Saudi Arabia to screen 'The Message' 4 decades after ban

"The Message", Syrian-American director Moustafa Akkad's epic film about Prophet Mohammed, will be screened for the first time in Saudi cinemas on Thursday (June 14th), four decades after an initial ban, AFP reported.

The 1976 film has been widely watched in the Arab world since its release.

But it was banned in the land of Islam's holiest sites and boycotted by conservatives for its depiction of the prophet and his companions.

"It caused a lot of controversy and there were a lot of obstacles put in its way," said Akkad's son, Malik Moustafa Akkad, noting it remains banned in Kuwait.

Saudi Arabia lifted a longstanding ban on cinemas last year, part of an easing of social restrictions pushed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi theatres will now screen a restored version of the 1976 epic.

The Aleppo-born director perished with his daughter in the 2005 Amman hotel bombings claimed by al-Qaeda that cost dozens of lives.

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