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The owner of Street has dismissed his Islamophobia adviser for his position on the removal of what some critics have called a “blasphemous film”.
Crowds gathered in Bradford, Bolton, Birmingham, Sheffield and Stratford, East London, over the last week following the release of ‘The Lady of Heaven’, which both Cineworld and Showcase have decided to withdraw from their cinemas.
In a letter from the Department of Leveling, Housing and Communities on Saturday, Imam Qari Asim was informed that he had been removed from his role as vice chairman of the Government Working Group against Muslim Hate with immediate effect.
Explaining the government’s decision, the letter said: “Your recent support for a campaign to curtail freedom of expression – a campaign that has fueled community tensions – means that you should no longer continue your work with the incumbent government. designed to promote community.
“You have promoted an ongoing campaign to prevent cinemas from screening ‘Lady of Heaven’, a clear effort to restrict artistic expression, and the campaign you have given has led to street protests that have encouraged ‘religious hatred’.
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The letter then goes on to cite comments made by Mr. Like Facebook. In a post dated June 6, he said that imams across the UK have been linked to cinemas and that “in some places we have been successful and these cinemas will no longer show the film”.
Several protests erupted across the country
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While claiming that the film in question is “contemptuous” towards the faith, he added that freedom of expression is important and that all citizens should be able to exercise their freedoms within the law.
“Resolving the situation, as you made clear, meant canceling the screenings.
“You wrote that ‘in some places we have been successful and these cinemas will no longer show the film.’ Your support for new actions was made clear. you provided details of your time and location.
“This clear involvement in a campaign to limit freedom of expression is incompatible with the role of government adviser,” the government’s letter concludes.
“Your actions are inconsistent with the government’s advisory role on anti-Muslim hatred.”
The film tells the story of Lady Fatima, a daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Critics have accused the film of portraying religious history incorrectly and negatively by portraying Islamic characters, while some teachings believe that visual representations of certain Islamic figures should be banned.
In a video of the protests outside the Vue cinema in Stratford, a person is heard saying: How did they insult the BAME community?
“They have shown black people portrayed as dirty criminals and this film will be screened at the Vue cinema. We want this movie to be released immediately. Vue cinema ignored. “