According to report, entertainment lawyers have defended the creative liberty of actors, asserting that their artistic expressions should not be constrained by religious sentiments. This statement comes in response to the backlash following a movie poster shared by actress Nancy Isime.
(Picture used as illustration)
The poster, which features women in black burqas wielding guns and a man in a balaclava holding hostages, sparked criticism from some religious quarters. In another image, Isime is seen wearing a hijab and holding a gun, which led to accusations of desecrating Islam and promoting negative stereotypes.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) called for a ban on the unreleased film, describing it as "satanic" and accusing it of fostering Islamophobia. MURIC's Executive Director, Ishaq Akintola, urged the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to take action against the film, claiming it incites violence and discrimination against Muslim women.
However, entertainment lawyers argue that actors have the right to creative expression in a secular society. Olumide Sonupe, Principal Partner of Sonupe Law Firm, emphasized that legal standards differ from religious morality.
"We live in a secular country where actors have creative liberty," Sonupe said. "The religious morality of any religion is distinct from what is obtainable in the law. In a secular society, some people are not religious, and that doesn't stop them from doing things that might be against the morals of any religion."
"If they are acting a movie that portrays Islam in a bad light, the worst you can do is to tell the followers not to watch the movie. It is called acting; it is not the reality of things. It may be the reality of things."
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