I'm surprised they went with the Islam route. When I read "halidom" I was expecting another faux-Christian empire chock full of stereotypes and barebones representation. Naturally, given how many thousands of times this has been done, I would have taken it in stride.
The fact that there are people reacting negatively to this exaggerated (and possibly fake, if the Prince's actions are just to politically aggravate) portrayal is unsurprising. Nearly all modern works involving "evil religious groups" is faux-Christian, but apparently that's not quite as offensive.
Also, I think I might like Arial more than Rachel. Yeah she's an asshole, but at least she has a personality and takes initiative. If Rachel didn't have Marie at her side, what would she even do? No initiative, no preparation, no research or plans. It's no wonder her house is going to shit, if she's their representative.