letter to Asim on Saturday (11/6). According to them, Asim’s statement about the film “The Lady of Heaven” sparked a wave of protests.
“His involvement in a campaign to limit freedom of expression is inconsistent with his role as an adviser to the government,” the British government said in a statement. AFP.
Asim has indeed been in the spotlight after making scathing comments about the film The Lady of Heaven. He considered the film a form of blasphemy.
In a Facebook post, the Muslim lawyer in the city of Leeds stated that The Lady of Heaven “hurts Muslims deeply.”
As a result of Asim’s comments, Muslim groups in Britain staged protests in cinemas this week. The world’s second largest cinema chain, Cineworld, was forced to cancel the screening of The Lady of Heaven.
Asim stressed that his group did not take part in the series of protests. He also emphasized that he fully supports freedom of opinion and expression.
Since the announcement of this dismissal, Asim has not spoken. Prior to his dismissal, Asim was an adviser to the government on Islamophobia. He also serves as deputy chair of the anti-Muslim hate-fighting working group.
The Lady of Heaven itself is said to be the first film to highlight the life of the Prophet Muhammad’s son, Fatimah. The film also draws on the relationship between the ISIS group in the 21st Century and a number of Sunni Islamic figures.
After the broadcast cancellation, The Lady of Heaven executive producer, Malik Shlibak, complained to The Guardian that cinema chains “crushed under pressure.”
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