Article Added On: December 07, 2004 - over 7 years ago
Title: Muhammad: The Last Prophet
Author: Mayumi Futamura
Publication Date: January 01, 2004 - over 8 years ago
Faith Groups: Muslim
Themes: other

Abstract: The animated film Muhammad: The Last Prophet was released at 86 theaters in 37 cities in the United States and Canada on Sunday, Nov. 14.

With a grass-roots marketing effort by mosques, volunteers, Arab-language newspapers and the Internet, the animated film Muhammad: The Last Prophet was finally released at 86 theaters in 37 cities in the United States and Canada on Sunday, Nov. 14.

The day coincided with Eid al-Fitr, the holiday to mark the end of Ramadan, a holy month in which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, and some media reported that Muslim families across North America celebrated the holiday by going to see the movie. The film was shown only for five days.

Muhammad: The Last Prophet "has little in common with both the controversial violence and explosive box office success of The Passion, but both films depended on faith-based marketing efforts," The New York Times reported. The animated feature was "unquestionably a landmark cultural event" for "thousands of Muslims who flocked to those theatres."

John Esposito, professor of Islamic studies at Georgetown University and editor in chief of the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, is quoted in the Washington Post as saying that the film is unique because it seeks to tell about the development of Islam in an animated film.

Some estimates suggest the number of those who watched the film was seven million across North America. In Canada, six theatres in Mississauga, Toronto, Windsor and London, Ont, screened the film for five days.

The 90-minute movie, which recounts the story of the early years of Islam and the events that led to the rise of Islam, was directed by Richard Rich, who also directed the Disney movies, The King and I and The Fox and the Hound.

"What we found out in making the film is how little anybody knows about that religion and Muhammad," Rich is quoted as saying in the New York Times. The film is aimed at introducing the story of prophet Muhammad's message to young generations. A few Muslim scholars n the U.S. consulted in the making of the film. The total cost of the production is $12 million US.

As Islamic teachings prohibit visual presentation of God and prophets, Muhammad does not appear or speak directly in the movie. Instead, the film is viewed from Muhammad's point of view with a voice-over narrative from another character.

Prior to coming to the U.S. and Canada, the English-language film was released in Lebanon, Jordan, Malaysia and Turkey with subtitles.

According to a recent poll of more than 1,000 respondents released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), one in four Americans holds anti-Muslim views such as "Muslims teach their children to hate" and "Muslims value life less than other people."