Christians want the government to act on their behalf and take up the issue with other countries where the film is being screened. (Reuters)

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani Christians have welcomed the government's decision to ban the screening of the Da Vinci Code in cinema houses or possession of it on video cassettes or discs.

"We are happy with the government decision," Karachi Bishop Ijaz Inyat told IslamOnline.net on Monday, June 5.

"This movie hurts the feelings of the Christian community and we want to make the point that the making of such movies doesn't come under the purview of freedom of expression."

Cultural Affairs Minister Ghazi Gulab Jamal said the decision to ban the adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling book had also been taken because it contravened Islamic teachings.

"Islam teaches us to respect all the prophets of Allah Almighty and degradation of any prophet is tantamount to defamation of the rest."

The government has announced that any body found guilty of screening or selling the movie would be punished under the blasphemy act.

Initially some of the CD sellers were selling copies of the film but are now abiding by the ban, said a local government official told IOL.

Brown's bestseller has been available for sale in Pakistani bookshops for quite some time. However, the government intends to place a ban on the book as well.

In his book, as in the movie, he presents Jesus as a human, not a god, who got married to Mary Magdalene and had a child.

He accuses the Church of having spent 2,000 years trying to cover up this fact.

Global Ban

Bishop Inyat, also the president of Inter-Faith Friendship forum, said protests would continue despite the ban.

"We intend to present our representations to the diplomatic missions in Islamabad and Karachi that the screening of this movie should be banned in other countries as well," he told IOL.

Bishop Inyat said they would like the government to act on behalf of its Christian community and take up the issue with other countries where the film is being screened.

"We are happy that our Muslim brothers stood by us in this situation regarding the Da Vinci code which is based on fictional story of Jesus Christ," he said.

Muslims make up 97 percent of Pakistan's 165,8 million population while Christian, Hindu and other make up the remaining 3 percent, according to the online CIA facts book.

Respecting Prophets

Joint demonstrations against Da Vinci Code were co-organized by Christian groups and Mutihada Majlisa Alam (MMA), an alliance of six politico-religious parties in Karachi and Lahore, home to a considerable population of Christians.

However, the Muslim groups cite different reasons for opposing the movie screening.

Meraj-ul-Huda Siddique, chief of Jamat-e-Islami in Karachi, said they are opposed to the screening because the film features a character representing a prophet which is not permissible under Islam.

He added that the film contradicts the shared faith of Muslims and Christians that Jesus never married and had no children.

Siddique also said the movie shows Jesus (peace and blessings be upon him) indulging in non-serious acts.

"All this come under the purview of blasphemy law," he told IOL, adding that Islam commands respect for all prophets.

"We have formed a committee and will make representations to the diplomatic missions in Islamabad that this movie should be banned in all countries of the world."

The film has made hundreds of millions of dollars around the world since it opened last month.