TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An official says Iran should boycott the 2013 Oscars in the wake of the anti-Islam film that denigrates the Prophet Muhammad.

Javad Shamaghdari, from the government-controlled cinema agency, says Iran should "avoid" the Hollywood festival.

The semi-official Mehr news agency on Monday quoted Shamaghdari as urging the committee in charge of selecting Iran's choice to take a step back.

The committee already picked "Yek Habbeh Ghand," or "A Cube of Sugar" — a film about a family wedding turning into a funeral when the groom's relative dies — to run for best foreign film. The government has still to endorse the selection.

Shamaghdari says the Oscars should be boycotted until the organizers denounce the anti-Islam film, which was made in the U.S. and which prompted outrage among Muslims world over.

Associated Press
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