terming it as an effort to “ruin the sanctity of all Muslims.”
Iran’s Minister for Culture and Islamic Guidance Moham-mad Hossaini was quoted by the British newspaper the Daily Mail as saying, “The BBC’s decision to make a documentary on the life of the Prophet Mohammad seems dubious and if our suspicions are proved to be correct, we will certainly take serious action.”
Hossaini has not yet watched the documentary, but despite that he said it was an attempt by the “enemy” to “ruin the sanctity of all Muslims.”
The three-part series, titled “The Life of Mohammad,” was slated to be broadcast near the start of the month of Ramadan in August. In the documentary, journalist Rageh Omaar – who is a Muslim – travels to Mecca, the Prophet Moham-mad’s birthplace, and to Medina, where he spent several years in exile.
The first part of the series looks at the conditions of the Arabian society in which the Prophet Mohammad was born, according to Riazat Butt of The Guardian, who also said the film retraces thte Prophet Mohammad’s childhood years when he was under the tutelage of his uncle.
Butt said the film delves heavily into the finer details of Islam and Islamic theology, which could be overwhelming for viewers new to the subject.
“But it’s well-filmed, has plenty of access to the relevant sites and has a diverse line-up of talking heads – Karen Arm-strong, Tariq Ramadan, Robert Spencer, Michael Nazir-Ali and Tom Holland,” she added.
According to the film’s blurb, it will tell the “extraordinary story of a man who, in little more than 20 years, changed the world forever.”
The makers of the documentary claim it will explore the origins of “Islam’s attitudes toward money, charity, women, social equality, religious tolerance, war and conflict.”
The BBC’s first Muslim head of religion and ethics, Aaqil Ahmed, commissioned the documentary.
The film will only use a spoken description of the Prophet Mohammad and will avoid using his visual image in an attempt not to offend Muslim sensitivities.
“I am extremely pleased to be presenting this exciting and groundbreaking series,” said Omaar, who is the producer of the series and the Middle Eastern correspondent for Al Jazeera English.
“The details of Moham-mad’s life really are little known, and I hope that my series will – for many – shine a light on the very beginning of Islam, taking viewers to the heart of this faith, illustrating just how Moham-mad’s life and legacy is as important today as it was over a thousand years ago.”
