Muslim Countries Protest India Over Prophet Muhammad’s Insulting Statements
Doha, MINA – International backlash against India increased after an official of the country’s ruling party made Islamophobic comments during a televised debate.
Qatar and several other Muslim countries filed formal protests against New Delhi and demanded a public apology.
At least five Arab countries, have lodged formal protests against India, as well as Pakistan and Afghanistan reacted strongly on Monday to comments made by two members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Al Jazeera reports.
Protests and anger have spread on social media, and calls to boycott Indian goods have emerged in several Arab countries.
Al Jazeera TV on Monday reported that Indian products had been removed from shelves in some stores in Kuwait.
Criticism from Muslim countries has been harsh, pointing out that insulting the Prophet Muhammad is a red line.
Anger has risen since last week after two BJP members – national spokesman Nupur Sharma and BJP Delhi staffer Naveen Jindal – made statements deemed insulting to the Prophet Muhammad and his wife Ayesha.
Modi’s party took no action against them until Sunday when a diplomatic outcry vote began with Qatar and Kuwait summoning their Indian Ambassador to protest.
In a statement, Qatari Foreign Minister Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi said “this insulting statement will lead to incitement to religious hatred, and offend more than two billion Muslims worldwide”.
Recently, religious tensions have escalated in India after several Hindu groups went to court in the northern city of Varanasi to revoke permission to worship at a 17th-century mosque, claiming that it was built by demolishing a temple.
Critics say these tensions have been further exacerbated by Indian TV channel hosts in recent debates. Sharma of the BJP has made comments against the Prophet Muhammad in one of the debates.
Meanwhile, the BJP on Sunday deactivated Sharma from the party while distancing himself from the party for his offensive remarks.
The party (BJP) also fired Naveen Kumar Jindal, who heads Delhi media, from the party, after he allegedly posted a tweet about the Prophet Muhammad, but later deleted it. (T/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
