Neeson blasted for 'Narnia' religious views

Liam Neeson has sparked controversy with Christians for comparing his Narnia character to Mohammed and Buddha.

The actor, who provides the voice of lion Aslan in the C.S. Lewis fantasy series, said that he believes the character is similar to "spiritual leaders" and "prophets".

"Aslan symbolises a Christ-like figure but he also symbolises for me Mohammed, Buddha and all the great spiritual leaders and prophets over the centuries," the Daily Mail quotes him as saying. "That’s who Aslan stands for, as well as a mentor figure for kids - that's what he means for me."

However, Lewis's former secretary and trustee of his estate Walter Hooper blasted Neeson for the comments, stating: "It is nothing whatever to do with Islam. Lewis would have simply denied that. He wrote that the 'whole Narnian story is about Christ'. Lewis could not have been clearer."

He continued: "I don’t know Liam Neeson or what he is thinking about… but it was not Lewis's intention."

Former editor of The Catholic Herald William Oddie also criticised Neeson for the remarks, calling them "a betrayal" and "shameful distortion" of Lewis's novels.

"Aslan is clearly established from the very beginning of the whole cannon as being a Christ figure," he said. "I can’t believe that Liam Neeson is so stupid as not to know."

> Click here to read our review of Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader