‘Noah’ will not debut in much of Muslim world
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Officials across much of the Muslim world said this month that the upcoming big-budget Hollywood film “Noah” featuring Russell Crowe as the ark-building prophet will not be shown in local theaters because it could offend viewers.
Director of media content at the National Media Center in the United Arab Emirates, Juma Al-Leem, told The Associated Press that the movie will not be allowed in local cinemas because it contradicts a generally held taboo in Islam of depicting a prophet.
“There are scenes that contradict Islam and the Bible, so we decided not to show it,” he said, adding that UAE censors watched the film before deciding to ban it. “It is important to respect these religions and not show the film.”
Paramount Pictures told the AP that along with the UAE, censors in Qatar and Bahrain also have confirmed they will not release the film because “it contradicts the teachings of Islam.”
One of Islam’s more revered religious institutions, Al-Azhar in Egypt, issued an edict saying it objects to the film because it violates Islamic law by depicting a prophet and that this could “provoke the feelings of believers.”
Among Muslims, depictions of any prophets are shunned to avoid worship of a person rather than God. Many Muslim majority countries also criminalize blasphemy.
The Quran mentions only 25 prophets by name, including Noah. Muslims believe that Noah, who is referred to in Arabic as Nuh, built his ark after God charged him to do it as people in his community refused to worship God alone.
There are many children’s films and cartoons created that tell the story of Noah in Islam without showing his face. However, there have been cases where prophets or their companions have been shown on screens in the Middle East.
In October 2011, a private television station screened the animated film “Persepolis,” which includes an outright portrayal of God. It sparked riots and demonstrations in Tunisia. The head of the TV station was later convicted of an “attack on the sacred” and fined 1,200 euros.