In a show of solidarity with movements seeking to preserve respect for Islam, a Moscow ruled on Monday that the anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims” may not be shown in all of Russia.
In a report by the Tehran Times, the court’s decision followed one of the previous week in a court in Grozny, capital of the Muslim-dominated Russian province of Chechnya.
Justice Ministry spokeswoman Marina Gridneva said the film – which aimed to suggest to viewers that there are deviant and unsavory aspects of Islam and founder Mohammed – could incite ethnic and religious intolerance. Various terror acts across the Middle East have been attributed to Muslim outrage over the low-budget US-made film.
The Russian communications minister threatened to block access to YouTube if owner Google did not immediately block access to the film. Google said it would comply with court orders.