Tash Ma Tash team crossed limits, says Grand Mufti

Tash Ma Tash team crossed limits, says Grand Mufti Arab News

JEDDAH: Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has lambasted the Tash Ma Tash comedy series, which was broadcast on an Arab satellite television during this Ramadan. According to the sheikh, the series exceeded acceptable limits. The mufti described the popular comedy series as malicious saying it targeted religion and damaged social cohesiveness. He said he would do what was necessary to tackle the issue judiciously. Al-Asheikh made the comments during a television program in response to the question of a viewer who sought his intervention to stop the series for attacking religion and religious leaders. Tash Ma Tash is a popular television comedy produced in Saudi Arabia and attracts thousands of viewers during Ramadan when it is broadcast soon after iftar or the fast-breaking meal. This year's series dealt with a number of social and cultural issues. Although most people like the program because of its social criticism, many conservatives have deemed it as anti-Islam and anti-establishment and wanted the authorities to ban it. The episode that appeared on Friday focused on swine flu. It criticized the delay in getting results from medical tests and the difficulty in being admitted to specialist hospitals. It also pointed out that medical reports issued by some hospitals were not correct. Abdul Majeed Al-Amri, a manager of dawa (Islamic propagation) at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Dawa and Guidance, described the team behind Tash Ma Tash as "racists" working to ridicule religion and divide the country. "We're used to the series every Ramadan mocking the Qur'an and Sunnah. The team behind Tash Ma Tash is not patriotic. These people are defaming everything the Kingdom is doing to correct the misconceptions the West has of Muslims and Islam," he said. Al-Asheikh said those who support the Al-Qaeda network by providing militants refuge and cover are partners in the terrorists' crimes. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he emphasized the need to educate schoolchildren about the danger of deviant thoughts propagated by Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. "We have to warn students about the dangers posed by these organizations, either making the warning part of the syllabus or giving special lectures on the subject," the mufti said. He said there was nothing wrong if somebody wanted to postpone the performance of Haj this year to another year because of swine flu. "If somebody is afraid of the disease, Haj will not be obligatory on him this year and he can postpone it until next year."