Sumaya El-Zaher
Everyone was talking about it on social media. The new Netflix series ‘Messiah’ has stirred controversy before it was released. Some liking it and others disliking it. But what is this series actually about? And why is it making people angry?
This thriller series is about a mysterious man who claims to be sent by a higher being and who appears out of nowhere in present-day Syria. This man, whose name is Al-Masih, convinces a large group of Palestinian Syrians to travel all the way to the border of Israel. Because of his ability to perform miracles he gains a lot of followers all over the world. A CIA agent becomes interested in how this unknown man was able to move such a large group of people and starts investigating him.
However, Messiah is not just a fantasy personality of Michael Petroni, the writer of the series. It is actually a religious figure talked about in various religions of the world. In Christianity they call him Christ, in Judaism they call him Messiah, and in Islam he is called Al-Masieh. In the series the Messiah recites something what seems like Quranic verses and travels to Israel where he gets in contact with a Jewish secret agent and afterwards moves to America where he meets a pastor. It seems like the writer was very well informed about the link between the Messiah and the three big religions. But why is it causing this much controversy? Some countries even trying to ban the Netflix series.
Muslims have been saying that the series does not refer to Al-Massih but to Al-Dajjal. Al-Dajjal is an Islamic figure that can be compared to the Antichrist in Christianity. In Islam it is believed that Al-Dajjal would appear at the end of the world first claiming to be a prophet and afterwards claiming to be God. He is believed to be the biggest challenge for believers.
People are not only talking about the series, but have been signing petitions to ban the series. The petition by Change.org to boycott the series has already reached over 5,000 signatures.
Netflix even released a statement saying: “Messiah is a work of fiction. It is not based on any one character, figure or religion. All Netflix shows feature ratings and information to help members make their own decisions about what’s right for them and their families.”
However, others don’t think there is a problem with watching the series and are voicing their confusion.
What do you think? Is this series really anti-Islamic or would you watch the series?