LEBANON: Iranian director's Jesus film pulled

The Iranian director of a controversial show depicting the story of Jesus has criticized Lebanese Christian groups who protested the airing of the serial, which was pulled from the air by two local Muslim-owned stations last week.

"The film was immediately purchased ... by several Latin American countries, which are among major Christian Catholic countries," Nader Talebzadeh reportedly told Iranian TV Channel 2 on Sunday. "Therefore, [Lebanese Christian groups'] protest seems to be political to some extent."

Talebzadeh went on to say that his original 2007 film, which was bought and heavily promoted by the local channels as a religious serial for the holy month of Ramadan, received an award from the Vatican for promoting interfaith dialogue.

But rather than foster dialogue, "The Messiah" sparked angry words from Christians in Lebanon who objected to the film's version of Jesus' story, which is based on a gospel that has been rejected by much of the Christian community but is very close to the Koran's version of events.

The Maronite Church in Lebanon and much of the Christian community objected the show’s portrayal of Christ as a “servant of God” instead of the son of God, as well as failing to acknowledge the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, a central tenet of Christianity. Although the Koran maintains that Jesus was a prophet and a teacher, it does not say that he was the son of God and tells the story of the crucifixion with Judas taking Jesus’ place on the cross.

Both Al Manar, the station owned by the militant group Hezbollah, and NBN, which is affiliated with Nabih Berri, parliamentary speaker and leader of the Amal movement, voluntarily pulled the show after just two episodes, although it is still available on pan-Arab satellite channels.

The Islamization of the story of Jesus is the “biggest insult to the Lord Jesus Christ, and his church,” said  Bishop Beshara Raii, pastor of the Maronite Church in Byblos.

The show appears to have struck a deep chord with many Lebanese Christians, who already feel marginalized and outnumbered despite controlling important sections of the government and the private sector.

The debate over the series also touches on the issue of free speech in Lebanon, which is considered freer than most countries in the region but which often censors cultural production deemed too lewd, politically charged or offensive to religion.

On Saturday, the Lebanese leftist daily newspaper Al Akhbar ran an article by Bassim Hakim titled "The Messiah: A Victim of 'Coexistance" in which he referred to the campaign against the show as an "inquisition."

"The country of freedom fails the test of freedom, and it is the same country that cannot protect its journalists," he wrote.

It was unclear whether Hakim was referring to the string of bombings targeting high-profile journalists over the last few years or the recent alleged harassment of one of Al Akhbar's journalists by authorities. 

-- Patrick Gallagher and Meris Lutz in Beirut

Photo: Lebanese Christians protest the serial "The Messiah" Credit: Hussein Mella / Associated Press

Comments

[sam]

please do not confuse the comments of one sam with another sams comments thank you.

[Sam.]

All Prophets are sent by the same creator with the same message whenever people are led astray.

In Islam, God is considered much too almighty to have relatives and, hence, other gods.

Prophet Jesus' birth is viewed as a miracle of god rather than a son of god.

May god bless you all.

[WSOPNE]

A people who truly love God -

We here in America have no appreciation for what these are stand for and where they are taking their stand. We as a nation do not give a protest like this a second thought. I can promise you these people are can and most likely are in great danger over something like this.

We here have grown cold to God, and most here in the the US probably would not lives on the line to take a stand for God. It is almost heart breaking to see.

[K.BALU]

GOD IS GREAT.HE IS MY SAVIOUR AND ASLO HE IS LIVING FOREVER.
GOD SHOULD GIVE THE ETERNAL LIFE.

[prophetess D]

The apostle Paul wrote that many would come preaching a different Jesus. New age philosophies have been doing this for years. Islam is now getting bolder in doing the same thing; trying to distort the Gospel. Muslim correcctly believe that Jesus is coming back, but they don't understand the reusrrection and his being an atonement for sin. PRay they have dreams where Jesus tells them that the new testament is TRUE. Pray at night while they are sleeping. While you pray in tongues, (which all christians need to do-it is power from on high see Acts 2) they will dream from God. THere will only be real peace in the middle east when the muslims and jews have revelation of the truth of Jesus as the messiah for the world. there are spiritual messages for jews and christians on my website at 1prophetspeaks.com. This includes a book God had me write on the mental health system, exposing its atheistic charade and slander of Christianity as being mental illness. This is happeing in the US for 50 years since Freud; it is why God me write the book; to expose it. It is unconstitutional. THere is supposedly religious freedom n the US but the mental health system violates the first amendment ofr religious freedom, claiming that anyone who hears from God (as christianity preaches we should all do) is mentally ill. Most patients in hospitals are Christians; most drs. are atheists or ignorant Jews who don't understand Christian theology. The book is Manual for Transofrmational Healing-God's answer to psychiatry. 1prophetspeaks.com