Jesus: The Spirit of God

A director who shares the ideas of Iran's hardline president has produced what he says is the first film giving an Islamic view of Jesus Christ, in a bid to show the 'common ground' between Muslims and Christians.

Jesus: The Spirit of God will no doubt be hailed by many Manichaens and Gnostics liberals as a wonderful work. They'll sit down sing Kum bi ya right before reciting the shahadah and strapping on their bomb belts.

The Times UK reports that the producer of said film went to the home of Mel Gibson to persuade the Star to view and endorse his film. He of course was stopped before reaching the home by security who said they'd give the materials to Mel. He hasn't heard back from him. (Good for you Mel)

This is just a snippet that the Times picked up from The Arab Times of Kuwait.

The Arab Times says Nader Talebzadeh sees his movie, 'Jesus, the Spirit of God,' as an Islamic answer to Western productions like Mel Gibson's 2004 blockbuster 'The Passion of the Christ,' which he praised as admirable but quite simply 'wrong'.

'Gibson's film is a very good film. I mean that it is a well-crafted movie but the story is wrong -- it was not like that...'(emphasis added)

The Producer of course is referring to the Crucifixion of Christ. In Islam Jesus was not crucified but was saved and Judas was crucified in his place for betraying him. The article then goes on to attempt and cover the gaffes of the film maker by elucidating that Christians are guaranteed freedom under the constitution of Iran and that each year on Christmas the President as well as other Religio-political leaders send greetings to various Christian leaders with the traditional epithat PBUH. The article also pains to point out other notable points about Jesus in Islam and especially the role of Jesus in Shia Islam. It sounds nice doesn't it?

But I can't help but take pause and note what my own Religious leader, the Pope said. We must base dialogue on effective respect for the dignity of every human person, on objective knowledge of the religion of the other, on the sharing of religious experience and, finally, on common commitment to promoting mutual respect and acceptance among the younger generation.

This approach stands in contradiction to what many Muslim thinkers believe is the correct approach which is traditional within Islam - pseudo-dialectic.

Kind of: see how we are so similar, see what we say, as opposed to what you say, see how we're right and you're wrong.

That form of whapping debate neither gives respect or dignity to the human person, nor shows objective knowledge of the religion of the other. With out those two specifically how can you truly share religious experience and promote mutual respect?

The Bishop of Rochester said as much about the acclaimed "Open Letter" that was released in the fall and the same holds true now about this movie.

Here's an interesting perspective with rather intense comments from the creator of Jihadwatch.

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