It sparked controversy and anger before its presentation

The series “Fatah Al-Andalus” is causing widespread controversy and anger, especially in Algeria, about the origins of the leader Tariq bin Ziyad, although he is still in the stage of completing filming before it will be shown next Ramadan.

The series, in which artists and writers from more than one Arab country participate, and directed by Mohamed Al-Enezi, tells the details of the operations led by “Tariq bin Ziyad” from North Africa, and exactly from the city of Tangier, to reach the Iberian Peninsula.

The series sparked controversy on social media among Algerians, in conjunction with the filming of its events in Beirut and Turkey, and a number of Algerians said that the work ignored Tariq bin Ziyad’s historical origins.

While others say that he is Moroccan, and among them was the Moroccan actor Hisham Bahloul, who is co-starring in the series (embodies the character of Shaddad, a friend of Tariq bin Ziyad and the commander of his armies),

According to the newspaper, “Hespress”, Bahloul says: “To everyone who accuses our series, “The Conquest of Andalusia”, and strips its hero of his Moroccan nationality and attributes it to another country, has made a mistake and advises him to review history.”

Six Arab writers participated in the writing of the series, including 3 Syrians, two Egyptians and a Kuwaiti, and embodies the character of Tariq bin Ziyad, the Syrian actor Suhail Jubai, while the character of Musa bin Naseer, the Lebanese actor Rafiq Ali Ahmed, and the Jordanian actor Akef Najm participates in the series as a character. Abu Basir Sheikh Tariq bin Ziyad, the Palestinian Mahmoud Khalili, as Julian, the ruler of Ceuta, and the Syrian Palestinian, Taysir Idris, who embodies the character of Ludhariq, the ruler of Toledo.

قريبا يعرض العمل ويحسم هذا الجدل #رمضان pic.twitter.com/uonzHht5d5

— محمد العنزي (@mohamedalenezi) January 13, 2022

Producer and director Al-Anazi had previously published on his Twitter account a presentation entitled “Tariq bin Ziyad, Moroccan or Algerian”? Which presents a number of different points of view on the nationality of that leader, and Al-Enezi commented on the video clip by saying: “Soon the work will be presented and this controversy will be resolved.” Al-Enezi points out that Tariq bin Ziyad existed before “Sykes-Picot” (the Franco-British agreement that divided a number of countries that were under the authority of the Ottomans, and what continues to this day), and Al-Enezi points out that Bin Ziyad is an Islamist before any other nationality.

The series, which is one of the historical works of mass production, will be shown on a number of Arab channels, in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE, in addition to a number of platforms.