Russian human rights organizations are considering a lawsuit against Mel Gibson, fearing his blockbuster “The Passion of the Christ” may be “fueling ethnic hatred,” the Moscow Human Rights Bureau has said. Alexander Brod, a director of the bureau, told journalists that “several Jewish organizations and individuals told us that the film fuels ethnic hatred and cultivates xenophobic myths about the Jewish people’s guilt for crucifying Christ.”
The Moscow Bureau is therefore “considering filing a lawsuit against the film director and the film’s distributor in this country,” Brod said. The film, which sparked controversy before its release with critics alleging implied anti-Semitism, deals with the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus Christ. While many criticized it for being too violent and depicting the suffering of Christ with too much graphic detail, others have called it a significant religious event.
It premiered in Russia April 9 just before Easter weekend, and grossed a significant $700,000 during its first weekend at the Russian box office. Brod told journalists that human rights organizations have a report from U.S. experts on religion, who “criticized the film” and said it was tendentious and biased in regard to Jews and the role they played in Christ’s crucifixion.
“We will soon receive other reports and will make our final decision,” he said. Another source in the bureau told MosNews, however, that the complaints the bureau received from various Jewish organizations have been handed over for an expertise, and a decision on the lawsuit has not yet been made.
“Expert rulings will determine whether we can file the lawsuit or not,” Sergei Vladimirov, program coordinator for the bureau, told MosNews. “So far, we cannot comment on what these complaints are and who filed them.”