An international diplomatic storm has engulfed India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over reported insulting remarks towards Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), (Jun 5, 2022).
BJP national spokeswoman Nupur Sharma is reported to have insulted the prophet and his wife Aisha in a TV debate last week. Following an outcry over the comments made during the debate, Sharma’s colleague, BJP’s Delhi media operation head, Naveen Kumar Jindal is reported to have posted a now-deleted tweet about the prophet that also angered many.
“The State of Qatar calls on the Indian government to immediately condemn these remarks and publicly apologize to all Muslims around the world,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Mohammed Al Ansari said.
Kuwait also summoned the Indian ambassador and said it had handed the ambassador a protest note in which Kuwait rejected and denounced the statements made by the BJP official.
Saudi Arabia, the largest Gulf country, condemned the remarks, describing the spokesperson’s comments as “insulting” and calling for “respect for beliefs and religions”, according to a foreign ministry statement. In denouncing the remarks, the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs said, “reaffirms its permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion and refuses to prejudice all religious figures and symbols”
Mecca authorities
The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina issued a statement, separate from the Saudi foreign ministry, to condemn the “insulting statements” made by the spokesperson of the BJP against the Prophet.
Oman
In a statement, the Sultanate at Oman said that Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Harthy, the undersecretary in Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Diplomatic Affairs summoned Amit Narang, the Indian ambassador and condemned the “offensive statements”.
The grand mufti of the sultanate of Oman described the “obscene rudeness” of Modi’s party towards Islam as a form of “war”.
Bahrain
Bahrain’s foreign affairs ministry released its own statement on Monday, stressing “the need to denounce any reprehensible insults against the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, as a provocation to Muslims’ feelings and incitement to religious hatred.”
The ministry in a statement stressed “the importance of respecting all religious beliefs, symbols, and personalities, and the concerted efforts of the international community to spread the values of moderation, tolerance, and dialogue between religions and civilizations, and to confront extremist ideas that feed sedition and religious, sectarian, or racial hatred.”
Afghanistan
The interim Afghan government, led by the Taliban, also issued a strong condemnation, Pajhwok News, Afghanistan’s largest independent news agency, said. “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns the use of derogatory words against the Prophet of Islam (Peace be upon him) by an official of the ruling party in India,” the agency quoted government Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid as saying in a tweet. “We urge the Indian government not to allow such fanatics to insult the holy religion of Islam and provoke the feelings of Muslims,” he said.
Indonesia
Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation in the world, summoned the Indian ambassador to the foreign ministry and conveyed its strong condemnation of “unacceptable derogatory remarks” against the Prophet by the two politicians.
United Arab Emirates
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) affirmed the United Arab Emirates’ “firm rejection of all practices and behaviors that contradict moral and human values and principles”. It was the last country in the GCC to issue a statement. The ministry called for the necessity of respecting religious symbols and not violating them, confronting hate speech and violence, and strengthening the joint international responsibility to spread the values of tolerance and human coexistence, and to prevent any practices that would inflame the religious feelings of followers of different religions.
Jordan
Jordan also “condemned in the strongest terms” the offensive remarks. Its foreign ministry spokesperson Haitham Abu Alfoul said the country rejects “violations against Islamic and other religious figures, considering it as an act that feeds extremism and hatred”.
Maldives
The Maldives is one of India’s closest partners in South Asia. The island nation has also condemned the comments by the BJP leaders, saying it is “deeply concerned by the derogatory remarks”. Government of Maldives unreservedly condemns all and any action that purports to pervert the true nature & teachings of Islam and attempts to demean the holy Prophet Muhammed (PBUH).
Iraq
The Parliamentary Committee on Awqaf and Tribals of Iraq – another key trade partner of India – summoned the Indian ambassador on Monday, according to the Iraqi News Agency. In a strong note of condemnation, the Committee reportedly said, “These abuses, malicious and disgraceful acts will have serious repercussions and, if not contained, may lead to dire consequences that will have unimaginable consequences for the peaceful coexistence, as well as increase strife and tensions between peoples.”
Iran
In Iran’s capital of Tehran, Indian Ambassador to Iran, Gaddam Dharmendra, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Director General of South Asia on the evening of June 5. A “strong protest” was registered by the Islamic Republic of Iran over the controversial remarks by the ruling party leader on against the Prophet, the country’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
Libya
The foreign ministry of the north African nation of Libya also expressed concern over the “insulting statements” made by ruling party officials.
Pakistan
Summoned the Indian charg d’affaires to convey its categorical rejection and condemnation of the controversial remarks by the two BJP leaders against Prophet Mohammed.
Egypt
Egypt’s minister for religious endowments, Dr Mokhtar Gomaa, made a Facebook post on Prophet Mohammed, calling him the “most generous, purest and most honorable” of all.
Without naming India, he further wrote, “The peace of mankind shall not be achieved by the contempt of religions and sanctities, and the wise of the world must avoid those extremism calls that may drift in today’s world.”
Two main religious voices of authority issued strong statements.
Al-Azhar al-Sharif
Egypt’s Al-Azhar al-Sharif, one of the world’s oldest seats of Muslim learning, also issued a statement condemning the BJP leaders’ words. The statement said that the remarks of the “ignorant Indian” could only emanate from “advocates of extremism and supporters of hatred and sedition and enemies of the policy of dialogue between followers of different faiths, civilizations and culture”.
Grand Mufti of Egypt
The Grand Mufti of Egypt and chairman of the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide Shawqi A’lam also condemned the BJP leaders’ words, noting that such “insults fuel the feelings of hatred and raise sedition.” A’lam also gave a call for criminalizing insults against prophets, religions, sanctuaries, and religious symbols.
Turkey
Ömer Çelik, of the ruling AK Parti of Turkey, also condemned the BJP leaders’ remarks. “We condemn the insulting statements of an official from the Indian ruling party (BJP) against the Prophet in the strongest possible terms. This is an insult not only to Muslims in India but also to Muslims all over the world,” Celik wrote on Twitter.
Malaysia
The Malaysian foreign ministry condemned the remarks made by the BJP leaders and summoned the Indian high commissioner. In a statement, the ministry said it welcomed the BJP’s decision to suspend the officials due to their “provocative remarks” and asked India to work towards ending Islamophobia and cease provocative actions.
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
The 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the comments and raised concerns against the “systematic” harassment of Muslims in India. It said the remarks came in a “context of intensifying hatred and abuse toward Islam in India. The OIC also urged the UN to take necessary measures to ensure that the rights of Muslims are protected in India.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
The regional body Gulf Cooperation Council also issued a statement condemning the remarks. “HE Dr Nayef Falah M. Al Hajraf, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has condemned, rejected, and denounced the statements made by the spokesperson of the Indian Bharatiya Janata Party against the Holy Prophet Mohammed bin Abdullah,” said the statement issued in Riyadh.