TEHRAN — The banning of a big-budget religious film has once again ignited controversy over freedom of speech in Iran’s cultural scene.

Following criticism by senior clerics, Iran’s Cinema Organization — which operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance — announced that “Rastakhiz” (Resurrection) won’t be screened. Directed by celebrated Iranian filmmaker Ahmad Reza Darvish, the film portrays parts of the life of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein.

Hussein, the third imam in Shiite Islam, is revered for his and his followers’ revolt against Caliph Yazid, which ended with slaughter. This battle, marked by Shiites on Ashoura (the 10th day of the Islamic lunar month Muharram), has been a key symbol for Shiite revolutionaries both before and after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. The religious and political significance of Ashoura thus ignites sensitivities whenever it’s addressed.

The criticism of "Rastakhiz" centers on its depiction of Hussein’s half-brother Abbas, one of the principal martyrs of Ashoura. Senior clerics in the holy city of Qom, including Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, Ayatollah Alavi Gorgani, Ayatollah Sobhani and Ayatollah Vahid Dastgerdi, have lashed out at how Abbas’ face is shown in the film. Of note, mainstream Shiite jurisprudence forbids reproduction of the faces of the 12 imams and their kin. However, such images are widely available and popular.