Delay on 'The Innocent Prophet,' new anti-Islam film due out today

GlobalPost

Spanish authorities have delayed today's release of a new anti-Islam film called "The Innocent Prophet," filmmaker Imran Firasat told IBTimes UK today.

The 70-minute "The Innocent Prophet: Life of Muhammad from the Point of View of an Ex-Muslim" documentary is reportedly similar in spirit to the 14-minute "Innocence of Muslims" trailer that sparked protest throughout the Islamic world in September. 

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The film was expected to enflame Muslim sensitivities once again, which may explain why Spanish authorities supposedly threatened to revoke Firasat's refugee status if he went through with today's release.

The Pakistani national fears for his life is he returns to his conservative Muslim homeland, so he says he is giving the Spanish authorities a special preview to prove his work's allegedly broadminded take on Islam. 

"Who says that my movie is provocative?" the filmmaker, who runs the Mundo sin Islam (World without Islam) organization, protested to the Times. "My purpose behind making this movie is to express my view on Islam as an ex-Muslim. I never had and will not have [the] intention to hurt someone's feelings. Instead of stopping me, the world should give suggestions to Muslims that you guys stop creating the violent game over small excuses."

Regardless of intentions, the belief feelings would be hurt, to say the least, was widespread -- Belgium preemptively issued a terror warning in advance of its planned release today, according to the National Turk. Australian troops were put on the alert for fresh film-related protest activity in the Middle East, reported Australia's News Network.

The new film's documentary-style trailer, which has been viewed on YouTube more than 82,000 times, can be seen in several languages here

Firasat's project is a collaborative effort with Koran-burning US Christian pastor Terry Jones, according to Newser.

Jones, wearing an "Islam Is A Bully" T-shirt, advertised the film as presenting "a picture of Mohammad that has possibly not been revealed in the past."

Firasat expands on that in the film's trailer, saying: "We must go deep into the life of Muhammad to find out whether he was a genuine prophet sent by God or was he simply a child molester, assassin and a self-proclaimed prophet."

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