A Leeds lawyer and mosque prayer leader has been dismissed as a government advisor after joining the fight to ban a film about the Prophet Mohammed's daughter.
The film has been branded "highly offensive and blasphemous" by some Muslim activists. A Sheffield cinema has confirmed it will not show The Lady of Heaven after a protest was held outside its doors over planned screenings.
Imam Qari Asim, 44, backed the protestors but was later told his three-year appointment as deputy chair of the government's Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group had to end. The MBE-awarded man in 2012 was told 'supporting the campaign to limit free expression' meant he couldn't continue.
In a letter from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, Mr Asim was told: "Your recent support for a campaign to limit free expression - a campaign which has itself encouraged communal tensions - means it is no longer appropriate for you to continue your work with government in roles designed to promote community harmony."
The letter said his actions were "a clear effort to restrict artistic expression" and that the campaign had "led to street protests which have fomented religious hatred".
The government said that on Monday Mr Asim had posted on Facebook: "We have been working with many brothers and Imams across the country to liaise with the cinemas. Some Imams have taken a view to protest and others are in dialogue with the cinemas trying to resolve the situation."
The government said his reference to 'resolving the situation' meant cancelling screenings. Mr Asim was said to have advertised a protest in Leeds, with details of its timing and location.
The letter went on: "This clear involvement in a campaign to limit free expression is incompatible with the role of a government adviser. You will have no doubt seen reports of the scenes outside different cinema venues. These included deeply disturbing videos of sectarian chanting and anti-Shia hatred.
"As you know, anti-Shia hatred is a long-standing and very serious issue, which must be challenged at every opportunity as part of a wider effort to combat anti-Muslim hatred. We were disappointed to see that you failed to condemn some of the protests complicit in these behaviours."
Last week the film's executive producer Malik Shlibak said he'd received death threats from activists. The movie opens with the invasion of Iraq by ISIS and features a graphic jihadist murder.
It then goes on to document the life of Fatima, daughter of the founder of Islam, during the seventh century. Islamic tradition forbids the direct portrayal of religious figures and the film’s director Eli King depicts Fatima as a faceless character, shrouded by a black veil.
On Wednesday (June 8) cinema chain Cineworld cancelled all UK screenings of the film after protests outside a number of cinemas.
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