Iranian film on Prophet Mohammad not in Jordan yet — official

AMMAN — Distributors of the controversial Iranian movie “Muhammad: the Messenger of God” have not yet brought the film to Jordan, a source at the Jordan Media Commission said Sunday.

Rasmi Mahasneh, who heads the commission’s audiovisual licensing department, explained that the film will neither be allowed nor banned in Jordan before the commission views it, adding that it does not “pre-judge” any work.

Nonetheless, the official said the commission is “committed” to the regulations of the Iftaa Department, which prohibit the physical depiction of prophets in any artistic work.

Directed by Iranian Majid Majidi and co-written with his compatriot Kambuzia Partovi, the film is the first part of a planned trilogy and it depicts the childhood of Prophet Mohammad some 1,400 years ago.

The film stirred public debate and criticism as the representation of God and prophets is considered taboo in Islam, although creators of the film said it aims to change the dominant narrative about Prophet Mohammad, especially in the West.

Iftaa Department Secretary General Mohammad Khalaileh said it is “humiliating and unacceptable” to have Prophet Mohammad portrayed by an actor, as prophets have a “sacred” image in the minds of Muslims.  

Partially state-sponsored, the film is considered Iran’s largest film production to date with its costs of around 36 million euro, according to Agence France-Presse, which added that the completion of the film required over seven years.

The 171-minute film has attracted large numbers of spectators since the beginning of its screening in Iran on August 27.

In its review of the feature, film industry magazine Variety said “Majidi respects Islamic convention” by never showing the prophet’s face and shooting him mostly from the back.

Recently, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Shaikh Abdul Aziz Al Shaikh said the screening of the film is not allowed from a religious perspective, adding that those seeking to spread true Islam should spread its teachings.