Film bans are less about offence, more ‘community leaders’ showing who’s boss

The Lady of Heaven tells the story of Fatimah, the daughter of the prophet Muhammad, who is a revered yet disputed figure within Islam. Photograph: IMDB

‘Birmingham will not tolerate the disrespect of our Prophet… You will have repercussions for your actions.” So claimed a leader of a Muslim protest against the film The Lady of Heaven. There were similar protests in cities from Bradford to London. Fear of “repercussions” led the cinema chain Cineworld to withdraw the film from all its outlets; another chain, Showcase, soon followed.

But who determines that a film is “disrespectful”, and to whom? Who speaks for Muslims? The Muslims who made the film? Or those who feel offended by it?