Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti and head of the Council of Senior Scholars, has condemned a television series to be aired this Ramadan for allegedly depicting an adulterous relationship.

During his sermon at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, Al-Asheikh said Islamic law prohibited any support for such relationships. He accused the show of promoting taboos, spreading vice and corruption and tearing at the fabric of society.

Al-Asheikh said that satellite stations should not broadcast such shows. He said the last Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If anyone invites others to follow error, he and whoever worked on it will carry the burden until the Day of Resurrection.”

The series, “Zina Al-Maharem,” has caused controversy on social media websites.

Some users said it should be banned because a clip advertising it allegedly showed a man having intimate relations with two sisters for one year. They said the scenes were inappropriate and contravened the sanctity of the month of Ramadan.

However, the television station has denied that the two female characters are sisters. It said they are close friends and that the series had been authorized by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Information and was suitable for family viewing.

The channel said people condemning the show had not watched it, and that the accusations amounted to malicious speculation and slander.

However, some social media contributors said that the clearance by the Kuwaiti authorities did not mean that the show was not harming society. They accused the producers of contravening the tenets of Islam and the culture of the Gulf region.

Some said it was not right to present this type of behavior as common in society. They accused the media of trying to sabotage the reputation of Arabs and Muslims by presenting them as immoral.

A similar media campaign targeted a series called “A Price for Sins” (Lil Khataya Thaman) two years ago. The show was eventually banned.