'Islamic Jesus' hits Iranian movie screens
Posted on Sun Jan 20 2008
Christian Today
TEHRAN (AFP) - A director who shares the ideas of Iran's hardline president has produced what he says is the first film giving an an Islamic view of Jesus Christ, in a bid to show the "common ground" between Muslims and Christians.
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," he said, referring to two key differences: Islam sees Jesus as a prophet, not the son of God, and does not believe he was crucified.
Talebzadeh said he even went to Gibson's mansion in Malibu, California, to show him his film. "But it was Sunday and the security at the gate received the film and the brochure and promised to deliver it," though the Iranian never heard back.
Even in Iran, "Jesus, The Spirit of God" had a low-key reception, playing to moderate audiences in five Tehran cinemas during the holy month of Ramadan, in October.
The film, funded by state broadcasting, faded off the billboards but is far from dead, about to be recycled in a major 20 episode spin-off to be broadcast over state-run national television this year.
Talebzadeh insists it aims to bridge differences between Christianity and Islam, despite the stark divergence from Christian doctrine about Christ's final hours on earth.
"It is fascinating for Christians to know that Islam gives such devotion to and has so much knowledge about Jesus," Talebzadeh told AFP.
"By making this film I wanted to make a bridge between Christianity and Islam, to open the door for dialogue since there is much common ground between Islam and Christianity," he said.
The director is also keen to emphasise the links between Jesus and one of the most important figures in Shiite Islam, the Imam Mahdi, said to have disappeared 12 centuries ago but whose "return" to earth has been a key tenet of the Ahmadinejad presidency.
Talebzadeh made his name making documentaries about Iran's 1980-1988 war against Iraq, an important genre in the country's post-revolutionary cinema.
But such weighty themes, and his latest film on Jesus, compete with domestic gangster thrillers and sugary boy-meets-girl love stories, the movies that continue to draw the biggest audiences in the Islamic Republic.
The bulk of "Jesus, the Spirit of God", which won an award at the 2007 Religion Today Film Festival in Italy, faithfully follows the traditional tale of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament Gospels, a narrative reproduced in the Koran and accepted by Muslims.
But in Talebzadeh's movie, God saves Jesus, depicted as a fair-complexioned man with long hair and a beard, from crucifixion and takes him straight to heaven.
"It is frankly said in the Koran that the person who was crucified was not Jesus" but Judas, one of the 12 Apostles and the one the Bible holds betrayed Jesus to the Romans, he said. In his film, it is Judas who is crucified.
Islam sees Jesus as one of five great prophets -- others being Noah, Moses and Abraham -- sent to earth to announce the coming of Mohammed, the final prophet who spread the religion of Islam. It respects Jesus' followers as "people of the book".
Iran has tens of thousands of its own Christians and claims they are are guaranteed religious freedoms under the constitution. Many of Iranian Christians are Armenians, though their numbers have fallen sharply since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Every Christmas, Ahmadinejad and other officials lose no time in sending greetings to Christian leaders including the pope on what they describe as the "auspicious birthday of Jesus Christ, Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH)."
In this year's message, Ahmadinejad said that "peace, friendship and justice will be attained wherever the guidelines of Jesus Christ (PBUH) are realised in the world."
Shiite Muslims, the majority in Iran, believe Jesus will accompany the Imam Mahdi when he reappears in a future apocalypse to save the world.
And Talebzadeh said the TV version of his film will further explore the links between Jesus and the Mahdi -- whose return Ahmadinejad has said his government, which came to power in 2005, is working to hasten.
Shiites believe the Mahdi's reappearance will usher in a new era of peace and harmony.
"We Muslims pray for the 'Return' (of Imam Mahdi) and Jesus is part of the return and the end of time," Talebzadeh said.
"Should we, as artists, stand idle until that time? Don't we have to make an effort?"
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Discussion: 'Islamic Jesus' hits Iranian movie screens |
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Wow its amazing to see how far people would go to distort the biblical jesus in order to hold on to false teachings!!! Jesus is indeed the son of God as well as God himself and he said if u do not believe that I am you will die in your sins. No matter what respect you have for Jesus its not enough unless you acknowledge who he is!!!! He is God so bow your knees and worship him now before its too late for you
Our one God/Lord /Christ/Holy Spirit...3 in l
Master, Saviour, Friend,
I pray that others will know him soon as our Lord
and they too will accept his Lordship and His
Godship....the great I AM....all in all...one God.
that they too may know eternal salvation.
Jesus...the Spirit of God...
What an interesting title !
Think for a minute.... Gods Spirit is less than God?!..Islamic thought?!
How can Gods Spirit be any less than God...What is there to God that is more than His Spirit?
Islam will do anything to try and drive a wedge between the Christians, their Jewish Messiah and the Land of Israel. No Born again Spirit Filled believer in Yeshua HaMeshiach will be fooled by this piece of nonsence.
Above message should read "will NOT be fooled by this nonsence" !!!
I would like to ask Nader Talebzadeh the director of the movie Jesus, the spirit of God, if Islam sees Jesus as a prophet, not the son of God, and does not believe he was crucified, where is this common ground he wants to build this (his) bridge between Christianity and Islam upon. What a crock of crape. This is another clever way for the antichrist & his disciples to take over the minds of those who are not grounded deeply in the true Spirit of the living God Trinity. You will not find the Holy Spirit living in most hearts of men, although there are a few, I believe the Holy Spirit is found in the Word of God, the Bible and it's different translations. I have found that the Holy Spirit lives in mens words, and in their actions. You must believe in the Bible as a whole, not just bits & pieces. When you have that personal relationship with the Trinity you are born again, through water which is the word of God, and His Spirit which are His words written by men who He claims as His own.
I agree with Mary. I too am wondering where Mr. Talebzadeh got his idea he was bridging a gap between Islam and Christians. Well, he's not, that's for sure. His movie is nothing short of heresy and an abomination to the most high God! What I find troubling is how many people in this country will actually believe this garbage, and that includes people in our very churches. Folks, we have a real problem and it is of utmost importance that we as Christians stand up, arm in arm, and present the Good News of Jesus Christ daily.
This is not surprizing to me at all. In fact, it's prophetic. We are living in the end times and the spirit of anti-christ is everywhere. The Talebzadeh Jesus is not Jesus at all. But do not fall asleep... Jesus, God in the flesh is not the Jesus of the Jehovah Witnesses, nor the Jesus of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons), and not the Jesus of so many apostate "Christian" churches today. Beware of the tide of Islam rising in the world, but keep watch in your own backyard, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem...
We need to be reminded, that the love, the same love demostrated by God lowering Himself to flesh, and dieing on the cross, is what we need in the mist of this. "This is how they will know that we are His disciples, if we love one another." "We battle not against flesh" or any religion, "but against powers" we don't see (and how, by prayer)... those who are blind, such as we once were, are all in need of Jesus' love. Yes, this is another attempt to diminish the work of the cross, and lower our Lord to mere man, BUT remember, His will is being done in the world, and His allowance of this, will ultimately test those who love Him... how do we respond in the mist of this bold attack on the one true Jesus. Arguing and debating will continue, especially if no one sees the REAL difference between Islam and Chrisitianity, and this in a changed life in light of the Light of God. Be in prayer, on how even this, can open doors not to debate and slander, but to opportunities to demonstrate that same love that can change even hearts set against the person of Jesus. DON'T forget, we were once like them, against God... but He saved us, and He can save them too. Be that new creature. . .
THE TRUE ORIGIN OF OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE AND THE FICTIONAL STORY OF JESUS CHRIST EXPOSED All over the world human beings believe and worship one true God that they believed is the creator of the universe! Sadly enough, they don't know that the one true God who created human beings was an ancient astronaut, called Enki (the Serpent God, aka Ptah of Egypt, aka "E.A" who was the creator of human beings on Earth.When people talk of "Heaven", they may not know it but it is the planet where these ancient astronauts, the Anunnaki's came from (Nibiru).I am sure the only history of humanity 80% of human beings in Europe and America are familiar with is what they read in the Bible. The Bible is just a re-written account of much older ancient records of the history of human beings. When the Jews went into captivity in Babylon about 700 BC, they had access to this history of the Anunnakis and copied and re-wrote it. Nanna, the son of Enlil became Jehovah of the Bible, and Enki, the creator of human beings became the serpent God.The Bible is hostile to Enki because the Jews were aligned to Enlil, the crazy terror Annunaki God who hated human beings and wanted them destroyed by flood. The father of Nanna was ENLIL also called El. That is why most Jewish names contain these two letters "EL". For example, Daniel (DANI-EL), Israel (ISRA-EL) and so on.It is very strange how human beings worship the evil, hateful Anunnaki God (JEHOVAH) who hated them and wanted them destroyed, while the benevolent God, (ENKI, E.A, PTAH) who created them and saved them, they do not know!!! That is one reason why 80% of human beings are idiots and dumb!!!! The old testament Bible was written by Ezra and his priests. The story is true except that it was copied and re-written from Babylonian records and the scenes in the story were moved to Palestine. The same thing is true with the new testament. There was no historical human being called Jesus Christ who lived in Palestine 2000 yrs ago. All the books of new testament were written by Piso, aka Flavius Josephus, who was half Roman citizen and half Jew. The story of Jesus Christ is just a re-written account of the story of Egyptian Isis, Horus, Osiris and Seth, the half human and half Anunnaki gods, who were the children of Maduk (Ra), the son of Enki, the creator of human beings. scogostology.com
"Be still and know" who He is. There will be many false prophets and false teachings in the end times. This has already be predicted....
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