Morocco Bans Ridley Scott's 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'

The African country of Morocco recently banned theaters from showing the new Ridley Scott film "Exodus: Gods and Kings," with many speculating that the movie was banned due to its portrayal of God and prophets in a predominately Islamic country.

Although country officials have not confirmed the ban, theater owners throughout Morocco have said they have received verbal warnings that if they screen the film, their theater will be shut down. The movie was approved by the state-run Moroccan Cinema Centre.

"They phoned and threatened they would shut down the theatre if I did not take the film off the schedule," Hassan Belkady, owner of the Cinema Rif in Casablanca, told The Daily Mail.

Media outlets are speculating that the film has been banned from Morroccan theaters due to its portrayal of Moses, a prophet of God, in ancient Egypt. Islamic culture forbids any artistic portrayal of God or his prophets, and therefore many are arguing that the film goes against Islamic teaching and could be seen as blasphemous.

The film is also receiving criticism in the U.S., as most of the actors playing main roles in the movie are Caucasian. Some film critics and viewers are arguing that those living in Moses' time in Egypt would have been of Mesopotamian descent, and therefore would have been darker skinned.

A petition on Change.org encouraged the viewers to block the film due to its all-white main cast.

"The Bible says both Egyptians and Ethiopians are descendants of Ham," the petition reads. "Remember, Egypt wasn't invaded by Rome until 300 B.C. Egypt is in Africa, not Europe."