(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Saudi Arabia's top cleric hit out at the Iranian film Muhammad yesterday, describing its portrayal of the Prophet's childhood as a "hostile act" and a "distortion" of Islam.
Iran's most expensive movie, which opened nationwide in the Islamic Republic last week, depicts the Prophet on screen, an act that is prohibited in Islam.
"This is an obscene work... It is a distortion of Islam," Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Abdulaziz al-Sheikh told Al Hayat newspaper. "It is a hostile act against Islam.
"This is a mockery of the Prophet and a degradation of his status," he said.
The Makkah-based Muslim World League also condemned the movie, insisting that portraying the Prophet is prohibited.
The league's secretary general Abdullah al-Turki urged Tehran to "suspend and prevent the screening of the movie" and called on Muslims to boycott it.
Directed by Majid Majidi, the 171-minute film cost around $40mn, partly funded by the state, and took more than seven years to complete.