Controversies have continued to trail a yet-to-be-released Nollywood movie after one of the actress, Nancy Isime, was seen wearing an Islamic head cover, Hijab, and full covering attire popularly called Niqab, brandishing arms to perpetrate crime inside the film.
While the producers of the movie played down on negative effect on the religion, thousands of Muslims have kicked against the movie, demanding that the Federal Government ban it across all streaming platforms in the country.
The Muslims through the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) said that the movie previewed which showed Isime, in hijab and others wearing Islamic attires brandishing dangerous arms to perpetrate crimes further depicts Muslim women as criminals and incites the public against them.
The group stressed that the new movie, which had started trending on different social media platforms in Nigeria with women in purdah brandishing dangerous weapons, robbing banks, and committing other crimes would result in negative stereotypes and stigmatization of Muslim girls and women performing their religious rites across the country.
Leading Muslims to demand the ban, the Executive Director, MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, said that the movie is satanic, repugnant and provocative.
Akintola, through a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday, described the movie as another brand of Islamophobia in the country.
“An extremely anti-Muslim film has been released into the Nigerian movie industry. The upcoming film which was recently unveiled by Nancy Isime shows women in purdah brandishing dangerous weapons and robbing banks. It is Islamophobia taken to the highest level. This film is satanic, repugnant and provocative.
“It is aimed at portraying Muslim women as criminals with a violent proclivity. The film is capable of inciting the public against Muslim women. It may also expose Muslims in general to public ridicule and opprobrium.
“We believe that the film is the handiwork of Muslim-haters and part of the plot to stop Muslim women from wearing hijab and niqab. The plot was hatched a long time ago and its execution began in the schools. This plot was boldly and dilligently confronted in Nigerian courts by Muslims until the highest court in the land made a pronouncement on it. This Satanic film is the latest effort in the war against hijab.
“This hate film is capable of setting Nigeria on fire if urgent action is not taken by the relevant authorities. We therefore call on the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to investigate and place an immediate ban on the coming film. “To Nigerian Muslims who have inundated our communication channels with video clips, voice notes and other types of messages, we have this to say: please remain calm and peaceful. You have spoken loud and clear. We have received your messages and action is being taken right now. Our religion brought a message of hope and peace to the world. We will not allow anyone to paint our women, our mothers, our wives, our daughters and sisters in the colours of Shaytan. Be good ambassadors of Islam. Don’t take the law into your hands. Allow the authorities to take necessary action.”
