UNITED NATIONS: UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Thursday condemned the “hateful” anti-Islam film that he said was deliberately intended to incite bigotry.

Ban is “deeply disturbed” by the eruption of deadly anti-US violence in Libya and other Middle East countries caused by the film which mocks Islam, a UN spokeswoman Vannina Maestracci said.

“Nothing justifies such killings and attacks. He condemns the hateful film that appears to have been deliberately designed to sow bigotry and bloodshed,” the spokeswoman added.

“At this time of rising tensions, the secretary general calls for calm and restraint, and stresses the need for dialogue, mutual respect and understanding.”

The film sparked an attack in which the US ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were killed in the Libyan city of Benghazi, clashes in Yemen in which four people were killed when demonstrators tried to storm the US embassy and violent protests outside the US embassy in Cairo.

The film denigrating the Prophet Mohammed was promoted by evangelical and Coptic Christians living in the United States. The suspected producer is a Coptic Christian living in California.

The US government has strongly condemned the film.