The film The Passion is Hot in the Middle East–Probably Truth!
Summary of eRumor:
An email said to be from a Christian worker in Qatar in the Middle East and describes the impact of Mel Gibson’s film The Passion.
The Truth:
Missionaries and other Christian workers in some areas of the Middle East don’t advertise their presence for sake of safety so this message, if authentic, comes from people who cannot identify themselves.
The description of the events in Qatar in response to Mel Gibson’s film The Passion, however, fits with what others seem to be saying about its reception in the Middle East.
Journalist Miral Fahmy wrote an article for Reuters on 4/6/04 saying that The Passion was making history in the Arab world.
Because of some of the outspoken Jewish opposition to the film for fear that it might be anti-Semitic, some Arab governments and Islamic leaders have made surprising allowances.
The film is a hit in Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria, Jordan, the United Arab Emerites and, according to the distributor, has broken box office records.
It’s been banned in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Famy says the film is even a hit in Saudi Arabia, which bans movie theaters.
Bootlegged copies of The Passion are being copied and passed around.
Last updated 4/07/04