LOS ANGELES, Dec 22, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – A prophet who defies a resurgent
Islamic State in Syria. A shooting on Jerusalem’s sacred Temple Mount. And —
just possibly — the coming of the Messiah.
Netflix could scarcely have picked a more controversial plot for its latest
thriller, about a mysterious religious leader who emerges in the Middle East
and is pursued across the globe by the CIA.
“Yes it’s provocative — the show is provocative,” creator Michael Petroni
told AFP. “But provocative isn’t offensive.”
“Messiah,” out January 1, imagines how modern society would react if such a
figure appeared, spreading his message rapidly via social media in a world
grappling with “fake news” and breathless 24-hour bulletins.
The question of whether the character — played by Belgian actor Mehdi
Dehbi — is the genuine Messiah, a nefarious political agent or simply a
trickster is at the heart of the show’s premise.
Petroni admits Netflix were “nervous” when he came to them with his idea.
“It was such an audacious concept, you know?” he said. “You read the pilot,
this guy is going to march 2,000 Palestinian Syrians across the border of
Israel.”
That concept included building, at considerable expense, a scale replica of
part of Temple Mount including the sacred Dome of the Rock, from where
Muslims believe the prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven.
Filming at the iconic site was never a remote possibility — particularly
given the violent nature of the scene in the show’s second episode.
But Petroni insists the show “doesn’t set out to offend anyone.”
“It’s not like I’m welcoming backlash,” he added. “We expect that there’s
going to be a lot of noise around the show, and a lot of debate. I’m hoping
for debate.”
A Change.org petition has already been launched calling for a boycott of
the show, describing it as “evil and anti-Islamic propaganda.”
In “Messiah” it is not specified to which faith the enigmatic leader —
referred to by some characters as “Al-Masih” — subscribes.
Petroni refuses to be drawn on his own religion. But two of the show’s
producers, husband-and-wife Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, have a background
in Christian faith-based programming.
– ‘Super careful’ –
Setting the action at such a sacred location as Temple Mount was necessary
because it is a nexus of religion where Christianity, Islam and Judaism all
converge, said Petroni.
“Obviously historically they don’t meet up happily. But that is where they
all meet up. And so to me as a location to a story that’s about politics and
religion, it was so symbolic.”
Filming took place in Jordan as well as the US, with action switching
between the Middle East, Texas and Washington DC — providing an additional
set of challenges.
Characters, including the dogged CIA agent played by Michelle Monaghan (the
“Mission: Impossible” series), flit between English, Hebrew and Arabic —
often mid-conversation.
Other US shows such as “Homeland,” which drew criticism over its portrayal
of the Middle East and Muslims, have been embarrassed by cultural and
linguistic pitfalls.
That show saw a Hezbollah commander escort its heroine through a Berlin set
doubling as a Syrian refugee camp, on which someone had graffitied in Arabic
the words: “Homeland is racist.”
The first trailer for “Messiah,” released earlier this month, drew ridicule
from some Muslim viewers, who noted that the name “Al-Masih” is used in
Islamic theology by Dajjal, a false prophet comparable to the Antichrist.
Netflix quickly moved to quash claims this was a spoiler — its Twitter
account accurately noted “That’s not actually the character’s name” — and
plot details remain strictly embargoed.
Petroni, an Australian whose father grew up in Egypt, does not speak
Arabic, and neither did the directors — meaning the show had to hire an
experienced and reliable team of translators and dialect coaches.
“We were super careful,” said Petroni.