Nouri Al-Maliki spurs outrage over cursing a major companion of Prophet Mohammad

A video clip by Iraq's former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki cursing Amr Ibn Al-Aas, one of Prophet Mohammed's companions and an important figure in the history of Egypt, has gone viral by social media users worldwide.

In the video, Maliki claims that during the rule of the Umayyad Islamic Caliphate, the Muslims were "cursing" Imam Ali, Prophet Mohammed's cousin and the fourth caliphate in Islam, after the prayers for 70 years, until caliphate Omar Bin Abdul Aziz ordered an end to the curses. 

 Maliki, who was addressing a gathering of Iraqi Shia celebrating Eid al-Ghadir, also cursed Amr Ibn Al-Aas, who was the Arab commander who led the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 640 and then governed the country for four years. Maliki has described Al-Aas as "filthy". 

Social media users have reacted angrily at Maliki's claims, calling on the Iraqi authorities to prosecute him.

نوري #المالكي: عمرو بن العاص خبيث و السنة كانوا يتصافحون بـ "لعن" الإمام علي بن أبي طالب pic.twitter.com/jbyVc1FBuc

— الأحداث العراقية (@RAlahdath) July 9, 2023

In a statement on Sunday, the Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq severely rebuked Maliki, describing his words as "lies".  

"Nuri al-Maliki, the leader of the so-called (State of Law Coalition), is spreading delusion in a new wave of sectarian statements replete with lies reported by government media and others affiliated with the parties in power," reads part of the statement.

"Al-Maliki's abuse of the Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and the history of the Islamic nation; Al-Maliki is trying to tamper with the minds and understandings of Iraqis. When he composed some stories and attributed them to history, seeking to inflame people's feelings and incite them to sectarianism," it added.

The Association also said "Maliki's lies" indicates the extent of "his ignorance of history," calling on the ruling political parties to have precise positions towards Maliki's claims as they are considered "a true crime". 

A Kurdish researcher in Islamic history, speaking on condition of secrecy, told The New Arab that Maliki's claims "could not be verified in books about Islamic history."

Abdullah Reshawi, a Kurdish researcher on Islam, told TNA that what Maliki has said cannot be verified in Islamic history. 

"Leaders should not exploit suspicious stories in the Islamic history for political ends and inciting sectarian issues; such acts are not the deeds of a true statesman," Reshawi said.   

Maliki was Iraq's prime minister for two successive terms from 2006 until 2014 when the Islamic State (IS) group conquered a third of Iraq.  

Al-Ghadir is celebrated by the Shia community on Friday (Dhul-Hijjah 18). The Shia claim that the Prophet appointed Ali as his first caliph and the Imam after himself, but the companions were "treacherous" to him. At the same time, the Sunni community argues that the Prophet's successor was rightly Abu Bakr.