A number of members of the Iranian parliament submitted a petition demanding the prosecution of those responsible for a television programme that they believe insulted the companions of Islam’s Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him).
One of the episodes of the satirical programme, which is very popular in Iran, reportedly insulted Talha Bin Obaidullah and Al-Zubair Bin El-Awam sparking public anger and protests among Sunni Muslim parliamentarians.
In a petition handed to the head of the Iranian parliament, 51 lawmakers demanded that the Islamic Consultative Assembly take serious action against the producer and director of the programme. They also demanded that the producer and presenter be brought to justice and stand trial.
Parliamentarian Mohammad Qaseem Osmani warned that such programmes would ignite discrimination between Sunnis and Shias in the country.