SC junks petition vs ‘Innocence of Muslims’ film

MANILA, Philippines - There is no more legal impediment for the showing in the country of the controversial film “Innocence of Muslims,” which triggered violent protests in Muslim nations last year.

The Supreme Court (SC) dismissed a petition of members of Bangsamoro Nation in September last year seeking to compel the government to ban the showing of the film they claim depicted  the prophet Muhammad as a fraud, a womanizer and a child molester.

In a one-page notice of resolution released yesterday, the high court said it lifted its temporary restraining order that barred the showing of the film in local theaters since the petitioners failed to file the supplemental petition “within the extended period, which expired on Nov. 6, 2012.”

The petition was filed by Agakhan ‘Benladin’ Sharief, Datu Drieza Lininding, Datu Haj Ansaru Alonto and Datu Nasser Dimapinto, who asked the SC to order government agencies “to pull out or remove or prohibit the showing of the said film or its trailers within the Philippines from Internet websites like Youtube, Google and others.”

The film, produced in California by Sam Bacile and directed by Allan Roberts, had triggered violent protests in Islamic nations where many Muslims and non-Muslims were killed and injured.