A prominent Saudi cleric has launched a virulent attack on the Dubai-based Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC) television for transmitting what he described as an anti-Islamic programme, branding its owners criminals.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Hassan Al Durae, a senior teaching council member in the Riyadh-based Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University, was commenting on the popular Arabic language TV comedy Tash Ma Tash, which has already sparked controversy and infuriated Muslim scholars in the Gulf kingdom.
Sheikh Mohammed was asked by Saudi TV channel, Awtan, about Monday’s episode which talked about polygamy and showed a woman marrying four men, which is prohibited in Islam as a woman can have only one husband at the same time.
Another scholar attacked Tash Ma Tash as a “degraded” programme and described Monday’s episode as a “brothel.”
“This channel [MBC] is broadcasting poison and crime…it has nothing to do with Islam…how can this channel claim to be Muslim when it does not belong to Islam and is void of any Islamic spirit,” Sheikh Durae said.
“They even do not care for those leaders (Saudi) who have struggled to serve Islam and Muslims…those in charge of this channel are nothing but criminals who are transmitting what they want and spreading their poison everywhere…what is more dangerous that destroying homes is to destroy ethics and beliefs…this channel is destroying ethics and beliefs.”
MBC is a Saudi-run company broadcasting a mix of free-to-air news and entertainment channels via satellite. It was launched in September 1991 as the Middle East Broadcasting Corporation, initially broadcasting from London. Since 2002, its headquarters have been in Dubai Media City.
The channel has remained privately owned, managed by a group of Saudi businessmen and shareholders, including chairman and CEO Sheikh Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Brahim, one of the best know media tycoons in the region.
“These criminals have found security and safety because no one is confronting them or trying to deter them…where is the censorship on this channel…this channel should be prosecuted because of the poison it is spreading…I urge all those decision makers to act now and stop the broadcasting of this farce called Tash Ma Tash as it is violating Islam,” Sheikh Durae said.
Tash Ma Tash, aired during Ramadan for nearly 17 years, has already triggered controversy over some subjects it tackled this Ramadan. One episode which included praise of Christians this week drew strong criticism from Muslim scholars in Saudi Arabia on the grounds a Muslim should praise only Islam.
Quoted by the Saudi Shams Arabic language daily on Wednesday, another well-known cleric attacked Tash Ma Tash over Monday’s programme which showed a woman has four husbands at the same time.
“This is a degraded and trivial series as it insults religion and scholars..…all those who are involved in this programme should be dragged to court and prosecuted,” Sheikh Saad Al Buraik said.
“I appeal for Saudi leaders and authorities to prosecute those involved in this work and the TV channel which is broadcasting this series….what was shown in that episode is really disgusting…how can they show a woman marrying four men and shares one bed with them…they take turns sleeping with her as they are in a brothel…this is a big disaster and to maintain silence is also a disaster.”
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