Controversy has erupted over the yet-to-be-broadcast TV series "Omar ibn al-Khattab." The series portrays Omar, Abu Bakr and Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, three of the Prophet Mohamed's Righteous Caliphs.
Hundreds of people joined a Facebook campaign demanding the show not be broadcast, under the title, “No to showing Farouk Omar series”
The series is to be aired on privately owned Saudi satellite channel MBC during the holy month of Ramadan, which starts within the next two weeks.
The trailer, which has been aired extensively, stirred up a wave of anger in Islamic circles.
Mohamed Othman, a member of both Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Academy and the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the series has not been referred to the academy for approval.
Traditionally, works of art related to Islam have been summited to Al-Azhar, the world’s chief Sunni learning institution, before being shown.
“If the series was submitted to us at the academy, as it includes personifications of the four Righteous Caliphs we wouldn’t have hesitated to prohibit showing it.
That is our firm stand, which we won’t change,” said Othman.
