The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has taken action regarding the use of a niqab in a robbery scene in an upcoming movie featuring popular actress Nancy Isime.
The scene, which Isime shared on Instagram on Monday, has sparked significant outrage among Muslims.
In response to the backlash, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) issued a statement on Thursday, July 25, 2024, signed by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, calling for the movie to be banned. MURIC described the film as “satanic,” claiming it portrays Muslim women as criminals and incites public hostility against them.
“The depiction of the niqab in such a negative light is unacceptable and inflammatory,” Akintola stated.
The NFVCB, in a statement by its Director General Shaibu Husseini on Thursday, confirmed that contact had been made with the film’s producers to address the concerns. Husseini reiterated that the movie has not yet been released or submitted for classification.
“The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), the statutory regulatory agency for film and video works, has received complaints about an upcoming Nigerian movie that associates the Hijab, an outfit attributed to Muslim women that symbolizes respect, modesty, and religious devotion, with negative moral vices,” Husseini explained.
