Innocent Prophet: Delayed

Last night we reported on the imminent online release of a film called The Innocent Prophet, a joint effort by Terry Jones, the Florida pastor of Dove World Outreach Center, and Imran Firasat, an ex-Muslim who lives in Spain. The video was to be screened for the first time tomorrow.

Now, just 24 hours before the rioting and mayhem were scheduled to commence, the release of the movie has been delayed, due to the Spanish government’s threat to deport Mr. Firasat back to his native Pakistan.

Here’s the story from today’s International Business Times:

The Innocent Prophet: Imran Firasat Faces Death over Anti-Muslim Movie

Release of documentary delayed on back of deportation threat by Spanish authorities.

Just months after protests against the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims triggered riots and international tensions, a second provocative film slandering the Prophet Muhammad is slated for release.

The film, The Innocent Prophet, has been produced by Pakistan-born anti-Islam activist, Imran Firasat, now living in Spain as a political refugee.

The movie was scheduled for release on 14 December but has now been postponed, said Firasat, under pressure from authorities in Spain.

The filmmaker said his 70-minute documentary was based on the facts as contained in Islamic scripture. Muslims, will no doubt, find it profoundly offensive to their beliefs.

[…]

The director added he was now leaving in fear: “I have been threatened by the authorities that my refugee status will be revoked, I will be deported back to Pakistan where the death penalty for blasphemy is waiting for me, and that I may be even detained if I continue with the plans to release the movie. That is the reason I have decided to postpone it temporarily — showing the movie to the authorities first and then releasing it later.”

[…]

He said he had been threatened “almost every day” by Islamic militants.

“There were several threats from the Indonesian Islamic groups like Majelis Ulama or Hiazbut Tahrir. Organisations like Taliban or al-Qaida may have threatened me but without mentioning their organisation’s name. I receive threats almost every day so I don’t know where these people are from.” He said he had received threats from India, Pakistan and Arab countries over the film.

He said that the threats would not stop him releasing the film because he was determined to take on the Islamist radicals and principles.

“I am not going to give up because of threats and unjustified violence committed by Muslims.”