CAIRO - Wishing to learn more about the Prophet Mohamed's Ahl Al-Bayt (Family), Ahmed Amin, a 20-year-old student, started watching the controversial series “Al Hassan and Al Hussein”, being aired in the holy fasting month of Ramadan by some Arab satellite channels. After watching just two episodes, Ahmed decided to stop, as it is forbidden to personify the Prophet Mohamed's Ahl Al-Bayt and Sahaba (Companions). The series, directed by Syrian filmmaker Abdel al-Bari Abul Kheir, portrays a critical time in the history of Muslims – from the death of Caliph Othman ibn Affan (the Third Caliph of the Muslim Empire) to the death of Imam Al-Hussein, the Prophet Mohamed's grandson. It has sparked a heated controversy in Egypt on the grounds that it is sacrilegious to depict Imam Hassan and Imam Hussein, descendants of the Prophet Mohamed. People against the series claim that it contains ‘unclear messages', with the purpose of propagating Shiite beliefs far and wide in the Muslim world. Unlike the Sunni Muslims who believe that the first four Caliphs – Mohamed's successors – rightfully took his place as the leaders of the Muslims, Shiite doctrine is based on the belief that Imam Ali and his descendants were the legitimate successors of the Prophet. They reject the first three caliphs Abu Bakr, Omar and Othman. Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohamed Hosseine has warned that the serial aims at provoking dissension within the Muslim world. Three of Iran's grand ayatollahs have decreed the watching of “Al Hassan and Al Hussein”, which tries to distort the wonderful image of the Prophet Mohamed's two grandsons, as haram (religiously forbidden). Al-Azhar, the Sunni world's highest institution, has banned the series, stating that it is haram to personify the messengers of God or Sahaba (the Prophet Mohamed's Companions). Because of Al-Azhar's ban, Egypt's State-run TV has aired this year's “Al Hassan and Al Hussein” . However, some satellite channels – like Al-Hayat, Al-Nahar and MBC – have been airing the series since the beginning of Ramadan. In a frivolous bid to prevent the invasion of Shiite thoughts, about 40 campaigns have been launched on the social networking website Facebook, calling on people to stop watching the controversial series. Abdel-Rahman el-Leithy, the founder of a Facebook group, entitled ‘In support of Ahl Al-Bayt – Boycott Al Hassan and Al Hussein', is very indignant at the portrayal of Ahl Al-Bayt and Sahaba. "The serial distorts the image of the two venerable grandsons of the Prophet Mohamed and Sahaba, since the story relies on the imagination of the scriptwriter,” el-Leithy said. Meanwhile, two campaigns have been launched in defence of the series, with its members claiming that it just tells the story of the Prophets and Companions and there's no reason to be afraid. "There is nothing wrong with this series, as it's only acting. Our children need serials like this, so that they can learn more about Islam's history. The serial has cultural value," Iman el-Hussein, a schoolteacher and a member of the ‘Pro-Hassan and Hussein Series' group, told The Egyptian Gazette. "The series has increased my love for Ahl Al-Bayt and my knowledge of this epoch in Islamic history," says Islam Osama, a pharmacist and a member of the same group.
