American Sniper has been at the centre of controversy in the US since its release and has garnered criticism for its portrayal of Muslims and US sniper Chris Kyle's action against militants in the film.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee has said that it's noticed a massive increase in threats against Muslims since the release of the film.
In an open letter sent to director Clint Eastwood and star Bradley Cooper, the civil rights group has called on them to denounce those who've used the film as a platform to engage in hate speech.
In a recent interview, Abed Ayoub, national policy director of the committee, said that they "want Mr. Eastwood or Mr. Cooper to say 'Don't use our film to promulgate hatred or bigotry. Don't use our film to push hate and bigotry and use it as a platform for these racist views' ".
The committee has logged over 100 tweets and messages of instances people mentioning anti-Arab / Muslim sentiment and American Sniper.
Speaking to Entertainment.ie, screenwriter Jason Hall said that the film wasn't jingoistic or pro-war. Responding to criticisms against the film, Hall said that "[it's] narrow-minded in that what we're witnessing, from the very first shot, is a man who's humanity is being shaved away."
WB spokesperson Jack Horner said that the studio "denounces any violent, anti-Muslim rhetoric, including that which has been attributed to viewers [of American Sniper, which Warner Bros. is distributing]."
"Hate and bigotry have no place in the important dialogue that this picture has generated about the veteran experience."
Via The Guardian