AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A critique session on the TV series Muawiya was held on Monday, March 17, 2025, at the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly Conference Hall, organized by the Office of Studies, Research, and Scientific-Cultural Affairs of the Assembly in collaboration with the AhlulBayt (a.s.) International News Agency – ABNA.
The session featured presentations by Hojat al-Islam Dr. Mahdi Farmanian, a professor at the University of Religions and Denominations and scientific advisor to the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly; Dr. Issam Yahya Emad, a Yemeni Islamic scholar and researcher; Hojat al-Islam Morteza Fallah, a media expert and film critic; and Hojat al-Islam Ali Rezaei Adriani, a media expert and film critic.
The Main Conflict is Between Wahhabism and Sunnis, Not Shia and Sunnis!
Hojat al-Islam Dr. Mahdi Farmanian, a professor at the University of Religions and Denominations and scientific advisor to the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, addressed the historical approach of the series during the session. “There are three approaches in Islamic historical texts. The first is the Shiite approach, the second is the Sunnis’ approach supporting AhlulBayt (a.s.), and the third is the Ottoman-Salafi-Wahhabi approach.”
He emphasized that Uthmani (Ottoman) thought differs from the Uthmani (Ottoman) Empire, stating, “This ideology began after the assassination of Uthman ibn Affan, the third caliph. Following this event, some rose to avenge Uthman’s death, leading to the battles of Jamal and Siffin.”
Regarding the Alawi and Uthmani factions, the scientific advisor to the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly explained, “The Uthmani followers did not accept the Alawis, and the Alawis rejected Uthman’s caliphate. After Muawiya’s peace treaty with Imam Hassan (a.s.), the Uthmani thought became prevalent. Consequently, the practice of cursing and insulting Imam Ali (a.s.) and his descendants also spread.”
Dr. Farmanian then discussed the Kaysanites and the Abbasids, who managed to shift society from the Uthmani thought to the Alawi approach. “The Abbasid rule reached a point where some Uthmani followers accepted Imam Ali (a.s.) as the fourth caliph. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, influenced by his teacher ‘Abd al-Razzaq, an Alawi residing in Yemen, recognized Imam Ali (a.s.) as the fourth caliph,” he added.
The professor at the University of Religions and Denominations noted that over time, the Uthmani thought faded. “Day by day, the Sunni thought that accepted AhlulBayt (a.s.) became more prevalent. The book Tarikh al-Tabari was written by a Sunni author with this very approach. Tabari was someone who did not accept the Uthmani thought and even authored a book on the methods of narrating the Hadith of Ghadir.”
Regarding the events of the 8th century Hijri (approximately the 14th century CE), Hojat al-Islam Farmanian stated, “During this era, some sought to revive the Uthmani thought. However, society was not receptive to such an ideology. As a result, some began to deny the virtues of Imam Ali (a.s.). They introduced the concept of ijtihad (independent reasoning) in politics and the possibility of errors in decision-making by figures like Muawiya to whitewash his image.”
Hojat al-Islam Farmanian emphasized, “Today, Wahhabis, through the TV series Muawiya, aim to present the Uthmani thought as the Sunnis’ ideology. However, this thought aligns with the ideas of Ibn Taymiyyah [ideological father of Wahhabism], and Sunnis themselves oppose such thought.”
Regarding strategies to counter and respond to the series, he said, “Our ulama and elders should not complete the enemy’s puzzle. Wahhabis are trying to instigate a Shia-Sunni conflict, while the main dispute is between Sunnis and Wahhabis. Therefore, we can counter this series by reflecting the criticisms of the Sunni ulama.”
Concluding his remarks, Hojat al-Islam Dr. Farmanian, a professor at the University of Religions and Denominations, stated, “This series has attempted to adhere to Sunni historical sources while simultaneously executing the directives of its Wahhabi sponsors. Thus, historians can critique the series by pointing out its numerous historical inaccuracies, which contradict Sunni sources.”
The Series Muawiya Does Not Represent the Sunni Perspective: Yemeni Intellectual
Continuing the session, Dr. Issam Yahya Emad, an Islamic researcher and prominent Yemeni thinker, said, “This series is based on the notion that “they were Alawis who defamed Muawiya! and the history of Muawiya’s era was written by the enemies of the Umayyads.” Therefore, they believe that the perspective of Iranian series and films about Muawiya is based on the views of the Abbasids and Buyids (i.e., Muawiya’s enemies). However, in the series Muawiya, the name of Yusuf al-Qaradawi was cited as one of its sources, which I consider a betrayal. In one of his books, Al-Qaradawi described Muawiya as misguided. The producer lied about this because they knew al-Qaradawi was an international figure, while individuals like Akram Omari, whose views the series is based on, are not well-known. Al-Qaradawi believed that Muawiya and Yazid caused deviations in Islam. Al-Qaradawi passed away before the series Muawiya was released.”
The Yemeni thinker added, “Wahhabis believe that Iranians have no right to protest against the series Muawiya because in the series Mukhtar Thaqafi, the character of Abdullah ibn Zubair was defamed, and in the series Imam Ali (a.s.), Talha and Zubair, considered as heavenly figures according to Sunni beliefs, were questioned.”
Dr. Issam Yahya Emad emphasized, “The series’ producers do their best to portray the relationship between Imam Ali (a.s.) and Muawiya as friendly! The narrative suggests that the killers of Uthman had infiltrated Imam Ali’s (a.s.) army, and he (a.s.) should not have listened to them! The series attempts to show that Muawiya should have remained in power in the Levant because he knew the Romans and the people of the Levant followed him. However, the killers of Uthman, fearing execution if peace were achieved between Imam Ali (a.s.) and Muawiya, prevented reconciliation between the two!”
Yahya Emad discussed the views of other scholars regarding Muawiya, stating, “Hassan al-Banna [Egyptian scholar best known for founding the Muslim Brotherhood] opposed Muawiya; Ahmed Muhammad Seddiq Ammari [prominent anti-Wahhabi Sunni scholar] wrote a book against Muawiya, and even Ibn al-Jawzi, a Salafi figure, authored a work against Yazid [son of Muawiya]. The creators of the series Muawiya do not accept the beliefs of Sunnis or Shiites. Therefore, it cannot be said that the series Muawiya is a result of the conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, the Iranian TV series take the Sunni perspective into account.”
“It is unfair to present the series Muawiya as the Sunni perspective,” he added. “The creators of Muawiya have produced it based on the views of those who have questioned the authenticity of Tarikh al-Tabari, a primary historical reference for Sunnis. Tarikh al-Tabari is a book used not only by Sunnis but also by the Shiites. The creators of Muawiya did not use Tarikh al-Tabari or Tarikh Ibn Kathir because the portrayal of Muawiya in their series contradicts these Sunni historical books.”
Concluding his remarks, the Islamic researcher said, “Thus, the series Muawiya contradicts Tarikh al-Tabari. The historical accounts of Muawiya in Sunni sources do not differ from those in Shiite sources.”
The Series Muawiya Aims to Whitewash Muawiya and the Umayyads
Then, Hojat al-Islam Morteza Fallah, a media expert and film critic, spoke at the session, stating, “The series Muawiya was produced by the MBC network. It was supposed to air two years ago but was delayed due to protests.”
He added, “The budget for the series is $100 million, while the series Hashashin (The Assassins) was produced and aired at a much lower cost but with higher quality. Muawiya was produced in Tunisia, and its script was written by five individuals. In this series, Lojain Ismail, a Syrian actor, plays the role of Muawiya. Interestingly, he also acted in the Iranian series Habib [series about Iran’s advisory presence in Syria].”
Highlighting that Arab countries have recently entered the production of strategic TV series, the media expert continued, “The series Al-Asbat (about Imam Hassan (a.s.), Imam Hussein (a.s.), and Muawiya) was produced in 2010 and aired during Ramadan 2011. In 2012, the series Omar was produced by Qatar and the UAE and broadcast on the MBC network. The series Hashashin was produced by Egyptians last year, and this year, following the broader policies pursued by these countries, the series Muawiya was aired.”
He added, “Since 2005, Arab countries have produced about 20 strategic historical series. Given that Muawiya will not be the last series, what should we do in response to this wave of series production? Should we filter the internet? Even with all the restrictions, this series was downloaded.”
Regarding strategies to counter Arab-produced series, Hojat al-Islam Fallah said, “In this regard, IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) must step in and produce high-quality historical series. Over the past two to three decades, we have been negligent. Since the series Mukhtar al-Thaqafi in 2011, no high-quality historical series has been produced [in Iran]. We have had a 15-year gap, while Arab countries produce historical series every year. IRIB must produce TV series about early Islamic figures and Shiite dignitaries. Because, through such series, we can address many misconceptions and doubts. In the media domain, presenting the first narrative about a figure holds significant importance. Therefore, the primary responsibility in this regard lies with IRIB.”
He also stated, ‘Series based on Quranic stories are good, but in my opinion, they are not a priority. I don’t know why priority was given to the series about Prophet Moses (a.s.), while the Supreme Leader emphasized the production of TV series about figures such as Abu Talib (a.s.) and Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (a.s.), the paternal uncle and cousin of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h), respectively.”
Emphasizing that producing a TV series requires a long-term plan, the film critic noted, “Given that the series Muawiya has been watched in Arab countries, several content critique sessions about it should be held in Arabic. This is because the Sunni community also disagrees with this portrayal of Muawiya.”
In another part of his remarks, he stated, “Unfortunately, 12 members of the Muawiya series crew are Iranian. The makeup designer of the series is Siamak Eslami. The costume designer and makeup team are also Iranian. The film’s photographer is Iranian as well. This indicates a failure on the part of our officials, as Iranians are participating in a series that is against our national and religious interests. These are individuals whose names appear in the credits of the Muawiya series.”
Regarding the flaws of the Muawiya series, Hojat al-Islam Fallah said, “The first technical flaw of the series is its poor direction. Another issue is that historical and religious series should reference their sources, which is absent in this series. The crew avoided this to defend their work. Another flaw is the inaccurate portrayal of the characters. For example, Muawiya was a fat person who ate excessively. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) even cursed him, saying he would never be satisfied with food. However, in this series, Muawiya is depicted as a well-built and handsome man. Additionally, the cold and poor dialogues are another flaw of the Muawiya series.”
He continued, “The main actors of the Muawiya series deliver dull performances. Brevity and the lack of detail in historical events are other flaws of this series. $100 million was spent on producing the series, yet events like the Battle of Uhud and other early Islamic battles are depicted in just 50 seconds. Such brevity in a 30-episode series is unjustifiable. Another flaw is the set and costume design, which do not align with history. There are also several fundamental content-related flaws, one of which is the distortion of historical events. The series crew twists the narrative wherever they can.”
Concluding his remarks, the media expert said, “The main goal of this series is to whitewash the Umayyads and some companions who had some bad fame. To achieve this, many distortions have been made. For example, Muawiya’s conversion to Islam before the conquest of Mecca is one such distortion. Another content-related flaw is the omission of important historical events to achieve their primary goal of whitewashing Muawiya and the Umayyads. The final flaw is the promotion of debauchery, which the House of Saud strives for.”
The True Face of Muawiya is Disguised in the Series
Next, in this session, Hojat al-Islam Ali Rezaei Adriani, a media expert and film critic, referred to his ten-year experience of analyzing and critiquing Sunni-produced series and said, “Character, event, and theme are the three main elements of any series. The main character of this series is Muawiya, and its theme is designed around the idea that the caliphate era has ended and has been replaced by monarchy!”
Noting that the Muawiya series relies on hadith books instead of Sunni historical sources, the media expert stated, “IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) can clarify the historical contradictions in this series by conducting a comparative analysis between the series Omar and Muawiya.”
Hojat al-Islam Adriani described the series as an attempt to whitewash figures like Abu Sufyan. “The Muawiya series portrays Abu Sufyan as a person who just observed the Battle of Uhud, not as someone who stood against the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h).”
He added, “The creators of this series aimed to present a romantic story to the audience, one that could compete with Turkish series like ‘Magnificent Century’ (Harim Sultan). Therefore, attracting viewers took priority over historical accuracy in the production of this series.”
Highlighting the importance of visual storytelling in history, the media expert stated, “Today, producing historical films and series for society is a priority, as written history no longer appeals to modern audiences.”
Hojat al-Islam Adriani emphasized the importance of producing or outsourcing series about historical figures such as Umar ibn Abdulaziz or Abu Muslim Khorasani and explained this as a method of countering such narratives.
“The audience of the series Muawiya witnesses the whitewashing of Sunni rulers. Just as the terrorist al-Joulani in Syria hid his terrorism behind a suit and a tie, this series seeks to hide the true character of Muawiya,” the media expert said in the end.
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