'Passion' has no distributor in France

PARIS, Feb. 29 (UPI) -- Cinema chains in France have refused to distribute Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of The Christ" for fears that it will spark a new wave of anti-Semitism.

France is the only European country where there is still no distribution deal for the film of the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ, the Daily Telegraph reported Sunday. The movie is scheduled to open in Europe next month.

"We don't want to be on the side of those who support such anti-Semitism. When we distributed 'It's a Beautiful Life' we were worried about the risk of making a comedy about the Holocaust, but that was different," a veteran film industry figure told the Telegraph.

"There's enough anti-Semitic stuff circulating here already without us throwing oil on the fire."

Fire-bombings of synagogues and Jewish schools and attacks on rabbis have occurred over the past year.

Celebrated director Luc Besson is the only significant figure in the French film industry interested in screening the film in his country, according to the Telegraph.