Cineworld Group PLC (LSE:CINE) has cancelled all UK screenings of ‘The Lady of Heaven,’ a movie about the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, after protests and a petition.
Over 120,000 people signed a petition for the film to be withdrawn from screens, with The Bolton Council of Mosques labelling it “blasphemous.”
Asif Patel, chairman of the council, said the film was "underpinned with a sectarian ideology" and "misrepresents orthodox historical narratives and disrespects the most esteemed individuals of Islamic history."
Around 100 people protested outside the cinema in Bolton, with roughly 200 in Birmingham, according to reports.
Cineworld claimed it wanted "to ensure the safety of [its] staff and customers" but there was still some criticism voiced.
Baroness Claire Fox commented in a Tweet: “Same 'I Find that Offensive' cancel culture arguments now being used far beyond campus activism.
“Disastrous for the arts, dangerous for free speech, a lesson to those who argue identity politics are no threat to democracy."
Vue cinemas continued to air the film, with the movie scheduled to be shown on Wednesday across various parts of the country.
Cineworld’s share price fell 3.8% to 24.7p on the news.