Nancy Isime, a popular Nollywood actor, faced strong criticism for sharing behind-the-scenes photos from the set of an upcoming movie called Three Working Days. The photos, which she posted on Instagram, show her wearing a sleeveless shirt and trousers, holding a gun, and covering her head with a hijab. Critics argue that this depiction is offensive to Islam because the hijab is a garment worn by Muslim women to symbolize modesty and religious commitment.
The backlash intensified after Bashir Ahmad, a former Digital Communications Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, commented that the hijab is a significant attire for Muslim women, representing respect, modesty, and religious devotion.
The use of the costume in the movie was criticized for portraying scenes associated with negative moral vices instead of being used as just a costume. Suggestions were made for alternative costumes, such as balaclavas or masks, for these scenes.
The controversy further developed when the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), headed by director Ishaq Akintola, urged the federal government to ban the film. In a statement released on Thursday, Akintola labeled the film as “satanic” and anti-Muslim, calling on the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to take action. He stated, “An extremely anti-Muslim movie has been released into the Nigerian movie industry. The upcoming film, recently unveiled by Nancy Isime, shows women in purdah brandishing dangerous weapons and robbing banks.
The movie represents the peak of Islamophobia and is described as satanic, offensive, and designed to incite. Akintola argued that the film’s goal is to depict Muslim women as criminals and stoke public animosity against them. He stated, “The film aims to portray Muslim women as criminals with a violent tendency and capable of riling up the public against them. We believe that it is the work of those who harbor hatred towards Muslims and part of a scheme to prevent our women from wearing hijab and niqab.”
He cautioned that the film has the potential to cause unrest and said, “If urgent action is not taken by the relevant authorities, this hateful film could ignite Nigeria. Thus, we urge the NFVCB to investigate and impose an immediate ban on the upcoming film.”
Religious clothing’s incorporation in cinema, music videos, and art has been a source of ongoing conflict between artists and religious groups. Recently, another artist, Asake, received backlash for portraying an orthodox priest in his music video for the song “Only Me.”
No response has been given by Nancy Isime regarding the criticism of her part in the movie.
