'American Sniper' Screening in Baghdad Shelved

Due to the socio-political controversy stirred by Clint Eastwood's blockbuster hit "American Sniper", the film has been pulled out of a movie theater in Baghdad, Iraq.

The manager of the theater said he decided to discontinue the screening of the film after being pressured by a government organization.

The theater, which is located in Baghdad's new Mansour Mall, featured the film for only a few days after its international release. Those who saw it in the theater and through downloaded versions criticized the film for how the Iraqis were portrayed.

"It glorifies Americans and makes Iraqis out to be nothing but terrorists," 27-year-old teacher Ahmed Kamal said about "American Sniper" according to the Washington Post.

"It portrays Americans as strong and noble, and Iraqis as ignorant and violent," he added.

One particular scene that drew a huge negative reaction from the theater goers is the one where a child picked up a grenade launcher after its previous owner was shot by Bradley Cooper's Chris Kyle.

Upon watching the scene, a few moviegoers stood up and started cursing at the screen. They said that particular scene misrepresented the Iraqi's actions since in reality, people would usually avoid places where there are snipers nearby. The angry spectators were immediately escorted by the theater's security personnel out of the establishment.

Due to the uproar from the public, theater manager Fares Hilal received a phone call from Iraq's Ministry of Culture. According to the official he spoke to, the theater could face fines or be forced to cease its operations if the screening of "American Sniper" continues.

"He told me the film insults Iraqis," Hilal told the Washington Post. "If we show it, we will be criticized. But if we don't, we lose money. A lot of people wanted to see this film."

Fearing for the film's repercussions on his establishment, Hilal decided to comply with the ministry's request and removed "American Sniper" from the theater.