Religious Backlash in Isfahan
During Pasolini’s time in Isfahan, news quickly spread that he was using sacred religious sites for scenes in his film. The reaction was swift and fierce. An announcement by the “Esteemed Islamic Board of Isfahan” expressed deep discontent over the desecration of sacred spaces, stating that Pasolini had employed local residents and “infected women” in costumes to act in scenes set in the Shah Mosque and Jameh Mosque, claiming it was an insult to Islamic sanctity.
The backlash stemmed from multiple concerns. Firstly, many believed that One Thousand and One Nights, with its stories of the Caliphs’ excesses and intrigues, presented a distorted and negative portrayal of Middle Eastern culture. The idea that the East could be painted as a place of sensual indulgence and licentiousness did not sit well with conservative Iranian religious figures. The fact that Pasolini’s interpretation of the story involved depicting harem scenes in the Shah Mosque led to accusations of sacrilege, with the religious authorities demanding that such scenes be removed from the film.
Secondly, the clash was rooted in Pasolini’s decision to integrate scenes from Islamic history into a narrative that did not align with the mosque’s original purpose or religious symbolism. Many argued that the portrayal of a “harem of the Caliph of Baghdad” within a revered Islamic structure like the Shah Mosque violated both the sanctity of the location and the image of Isfahan.