THURIST CONDEMNS NANCY ISIME’S MOVIE FOR “NEGATIVE PORTRAYAL” OF VEILED WOMEN AS ROBBERS
By Ajape Sefiu A.
The Ta’awunu Human Rights Initiative, THURIST, has shown dissatisfaction over a movie directed by actress Nancy Isime for depicting women in veils and Niqobs as armed robbers.
THURIST claims that the movie in question portrayed Muslim women wearing veils negatively by showing them brandishing firearms within a banking hall with a money bag.
This came after Nancy posted pictures from the project on Instagram, showing herself with a gun in her hand and donning a Niqob. She also posted a picture of the actors, three of whom were also wearing Niqobs, during a robbery scene.
In a statement on Thursday, signed by S. A. Tadese, ESQ, SNTDHRL, LFCWICL, Director General, THURIST demanded the movie be taken down, adding that Nancy Isime should tender a public apology.
The statement reads, “The Ta’awunu Human Rights Initiative THURIST has received reports of a viral picture from a movie said to be directed and produced by one actress, Nancy Isime, which portrayed women in Veil in a bad light.
“We are aware of a scene from the said movie in which some cast in the said movie from the viral picture dress in the Muslim women’s veil pointing guns within a banking hall with a money bag, believed to be a robbery scene maliciously to depict women in purdah in criminal enterprise.
“The said picture from the said video also includes a scene of another woman in veil dressed unclad, believed to be an actress in the said movie displaying gun and with the believe that same introduced the scene as a training ground for armed robbers.
“We believe a Serene society which gives no room for violence is one which gives all faiths their dues and respect every beliefs of all religions as the only bedrock for religious tolerance in Nigeria.
“The increasing rate of surreptitious onslaught against the Islamic religion in the movie industry is alarmingly intolerable and necessary action needed to be been taken by all concerned authorities to address reoccurrence of this menace in Nigeria.
“The Nigeria Film and Video Censors Board had been paying a lip service to stem the spate of inflammatory movies of this nature which is capable of causing breach of peace and degenerate into break down of law and order.
“We urge all concerned authorities in Movie production and the Censors Boards in Nigeria to take stern and decisive steps to identify these detractors masquerading as actors and actresses whose main objective is to disparage Islam and Muslims, especially Muslim women, in their conspiracy to produce such nebulous movie and punish them accordingly.
“We are stating at this juncture, however, that actress Nancy Isime should bring down the movie and tender a public apology to the entire Muslim women as failure to comply shall compel us to proceed on further necessary action, including fierce litigation against her person and her trade.
“We equally demand from the Nigeria Films and Video Censors Board a strict penalty on the producer of this movie.
