Iran attacks BBC for documentary series on life of prophet Muhammad

[alp227]

Iran's minister of cultural and Islamic guidance has attacked an upcoming BBC2 documentary series on the life of the founder of Islam, the prophet Muhammad, saying the "enemy" was attempting to "ruin Muslims' sanctity".

The three-part series, The Life of Muhammad, presented by Rageh Omaar, a Somali-born British Middle East correspondent for Al Jazeera English, is scheduled to be broadcast on BBC2 in mid-July and has been drawing increasing criticism from senior figures in Iran.

The documentary makers say it seeks to "retrace the actual footsteps of the prophet" from his birthplace in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, his struggles with his prophetic role and divine revelations, his migration to Medina and establishment of the first Islamic constitution before his final return to Mecca following armed conflicts.

(...)

Iran and the West have previously clashed, famously, over publication of Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses in 1988 and more recently in the row over threats to burn the Qur'an by a US pastor.

It is thought officials in Iran, where the population is predominantly Shia, could be worried that the BBC2 documentary might only be limited to a Sunni interpretation of Muhammad's life. But Aaqil Ahmed, the BBC's commissioning editor for religion and ethics, told the Guardian that they had consulted a Shia scholar for the programme.

Full: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jun/28/iran-bbc-documentary-prophet-muhammad

Ever notice how some religious groups can't handle any criticism or alternative views?

[Drale]

1. WHO CARES?

OMG seriously stop giving these extremists the time of day, if you just ignore the crazy eventually it will go away.

[pnwmom]

4. Unfortunately, some of these crazies don't go away, they kill people.

Or they issue fatwas, inviting others to kill people who dare to make "images" of Mohammad, or who "blasphemy."

[Drale]

5. Giving them air time won't stop them from killing people. /nt

[pnwmom]

6. Huh? They're not getting airtime. Some history program is.

They're objecting to that program getting its airtime.

[Drale]

7. Every time Bin Laden released a tape

it was all over the airwaves, every time some terrorist threatens something they get a ton of air time. That needs to stop.

[Taverner]

11. Wow...we...agree....

How the hell did that happen?

[cleanhippie]

9. No they don't go away at all.

They just continue to act nuts. Crazy should be confronted and dealt with directly.

[Silent3]

2. I want to see who they've got playing the role of Mohammed

And I'm wondering if he'll be wearing a bear suit. :)

[dimbear]

10. I notice the South Park crew didn't try to make a musical of the Koran. n/t

[dmallind]

13. It's not as funny as Smith's golden tablets and magic hat

The Koran is just your bog standard revelation in the desert schizo/epileptic loony shite. Mormons are much more inventive with their....inventions I guess.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. They've taken the traditional documentary approach

ie actually making a documentary, rather than paying a very minor actor to dress up and add nothing. But that does conveniently get them out of the 'depiction' problem:

The BBC has also made clear that its series is "in line with Islamic tradition" and "it does not depict any images of the face of Muhammad, or feature dramatic reconstructions of Muhammad's life".

[LeftishBrit]

3. Well, fortunately the BBC is not under Iranian jurisdiction, so I expect they'll go ahead

Ah, the joys of theocracy!

[msongs]

8. well I have heard the guy was not all that nice in many ways nt

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

14. I don't think many males living in the middle of the desert in the 6th century were nice. -nt