The Lady of Heaven row: are British cinemas bowing to the mob?
Muslim protesters are furious about a film that features one of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughters

In theory, Britain has no blasphemy laws, said Jawad Iqbal in The Times. The right to challenge religious beliefs is meant to be a fundamental one in this country. Do we have the courage of our conviction, though? It’s hard to believe it when cinemas across the country are “busy cancelling screenings of a film about Islam at the behest of an angry mob”.
Muslim protesters are furious about The Lady of Heaven, a film that features Fatima, one of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughters (and even a representation of Muhammad himself, albeit in CGI form). Hundreds picketed Cineworld cinemas in Bradford, Sheffield, Bolton and Birmingham that were showing the film. The chain quickly cancelled screenings across the whole of the UK, “to ensure the safety of our staff and customers”. Another cinema chain, Showcase, also pulled the film entirely.
We’ve seen similar controversies before, over The Satanic Verses and cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, said Stephen Daisley in The Critic. But this one introduces a new dimension: what do we do when one Muslim faction “seeks to censor another”?
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Lady of Heaven is a British-made historical epic, written by a Kuwaiti-born, UK-based Shia cleric, Yasser Al-Habib. It tells the story of Islam’s development from a Shia perspective, and reflects the mainstream Shia view “that the Sunni caliphs who succeeded the Prophet were usurpers”, who were also responsible for Fatima’s death. Because of this, the UK Muslim website 5Pillars branded it “pure, unadulterated sectarian filth”. Videos on Twitter show groups of Muslim men outside cinemas chanting: “Shia kaffir” (Shia unbeliever).
The Lady of Heaven is a provocative film “that many Muslims (and not just Sunnis) find distasteful”, said Kenan Malik in The Observer. Fatima’s story is intertwined with the tale of a child whose mother is gruesomely killed by Isis militants in present-day Iraq; drawing parallels between the two stories, it describes Fatima as “the first victim of terrorism”. This is clearly offensive. But there is no right not to be offended, and “the tenets of one religion are often offensive to the believers of another”.
Besides, we must be clear that the protesters do not represent “the Muslim community”. 5Pillars, for instance, is edited by Roshan Muhammed Salih, who has expressed support for the Taliban and the amputation of hands for theft. He has the right to express such loathsome views. But to close down a film at the behest of people like him “is to betray more progressive Muslims”.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
What's behind Russia's biggest conscription drive in years?
Today's Big Question Putin calls up 160,000 men, sending a threatening message to Ukraine and Baltic states
By Genevieve Bates Published
-
Help! Do we really need four Beatles biopics?
Talking Point The cast of Sam Mendes' Beatles biopics has been announced
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Test driving the Rolls-Royce Spectre Black Badge
The Week Recommends We take the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever built for a spin in Barcelona
By Fergus Scholes Published
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzz
feature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
By The Week US Published
-
Film reviews: Snow White, Death of a Unicorn, and The Alto Knights
Feature A makeover for Disney’s first animated feature, greedy humans earn nature’s wrath, and a feud between crime bosses rattles the mob
By The Week US Published
-
Art review: Jack Whitten: The Messenger
Feature Museum of Modern Art, New York City, through Aug. 2
By The Week US Published
-
Max Allan Collins’ 6 favorite books that feature private detectives
Feature The mystery writer recommends works by Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Book reviews: ‘Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America’ and ‘How to End a Story: Collected Diaries, 1978–1998’
Feature A political ‘witch hunt’ and Helen Garner’s journal entries
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
Roast lamb shoulder with ginger and fresh turmeric recipe
The Week Recommends Succulent and tender and falls off the bone with ease
By The Week UK Published
-
Adolescence and the toxic online world: what's the solution?
Talking Point The hit Netflix show is a window into the manosphere, red pills and incels
By The Week UK Published