The Looking Glass

OMAR MURSALIN Before I start this Article, I would like to clarify to all readers that I don’t intend on offending anyone’s views or their beliefs. This article is not about whether the film 'The Lady of Heaven' should be shown around the country, or even about freedom of speech, but simply both sides of the debate within the Islamic community surrounding the film’s content. However, it is difficult to be perfectly balanced and so some narrations included may be disputed and not accepted by both sides. According to the Office for National Statistics, there are roughly 3,380,000 Muslims living in the UK [1] . Many of these Muslims living in the UK will come from different backgrounds and cultures, but nearly all of them will identify themselves as either Sunni or Shia. The Sunni / Shia divide is mostly around the Succession of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), and the different interpretations on certain events after the death of the Prophet (ﷺ). The majority of Shiites denounce the fir...