“Messiah” creator Michael Petroni insists the Netflix show “doesn’t set out to offend anyone” (Alberto E. Rodriguez)
<p>Los Angeles (AFP) – A prophet who defies a resurgent Islamic State in Syria. A shooting on Jerusalem’s sacred Temple Mount. And — just possibly — the coming of the Messiah.</p><p>Netflix could scarcely have picked a more controversial plot for its latest thriller, about a mysterious religious leader who emerges in the Middle East and is pursued across the globe by the CIA.</p><p>"Yes it’s provocative — the show is provocative," creator Michael Petroni told AFP. "But provocative isn’t offensive."</p><p>"Messiah," out January 1, imagines how modern society would react if such a figure appeared, spreading his message rapidly via social media in a world grappling with "fake news" and breathless 24-hour bulletins.</p><p>The question of whether the character — played by Belgian actor Mehdi Dehbi —  is the genuine Messiah, a nefarious political agent or simply a trickster is at the heart of the show’s premise. </p><p>Petroni admits Netflix were "nervous" when he came to them with his idea. </p><p>"It was such an audacious concept, you know?" he said. "You read the pilot, this guy is going to march 2,000 Palestinian Syrians across the border of Israel."</p><p>That concept included building, at considerable expense, a scale replica of part of Temple Mount including the sacred Dome of the Rock, from where Muslims believe the prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven.</p><p>Filming at the iconic site was never a remote possibility — particularly given the violent nature of the scene in the show’s second episode.  </p><p>But Petroni insists the show "doesn’t set out to offend anyone."</p><p>"It’s not like I’m welcoming backlash," he added. "We expect that there’s going to be a lot of noise around the show, and a lot of debate. I’m hoping for debate."</p><p>A Change.org petition has already been launched calling for a boycott of the show, describing it as "evil and anti-Islamic propaganda."</p><p>In "Messiah" it is not specified to which faith the enigmatic leader — referred to by some characters as "Al-Masih" — subscribes.</p><p>Petroni refuses to be drawn on his own religion. But two of the show’s producers, husband-and-wife Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, have a background in Christian faith-based programming.</p><p></p><p>- ‘Super careful’ -</p><p></p><p>Setting the action at such a sacred location as Temple Mount was necessary because it is a nexus of religion where Christianity, Islam and Judaism all converge, said Petroni.</p><p>"Obviously historically they don’t meet up happily. But that is where they all meet up. And so to me as a location to a story that’s about politics and religion, it was so symbolic."</p><p>Filming took place in Jordan as well as the US, with action switching between the Middle East, Texas and Washington DC — providing an additional set of challenges.</p><p>Characters, including the dogged CIA agent played by Michelle Monaghan (the "Mission: Impossible" series), flit between English, Hebrew and Arabic — often mid-conversation.</p><p>Other US shows such as "Homeland," which drew criticism over its portrayal of the Middle East and Muslims, have been embarrassed by cultural and linguistic pitfalls.</p><p>That show saw a Hezbollah commander escort its heroine through a Berlin set doubling as a Syrian refugee camp, on which someone had graffitied in Arabic the words: "Homeland is racist."</p><p>The first trailer for "Messiah," released earlier this month, drew ridicule from some Muslim viewers, who noted that the name "Al-Masih" is used in Islamic theology by Dajjal, a false prophet comparable to the Antichrist.</p><p>Netflix quickly moved to quash claims this was a spoiler — its Twitter account accurately noted "That’s not actually the character’s name" — and plot details remain strictly embargoed.</p><p>Petroni, an Australian whose father grew up in Egypt, does not speak Arabic, and neither did the directors — meaning the show had to hire an experienced and reliable team of translators and dialect coaches.</p><p>"We were super careful," said Petroni.</p><p></p>

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.