Irancell has apologized to Sunni Muslims for a mobile phone competition seen as insulting to Muslim caliph and the Prophet Mohammad�s companion Umar bin al-Khattab.
The second largest mobile operator in Iran had sent its subscribers a quiz question deemed offensive to Sunni Muslims,�Iran Daily Brief�website reported Monday.
The telecom operator asked its subscribers: �Which judge was deceived by the Devil during the time of (the first Shiite Imam) Imam Ali?�
The two answer options given were: A) Sharih Qazi, the Sunni arbiter of Kufa city, in the first century of Islam. B) Umar bin al-Khattab, the second Muslim caliph.
A Sunni Friday prayer imam in the city of Zahedan, Mowlavi Abdolhamid Esma�ilzehi, said Irancell �had insulted one of the greatest men of Islam,� according to the website of Iran Daily Brief.
The public prosecutor in Zahedan reportedly raised charges against Irancell, the website added.
The website reported that the mobile company issued a statement saying: �It was committed to respecting the unity of Muslims, religious proximity and all divine religions.�
The Golden Key Institute, the organizer of the competition, also issued a statement saying that �Umar bin-al-Khattab was not alive during the period of time mentioned in the question, and therefore this cannot be the correct answer,� according to the Website.
Sunnis view Umar as a very important figure and just leader in the history of Islam. Shiites, however, do not view Umar as a legitimate leader of the Muslim Ummah (Muslim nation) arguing that Umar and Abu Bakr conspired to seize power from Ali, highly regarded in Shiite Islam.