BJP Faces Backlash From Islamic World Over Its Officials’ Anti-Prophet Remarks

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has faced diplomatic backlash and condemnation from Muslim nations over its two members’ insulting remarks on Prophet Muhammad.

Qatar was the first country to condemn the inflammatory remarks and summon the BJP to issue a public apology, followed by Kuwait, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

In a statement on Sunday, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Indian ambassador to voice “disappointment of Qatar and its total rejection and condemnation to the controversial remarks,” the QNA news agency reported.

“These insulting remarks would lead to incitement of religious hatred, and offend more than two billion Muslims around the world,” said Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al Muraikhi.

Doha is expecting “a public apology to Muslims around the world and immediate condemnation of these remarks from the Indian government,” he added.

BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who was suspended on Sunday, had made derogatory remarks against the Prophet in a TV debate on Times Now, triggering condemnation from India as well as the Islamic world. Her comments prompted demands for her arrest, with outrage spreading across Muslim countries.

Naveen Kumar Jindal, BJP Delhi media head was also expelled from the party over his comments about Prophet Muhammad on Twitter.

Meanwhile, BJP has distanced itself from their remarks, saying it has suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal.

Reacting to Nupur’s and Jindal’s remarks, the Grand Mufti of Oman also came down strongly on them, saying, “the insolent and obscene rudeness of the official spokesman for the ruling extremist party in India against the Messenger of Islam and his pure wife Aisha is a war against every Muslim in the east and west of the earth, and it is a matter that calls for all Muslims to rise as one nation.”

Earlier, Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry handed over a memorandum of protest to the Indian envoy, expressing “categorical rejection and denunciation” of the insulting comments.

In response to the public apology demand, India said that the remarks on Prophet Muhammad were made by “fringe elements” and it did not reflect the views of the government.

India “respects all religions,” it said.

Joining the Islamic world in denouncing the BJP spokesperson’s remarks, Iran’s Foreign Ministry’s South Asia department also said that the Indian ambassador was called to register Iran’s protest over the insulting remarks on The Prophet.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan also condemned the remarks.

Without specifying the insult, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said they came in a “context of intensifying hatred and abuse towards Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims”.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that they condemn in the “strongest possible terms” the highly derogatory remarks made by two BJP officials. “Pakistan once again calls on the international community to take immediate cognisance of the grievously aggravating situation of Islamophobia in India,” he said in a statement.

Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid requested the Indian government “not to allow such fanatics to insult the holy religion of Islam and provoke the feelings of Muslims.” 

The BJP officials’ insulting comments also sparked a trend on Twitter in the Muslim world calling for a boycott of Indian products. Several superstores in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain removed products manufactured from India.

(Inputs from agencies)