Post date: Oct 01, 2012 4:37:1 PM
MOSCOW, RUSSIA (OCTOBER 1, 2012) (REUTERS) - A Russian judge on Monday (October 1) banned the controversial film "Innocence of Muslims" that has flamed tensions and sparked protests over its portrayal of the Prophet Mohammad.
Russian court bans controversial 'Innocence of Muslims' and makes it illegal to show the film that has ignited tensions for its portrayal of the Prophet Mohammad.
Judge Yevgeny Komissarov read a ruling in which he said the court classified the 'Innocence of Muslims' movie as an extremist and banned its showing on Russian television or the Internet.
"The court decided to satisfy the request by deputy Moscow prosecutor to declare this material extremist, and we find 'Innocence of Muslims', 'Innocence of Islam' informational material as extremist, which was posted on the Internet," Komissarov read.
The crudely made 13-minute movie, billed as a trailer, was filmed in California and circulated online under several titles including "Innocence of Muslims." It portrays the Prophet Mohammad as a fool and a sexual deviant.
On Sept. 11 and in the ensuing days, the clip sparked a torrent of anti-American unrest across the Muslim world. The outbreak of violence coincided with an attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in the Libyan city of Benghazi that killed four Americans, including the U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
Natalia Kryukova, who is the deputy director of the Russian Culturology Institute and was an expert witness for the prosecution, said she was pleased with the film ban.
"We found that this material is first of all extremely insulting for Muslims, because the most revered figure in Islam, Prophet Mohammad, is portrayed in a very negative way there. Also in this material, there are many episodes which portray the Muslim world in a very negative and aggressive way."
The court's decision will come into force after Oct. 15 unless it is appealed according to RIA Novosti.