As Moustapha Akkad's biopic of the Prophet Mohammed's life premiered in the US on March 9, 1977, 12 extremists armed with machetes and shotguns laid siege to three buildings in Washington DC. The deadly 39-hour stand-off ended when their demand was met, bringing screenings of the The Message to a halt mid-reel in New York cinemas.
The siege was an ignominious portent of the controversy and false rumours surrounding the ambitious film, which charted the life of the Prophet Mohammed and the birth of Islam but was banned from much of this region for years.
Now, 42 years on and after being digitally restored, Akkad's $17 million masterpiece will finally be shown across the Middle East this Eid.
Unfounded religious objections meant that The Message never drew the audiences it deserved. Yet it holds timeless lessons, which speak to both the ambition of its Syrian-American filmmaker and the power of his medium. As a compelling and universal art form crossing boundaries and cultural divides, cinema has the power to explain and disseminate complex and philosophical ideas to mainstream audiences.
In a religion where interpretations are typically laid down by clerics and imams, films like The Message can educate young Muslims about their faith and demystify it for the rest of the world. The film's ability to do both while upholding the tenets of Islam – notably by never depicting the Prophet Mohammed – is its greatest achievement.
The care the late Akkad took is reflected in the fact that he shot simultaneously in Arabic and English. In an interview in 1976, he said: “Being a Muslim myself who lived in the West, I felt that it was my obligation, my duty, to tell the truth about Islam.”
He would no doubt be pleased to learn his film is still having an impact around the world; just one example is the Indian army showing it to schoolchildren in Jammu and Kashmir to improve relations with Muslim communities.
Just a few weeks ago, Saudi Arabia re-opened cinemas after a 35-year ban while Dubai's arthouse Cinema Akil will soon have a permanent home.
Their importance surpasses mere entertainment. Cinema is vital to spurring dialogue and fostering cultural understanding.
The release of The Message across the region will usher in a new era for the masterpiece and go some way to redeeming the tragedy of its original reception. Its ambitious aim to visualise a 1,439-year-old religion and its achievement in conveying that message is as breathtaking as it was 42 years ago.
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
