How do Muslims from different countries view the series “Muawiyah”?
The production and broadcast of the series “Muawiyah” on the Saudi “MBC” network has met with various reactions. In this report, we tried to examine the type of reaction of countries and public opinion in the Islamic world, from the Arab-speaking countries, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia to Turkey and the European region, by monitoring the official media and cyberspace; the result of this media monitoring is as follows:
It is necessary to emphasize that the official reaction and cyberspace of Iran, Iraq, and Egypt (here) and other evasive positions of the media, personalities, and officials in the Islamic world are not included in this report, and an attempt has been made to target regions and countries in the Islamic world that have received less attention or have not received much attention.
“Muawiyah” in Europe and Southeast Asia
The views of Muslims in European countries on social networks can be divided into four general categories:
1- Historical and sectarian concerns: Some users are critical of the way the early history of Islam is portrayed, especially the portrayal of figures such as Imam Ali (AS), Muawiyah, and their conflict.
2- Cultural representation: Many European Muslims are interested in historical Islamic films and series, but they consider the Muawiyah series to be a distortion of events or an inability to represent Islam; in a way that does not correspond to Muslim identity.
3- Cinematic and artistic criticism: Another group of social network users in this area, although they assessed the quality of production, costumes, and settings as appropriate, are critical of the dialogues and the way historical figures are portrayed.
4-Western media and public perception: Some users are concerned that non-Muslims will misinterpret the series and reinforce divisive historical narratives in Europe and Southeast Asia.
The Muawiyah series is also available on reddit.com, but with only 3 episodes aired, only about 100 comments have been posted, which could indicate that the series has not been well received. The analytical website Parrot Analytics reported in a survey that audience demand for the Muawiyah series is less than one-tenth of the average for TV series in Germany.
Pakistan and the Indian subcontinent
Our online research showed that there was no specific reaction to the Muawiyah series in the official media in Pakistan and the Indian subcontinent, and only BBC Urdu reported on the series, including its structure, director, and cast, as well as international reactions to it (such as its ban in some countries).