View all newsletters
Sign up to our newsletters

Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. The Staggers
10 June 2022

Men who bullied Cineworld over The Lady of Heaven don’t speak for British Muslims like me

A movie about angry, shouty men has been cancelled by angry, shouty men.

By Aisha Ali-Khan

Seven days ago, few people knew anything about The Lady of Heaven, an obscure film about the life of Fatima, the beloved daughter of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and an important female figure for Muslims. Yet because of loud protests against it outside cinemas across the UK, many are now talking about it. Cineworld and Showcase cinema chains gave in to the protesters and pulled the film – but Vue is still standing its ground (but for how long?).

The movie begins with a very graphic scene that directly references the horrific murder of the Jordanian pilot, Muath al-Kasasbeh, by followers of Islamic State. The narrative then moves to Arabia AD 622, the year of Hijrah; the date from which the Islamic calendar begins and the story of Fatima should begin in earnest. Only it doesn’t.

After an emotional reunion with her father the Prophet (PBUH) in what is now Medina, Fatima marries Ali and gives birth to two sons, Imam Hussain and Imam Hassan. This is where the controversy starts: their stories and sacrifices for Islam are largely ignored in The Lady of Heaven – which is a great shame as I, along with many Shia and Sunni Muslims, commemorate their deaths by wearing black during the holy month of Muharram, and fasting and revisiting the saga of Karbala every year. What follows next is a lengthy diatribe against the way the rights of succession were decided while the Prophet (PBUH) was still on his deathbed. Indeed, the negative portrayals of the Prophet’s (PBUH) wife Aisha, her father Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman (the first, second and third caliphs, respectively) are not only considered disrespectful to certain Muslims, but also only serve to highlight the ongoing painful gulf between Shia and Sunni sects. In addition, the face of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is shown, which is something that goes strongly against a consensus among Muslims – that his grandeur is such that it cannot and should not be captured by visual depictions.

The film is, frankly, dire. But it’s important to note that its interpretations of some traditional Shia narratives concerning Aisha and Abu Bakr are nothing new. The only thing that has launched The Lady of Heaven into the news are the protesters congregating outside cinemas with placards and loudspeakers. Now people are clamouring to watch the film – either out of morbid curiosity – or to stick two fingers up at those who they feel are trying to shut down freedom of speech and expression in the UK.

It is ironic that a movie plagued by protests from mainly angry, shouty men is mainly about angry, shouty men. So, too, that the disregard for women’s agency, as per the protests, appears onscreen too: Aisha is reduced to an angry, jealous wife with a large hook nose – and her own contributions to the spread of Islam and her status as one of the first Muslim female scholars are ignored.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

I wish Cineworld and Showcase had not pulled The Lady of Heaven, not because I am a great fan of the film – I’m certainly not – but because a dangerous precedent has been set. The men who bullied and intimidated cinema staff (who were merely doing their jobs) do not speak for me or many other British Muslims, some of whom have chosen to boycott the movie. Yet such protesters have now been given centre stage – and it doesn’t look like they’re going to move on any time soon.

[See also: The right decries cancel culture, but still it tries to cancel me]

Content from our partners
The promise of prevention
How Labour hopes to make the UK a leader in green energy
Is now the time to rethink health and care for older people? With Age UK

Topics in this article : ,
Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU