Gibson's 'The Passion' a hit among Arabs

[JohnLocke]

"The Passion" a hit among Arabs*
By Nadia Abou El-Magd -- Associated Press
Monday, April 5, 2004
----
Hanan Nsour, a veiled, 21-year-old Muslim in Jordan, came out of "The Passion of the Christ" in tears and pronounced her verdict: Mel Gibson's crucifixion epic "unmasked the Jews' lies and I hope that everybody, everywhere, turns against the Jews."
The Quran, though, says Jesus's crucifixion never happened.
Such are the contradictions that are welling up as the Arab world deals with "The Passion," even as the film draws large audiences in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and other Arab countries that have approved it for screening.
In the Arab world, openly voiced anti-Semitism -- and by extension the warm reception for "The Passion" -- is bound up in the Arab conflict with Israel. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, after watching the film at his compound in the West Bank, was quoted by an aide as likening Jesus' suffering to the Palestinians'.
When the 1998 animated movie "Prince of Egypt" reached Cairo, censors banned it. One reason given: Islam reveres Moses as a prophet, and many Muslims recoil at seeing their prophets portrayed as flesh-and-blood characters.
(....)
Kuwait bans any movies depicting any of the prophets recognized by Islam, but one of its top Shiite clerics, Ayatollah Mohammed Baqer al-Mehri, has urged an exception for "The Passion" because it "reveals crimes committed by Jews against Christ." The government has not yet made a decision on his call.
(...)
"The Jews are the most upset with the movie because it reveals their crimes against the prophets, the reformers and whoever contradicts their opinions," Hamza Mansoor said.
(...)
The Quran, Islam's holy book, is unequivocal in sura (chapter) 4, verse 157: "They said 'We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah' -- but they killed him not, nor crucified him. But so it was made to appear to them. And those who differ therein are full of doubts with no knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not."
Muslims believe another man was crucified in Jesus's place.
(...)
----
Read the rest here.
----
*Headline modified slightly because of apostrophe error.
----
:wtf: :wtf:

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. "The Passion of the Christ" is Anti-Semetic....

JUNK!!!!!!! :mad: :mad:

I am NOT suprised to hear this reaction. Jews have been unfairly targeted for thousands of years and now Mel Gibson has poured more gas on the flames.

Mel Gibson and his father are SOBS!!!!!!!!!

:argh: :argh: :argh:

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Wow. Did this backfire.

Who knew that American Christians and the people who gave you 9/11 had a common interest?

[aquart]

3. Backfire? No.

This was the whole point.

And it was utterly disingenuous of Gibson ever to say anything else. But the sales are great. And they're just gonna get better. Lotta Muslims out there.

Gibson's making a killing.

[Aidoneus]

7. "and the people who gave you 9/11"

Can you tell one Arab apart from another or are they just all the same?

[JohnLocke]

4. Gee. Thanks, Mel.

:eyes: :eyes:

[JohnLocke]

5. Kick (nt).

[Robin Hood]

6. I have heard middle east muslims utter this kind of thinking.

That the jews killed a holy man like Christ, so they can't be trusted. Obviously Mel Gibsons anti-semitic up-bringing has manifested to bolster this sort of mind set throughout the world.

If I ever see Gibson, I will spit on him for the giant piece of shit that he is.

[THUNDER HANDS]

8. I heard they also loved "Gigli"

So that should tell you right there that their opinions of movies might be a little off.

:D