Chechnya's SAM bans film "Muhammad"

The Chechen Muftiate has forbidden local believers to watch the feature movie by Iranian director Majid Majidi about the life of Prophet Muhammad. In their turn, the clergy of Dagestan has favourably reacted to its screening in the republic.

The decision of Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of Chechnya has to do with the ban of whatever images of Prophet Muhammad, including in the movies, says the statement of the Mufti Salakh Mezhiev, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The feature movie "Muhammad" is banned in a number of Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait and Morocco, said the Chechen Muftiate.

Khasan, an Imam of one of Chechen mosques, believes that the movie, like several other Iranian films, reflects the Shiite trend of Islam.

Iranian religious films are full of distortions and inaccuracies, said Murad, a resident of Chechnya.

On November 16, the movie was screened for the first time in Dagestan in the city of Kaspiysk. The audience, including officials of the Dagestani Muftiate and SAM of Russia, approved the movie.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.