COLOMBO - Sri Lanka is set to ban a controversial anti-Islam film from being aired in the country, the Ministry of Religious affairs said on Sunday.

Deputy Minister M.K.D.S Gunawardena told Xinhua that a newspaper advertisement will be published this week in the local media saying the movie should not be aired in the country.

Hundreds of Muslims took to street in Colombo last week to protest against the movie produced in the United States.

The "Innocence of Muslims" had triggered protests in many Muslim countries last week even after the US government denounced the video.

The US embassy meanwhile in a statement reiterated that the United States strongly rejects both the contents and messages in the video.

"As a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, the United States believes that religious tolerance is essential to the stability of any nation and of any people. Among the fundamental rights we also hold closely is the right to peacefully protest," the embassy said in the statement.