Film About Islam: “The Lady” (Fatima) – Protests…
From Yorkshire Live…
A Sheffield cinema has confirmed it will not show The Lady of Heaven after a protest was held outside its doors over planned screenings.
A large group of protesters assembled outside of Cineworld Sheffield ahead of a screening of The Lady of Heaven on Sunday.
Demonstrations have been held across the country in response to the film and its depiction of the life of Lady Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad.
The movie, which puts the “face” of the Prophet Muhammad on screen, has been branded “highly offensive and blasphemous” by some Muslim activists. Read more – and see video of protesters – here
Editor writes…
Do these protesters put Christians to shame – we tend to shrug our shoulders when news reaches us of blasphemous depictions of Christ and Our Lady. Obviously, violence is off limits, but should we protest more actively as do the Muslims in the video linked above?
Comments (23)
I generally get the feeling that most Christians in this country (and probably globally) are just fiddling while Rome burns. Groups like TFP – although I don’t endorse all their views – do good work exposing and protesting blasphemy, often with email campaigns, but sometimes with public protests, but they are few and far between, and relatively poorly attended. How many truly blasphemous films have there been regarding Christianity – I remember reading about one recently and what I read was so foul I don’t even want to repeat it – and yet nobody does anything. Also, we have the problem with the woke Police. While they treat Islamists and people like Extinction Rebellion with kid gloves, if a group of Catholics turned up outside a cinema to protest, they would almost certainly start arresting those involved for public disorder offences. But reparation for blasphemy against God and His Mother must be done. First Fridays and First Saturdays being of the utmost importance.
Westminsterfly,
I agree with you. If Catholics turned up in any numbers to protest a blasphemous film or play, the police would be there making arrests in double-quick time. I remember the young men who gathered to pray the rosary outside a church somewhere on the continent, can’t remember the details but it was covered on this blog, and they were carted away – for just quietly praying the rosary as the church (or maybe it was a cathedral) was being desacralized inside.
It just amazes me how these other groups, whether the climate fanatics or Muslims, can manage to get large numbers together in a very short space of time, and yet Catholics, despite our hierarchical Church and parish structures, can’t seem to get people together in the same way.
You are right to remind us of the First Saturdays as a means of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the blasphemies committed against her. That is the best possible spiritual response to blasphemy, but I do think active protests are important as well, if only we could get people to react with just anger.
Dear Editor, Josephine
Well said.
Every blessing
Michael 🙏
Josephine,
It just amazes me how these other groups, whether the climate fanatics or Muslims, can manage to get large numbers together in a very short space of time, and yet Catholics, despite our hierarchical Church and parish structures, can’t seem to get people together in the same way.
This seems to be a perfect illustration of Luke 16:8: “And the lord commended the unjust steward, forasmuch as he had done wisely: for the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light.”
Some commentary on this verse: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/luke/16-8.htm
Especially: “The children of this world are in their generation wiser . . .—Better, for their generation, with a view, i.e., to their own advantages and interests, and those of others like them.”
Which begs the question: do Catholics understand what their own advantages and interests really are?
Westminsterfly,
I agree that the TFP do good work in this area of blasphemy but since they insist that the Third Secret has been revealed and the Consecration done, I can’t see their work being blessed by God, I really can’t. I don’t know if they’ve had any successes, such as plays or films being pulled, but I doubt it.
Nicky,
To be fair, I believe they have had some successes, and also, we must always remember that success isn’t always visible to us. It’s not just a case of getting a blasphemous film stopped or whatever. Their public protests against abortion and homosexuality may have secretly touched the hearts of people who saw them, and opened the door to their conversion, which is why whenever I am sent one of their emails, I sign the protest. I mean, it only takes seconds to do, so it’s the least any of us could do really. TFP and their offshoots (like Heralds of the Gospel) are a mixed bag. Some of them don’t believe the Consecration has been done / Third Secret revealed, but I think that isn’t their official party line, which is why I said that I didn’t endorse all their views.
I agree – Catholics are very weak in this area and the Muslims are impressive in the way they protest, even if we obviously don’t agree with their premise about blasphemy in relation to Islam.
I vaguely remembered reading somewhere that there was a link to the Fatima apparitions in Portugal and the daughter of Muhammed who was called Fatima, so I searched for it just now and found this very interesting article – I hope it’s not considered off topic because I think not a lot of people will know of this connection.
https://blog.adw.org/2013/05/our-lady-of-fatima-and-the-muslim-connection/#:~:text=Thus%20the%20very%20place%20where%20our%20Lady%20appeared,measure%20that%20they%20preach%20Our%20Lady%20of%20Fatima.
Laura,
Your link is not off topic – very interesting, indeed, and I look forward to studying it properly, (I’ve just skimmed it) asap.
Laura,
Yes that’s correct. It goes into detail about this in Volume 1 of ‘The Whole Truth About Fatima’ trilogy by Frere Michel de la Sainte Trinite. https://fatima.machado-family.com The muslim princess who converted to Catholicism was called Oureana. The town of Ourem nearby to Fatima derives its name from hers.
Whatever about the cops and arrests, I can’t imagine any cinema pulling a film just because a few Catholics staged a protest. I don’t think there were an awful lot of protesters at the “Lady of Heaven” protest but they still pulled it in record time. They’re afraid of the Islamists in a way that they are not in fear of Christians. That’s the simple fact of the matter.
Nicky,
I agree. Because Christians tend to be law-abiding and don’t knife, run down or blow up those who disrespect their beliefs. And I’ve just recalled something – years before I became a Catholic I remember seeing a large group of Christian protestors outside a local cinema which was showing ‘The Exorcist’ film. My recollection is hazy but I think some of them were praying rosaries. They weren’t being harassed by the police, but then those were different times . . . (early 1970’s). It must have made some impact on me in some way, for me to have remembered it nearly 50 years on.
I’ve never understood snowflakes Catholics wanting secular Governments to ban things on our behalf or demanding commercial businesses ban films we find offensive. Why ever would they?
We should toughen up, it’s this same kind of woke ‘I’m offended’ cancel culture attitude which is causing prayer vigils outside abortion clinics to be banned.
As for this movie: This is a Shia Muslim film made by Muslims, we should have no sympathy for any Sunni Muslims who use their right to protest and the right to freely assemble, to shut down free speech. It’s absolutely ridiculous.
To ban this religious film is libertarian cancel culture nonsense pandering to Islamists and ultimately bending towards sharia law in the U.K. Its like Protestants trying to ban a Catholic film.
Muslim or Catholic, you cannot insist on the modern secular democratic privilege of free speech, to then cancel someone else’s. Sometimes in life you just have to humbly accepted persecution and abuse, without beating ‘it’s not fair!’.
Vinny,
With all due respect, you are a tad confused on a number of counts.
Firstly, there are no “snowflakes Catholics” here at all, never mind wanting things banned “on our behalf” by Government NOR do we demand that businesses ban films that we find offensive. “Why ever would they?” as you say.
Lots of people make the same mistake, but before I get to your mistake, allow me to point out that it is a group of Muslims who have demanded that the cinema pull the film about Muhammed’s daughter, and we are not expressing any “sympathy” for the protesters, you misinterpret our comments. But since I’m in a good mood tonight, I’ll leave it there… this time 😀
To your mistake… There have been, indeed, “Catholic protests” but the protesters are not demanding that films or plays be banned because they (“we”) are offended. As you imply, who cares? I get offended if I go to a cinema and they require me to buy my own chocolate. Yes, you heard that right, buy my own chocolate. AND popcorn. There’s no explaining it.
So, any protests which are demanding that I am not offended, do, as you suggest, fall into the category of “some nerve”. I don’t matter. My personal tastes don’t matter. I think I’m great but you don’t have to agree – I’m much too humble to try to convince you… I really don’t matter.
But God matters. Our Lady matters. Our Lord matters, God the Son, Second Person of the Blessed Trinity matters, so if some clown has decided to produce “art” in the guise of a film or play which insults God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost and/or the Mother of God, or Saint Joseph or any other great saint then I (“we”) have every right to protest. Not because I/we take offence but because God finds blasphemy hugely offensive. You must see the difference between God and… well… me?
As it happens, I’m in agreement with you about the Muslim film – Muslims are very clear in their beliefs about Muhammed; they do not believe him to be divine, a deity; he is a human being, a prophet. Thus, arguably, they are over-reacting, but then again, some might say the same about our protests when Our Lady is insulted. That is considered blasphemous in Heaven or we wouldn’t have been asked to make the First Five Saturdays with the explicit intention of making reparation for the blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Informed Catholics believe that request for the First Five Saturdays comes from God, so, again, it’s not a matter of taking personal offence, but “we” have concerns that GOD is being offended. A whole different ball game, Vinny, my friend.
Of course, it all boils down to whether or not there is one true religion and which religion IS the one true religion. Muslims believe Islam is that one true religion, we know that our Catholic Faith is that one true religion. And I now leave it up to you to decide if that one true religion is jam packed with “snowflakes Catholics” who wish to exercise their Confirmation duty to defend the Faith when it is under attack, or whether it’s best to adopt the spirit of worldly “liberty” as you seems to suggest. If so, you might find it useful to reflect on the words of Pope Saint Pius X who said: All the strength of Satan’s reign is due to the easy-going weakness of Catholics.
Drum roll…
I think that’s the big difference – Catholic protest because blasphemy offends God, not us. That makes complete sense, IMHO.
I came across this article: [link deleted – off topic.]
There is a particularly vile comment [about Christ] by “Dorsamundo” [deleted here – Ed)
I am not prepared to tolerate this sort of comment -this and the numerous others like it-but how on earth to deal with it ? I would be grateful for advice.
m,
There are no comments at that link, and it’s got nothing to do with blasphemy.
Josephine,
Thank you for that alert. I’ve now deleted the link. “m” (strange username/letter) is being monitored and I can now add “more carefully from now on” to that fact. If you’re here to make mischief, “m” , best to disappear now, before I really make my administrator’s presence felt.
Editor IMHO I think you are completely misjudging me. (I have posted here in the past under name Mary but if I hit my autocomplete carelessly my name shows as m).
I follow a site “The Expose” which can easily be found, dealing largely with the Great Reset; it has some informative articles, but it is infested with troll comments. There is an article of 8 June, called “Letters to Editor; we are in a spiritual battle” in the Great Reset.
I took great offence at an abominable comment by one Dorsoduro.
This is I feel very relevant indeed to your discussion here since your article here is on the topic of how Muslims will not tolerate insults to their religion, whereas we might tend to turn the other cheek. That is the very thing I’m trying to do, NOT to turn the other cheek but to slap down hard on comments like this. to fight back. However I don’t know how to go about it. Reporting it to the authorities is not even an option as they are not on our side.
Mary,
I remember you used to blog here and I’m really sorry for having misjudged you on this. I think there must be a mistake somewhere because the link you posted to the Expose is this one, (I searched to find it again) but it is a letter and there is no mention of Christ anywhere, and no comments.
https://expose-news.com/2022/06/08/this-is-a-spiritual-contest-we-are-not-alone/
Could it be that you read that comment from “Dorsoduro” on another link at The Expose? I don’t have time to research it, but I can’t see anything on the “this is a spiritual contest” link. If you could quote – not the blasphemy – but the paragraph where the offence is to be found – that would be a great help.
As for how to deal with these things – I would say “give as good as the offender has given” in the sense that we can protest in writing, simply by expressing disgust at such blasphemy. You are completely correct in trying “NOT to turn the other cheek but to slap down hard…” Absolutely correct. I applaud that and encourage you to do that. If there is no button which allows you to “report” such abuse (where you can simply say “this is blasphemous, offensive to God, please remove” (or similar) then I would definitely reply to the perpetrator directly on the page.
Again, my apologies for misinterpreting your comment – I’ll remember now, that you are “Mary”… Welcome home!
PS I will also, now, remove you from moderation, so your comments will go directly onto the page.
Editor. That’s OK! On hindsight the way I presented my comment this morning must have come across aggressively, and not given a good impression. But I was at the time particularly unbalanced by the sheer spite of this Dorsoduro, along with the soup of sheer destructive viciousness all around us now, and the determination to destroy our wonderful Western civilisation and the Catholicism which underpins it.
If you click on that link you see Stanley Sylvester’s piece, then if you scroll way down past the 3 star rating you will see there are 41 comments. The offending one is the 2nd down.
Normally it’s best to ignore trolls, but this is an exception. Dorsoduro might possibly be a state -sponsored troll paid for out of our taxes, 77th Brigade maybe?
Theological arguments are wasted on these incoherent people, as you can see.
I had thought of asking the Expose editor Rhoda Wilson to “moderate” obscene comments like Dorsoduro’s; but would that be consistent when I have been challenging the Government’s attempts to silence points of view they don’t like? ( the Online Harms Bill).
Oddly enough, I had commented that Dorsoduro was happy to make a cowardly attack on Christianity, betting he would not dare to attack Islam: this comment got moderated !
Mary,
I found the comments – hadn’t noticed the lighter type under the headline saying x number of comments. Silly me. Again.
I’ve now answered Dorsoduro a few times – my last attempt to answer Paul (I think) where I just said “If you say so” went to moderation. I will check later and if they have removed my comments which are sarcy warky but not remotely offensive in the same way that Dorsowhatsisname is offensive, then I’ll revise my opinion about The Expose. That’ll teach ’em 😀
The biased BBC strikes again…
https://dailysceptic.org/2022/06/09/the-bbcs-shameful-capitulation-to-islamists-in-refusing-to-report-impartially-on-the-latest-blasphemy-furore/
This is a petition against a blasphemous book insulting Our Lady, which I encourage everyone to sign.
https://americaneedsfatima.org/petitions/stand-up-for-mary-e22512