Muslims to SC: Ban “Innocence of Muslims”

From inquirer.net

Muslims in Lanao del Sur will petition the Supreme Court on Monday to ban the film “Innocence of Muslims” which has angered Muslims worldwide because of its “insulting depiction” of the Prophet Mohammad.

“We abhor violence that is why we are seeking legal succor to put a stop to this attack on Islam in the guise of freedom of expression,” Aga Khan Mangondato Sharief, one of the petitioners, said.

Sharief said the petition would be directed at the Department of Transportation and Communications, National Telecommunications Commission, and the Movies and Television Review and Classification Board.

Sharief also called on Internet companies like Google Philippines to block the film.

Lawyer Bayan Balt, counsel for petitioners, said the film’s content represented a “substantial invasion of the free exercise of religion.”

During Friday prayers in Marawi City, local religious leaders urged the faithful to contribute at least one peso to help defray the costs related to the Supreme Court petition.

Sharief said they have gathered at least P60,000, all in one-peso coins, “symbolic of the widespread sentiment here against the film.” ###