A Lavish TV Drama About Islamic History Faces Bans and Backlash

Moawiya, a 21-episode series produced by Saudi Arabia's MBC, is under fire for representing the Sunni version of a period in early Islamic history.

Illustration: Lee Kyutae for Bloomberg

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In a desert soaked with blood, two armored men ride out on horseback to meet between vast armies. Tense music rises then fades as the men come face-to-face.

“You don’t seek justice,” one of them says. “That’s an excuse to keep fighting.” His rival retorts: “Hand over the murderers and this army will pledge allegiance to you.”