Ulemas council calls for ban on 'Al Muhajir'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The influential Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI)
\nyesterday appealed to the government to ban the film Al Muhajir
\n(Emigrant), a Franco-Egyptian production, because it personifies
\nthe prophet Yusuf (Joseph) and his father Yakub (Jacob).<\/p>\n
The film portrays the two prophets, who are revered by Islam,
\nMUI chairman Hasan Basri told the Antara news agency yesterday.
\n"Islam forbids the impersonation of any of its prophets, and MUI
\nhas already issued an edict on this," he said.<\/p>\n
The film, by Egyptian director Yussef al-Shahine, was a box
\noffice hit in Egypt until it was banned last week on the
\nrecommendation of Al Azhar, the country's highest religious
\nauthority.<\/p>\n
Set 3,000 years ago, Al Muhajir deals with the adventures of a
\nyoung man who decides to leave his arid tribal homeland for the
\nPharaoh's Egypt, in order to learn farming.<\/p>\n
The young man, played by Egyptian film star Yuseff Humeida,
\nstruggles against his enemies and also against his passion for
\nthe wife of his Egyptian master. In the original version of the
\nfilm the young man was called Yusuf (Joseph), but its director
\nlater changed the name to Ram to avoid personifying the prophet.<\/p>\n
On a separate occasion, Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi
\nTaher had refrained from commenting on whether or not the film
\nshould be banned in Indonesia, because he had not seen it yet.
\n"But if the film actually personifies a prophet revered by
\nMoslems," he said, "then it is not appropriate for Indonesian
\nviewers."<\/p>\n
Last year the MUI was influential in the government's decision
\nto ban two American films -- the Oscar-winning Schindler's List
\nand the action-comedy True Lies.(emb)<\/p>",
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