Pakistan has banned The Da Vinci Code, as Pakistani Christians protest.

[phk]

Theres no need to ban this movie for 2% of the population IMO.

Pakistan bans Da Vinci Code movie

BBC: June 4, 2006
Pakistan bans Da Vinci Code film





Pakistan has banned The Da Vinci Code, which has been the subject of protests from members of Pakistan's small Christian community.

Culture Minister Ghulam Jamal said the film was blasphemous.

The screen adaptation of Dan Brown's book revolves around the theory that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and their descendants survive today.

A number of states in India have banned the film, although the federal censors have cleared it for release.

Although the film has not been screened in any theater in mostly-Muslim Pakistan, authorities decided to ban it out of respect for the feelings of the country's minority Christians.

Earlier this week, Christians staged protests in two Pakistani cities against the movie, demanding a global ban. Christians make up about 3 percent of Pakistan's 150 million people.

The film version of Dan Brown's murder mystery novel is based around the premise that Jesus Christ and one of his followers, Mary Magdalene, had children whose descendants are still alive.

Supported

Mr Jamal said: "Islam teaches us to respect all the prophets of Allah Almighty and degradation of any prophet is tantamount to defamation of the rest," the official Associated Press of Pakistan news agency reported.

The government had indicated last week that it wanted to ban both the film and the book. The book has been available in Pakistan for some time.

Christian protestors have been supported by the country's six-party Islamic alliance, the MMA.

On Saturday, Andhra Pradesh became the seventh state in India to ban the film.

Shahbaz Bhatti, a prominent Christian leader, thanked the country's leadership and said the ban will go a long way to ensuring sectarian harmony.

"The Da Vinci Code is a sacrilegious act in the guise of freedom of expression and fiction," Bhatti said Saturday. "It has hurt the religious sentiments of Christians and Muslims throughout the world."

He also criticized Brown, saying the author had "evil intentions" and wanted "to undermine the historical as well as theological truth about Jesus Christ."

[phk]

phknrocket, do you know which Indian States have banned the movie?

Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya, Pondicherry, Goa, Nagaland, Punjab and Tamil Nadu.

[phk]

Theres no need to ban this movie for 2% of the population IMO.
...
Culture Minister Ghulam Jamal said the film was blasphemous.
...
Although the film has not been screened in any theater in mostly-Muslim Pakistan, authorities decided to ban it out of respect for the feelings of the country's minority Christians.
...
Supported

Mr Jamal said: "Islam teaches us to respect all the prophets of Allah Almighty and degradation of any prophet is tantamount to defamation of the rest," the official Associated Press of Pakistan news agency reported.

The government had indicated last week that it wanted to ban both the film and the book. The book has been available in Pakistan for some time.

Christian protestors have been supported by the country's six-party Islamic alliance, the MMA.

Actually, it appears the Muslims found it blasphemous as well, so you're going well above 2% of the population rocket...

If the protests hadn't happened, Muslims wouldn't have cared.

[phk]

Theres no need to ban this movie for 2% of the population IMO.
...
Culture Minister Ghulam Jamal said the film was blasphemous.
...
Although the film has not been screened in any theater in mostly-Muslim Pakistan, authorities decided to ban it out of respect for the feelings of the country's minority Christians.
...
Supported

Mr Jamal said: "Islam teaches us to respect all the prophets of Allah Almighty and degradation of any prophet is tantamount to defamation of the rest," the official Associated Press of Pakistan news agency reported.

The government had indicated last week that it wanted to ban both the film and the book. The book has been available in Pakistan for some time.

Christian protestors have been supported by the country's six-party Islamic alliance, the MMA.

Actually, it appears the Muslims found it blasphemous as well, so you're going well above 2% of the population rocket...

If the protests hadn't happened, Muslims wouldn't have cared.

Actually, the Muslims backed the Christians over The Last Temptation of Christ, as well. Remember, Jesus is an honored prophet in Islam...

Actually, my cousin was able to purchase copies of the Da Vinci code book last year, without a problem before people started a ruckus about it.

[phk]

I suppose the saying, "religions don't really change over time, the cultures that house them do" really comes into play here.