The President of the two Holy mosques and Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab states of the Gulf condemned the controversial remarks made by leaders of the ruling party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the Prophet Muhammad.
On June 1, Delhi BJP spokesperson Naveen Kumar Jindal wrote a tweet on his official account on Twitter, in which he talked about the marriage of the Prophet, to Aisha, and alleged that she was ten years old at the time, which sparked widespread anger among the pioneers of communication in the Arab world.
On May 27, BJP national spokesperson Nupur Sharma in Mumbai during a show on a private channel on Friday made derogatory comments against Prophet Muhammed.
On Sunday, the ruling party in India announced the suspension of its spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, in the background of an offensive statement to the Prophet’s mosque and expelled Naveen Kumar Jindal for hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims with his tweet.
Social media has been buzzing in a number of Arab and Islamic countries since Saturday, with protests, after controversial statements by Sharma and Jindal, the spokespersons of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi, regarding the marriage of the Prophet Muhammad and Aisha.
The hashtag #Except_Messenger_of_Allah_Ya_Modi continues to trend in several Arab and Islamic countries, in a protest against the insulting tweet of the Prophet Muhammad, amid calls for a boycott of India.
Sheikh Abdur Rahman Al-Sudais:
The President of the two holy Mosques Sheikh Abdur Rahman Al-Sudais on Monday in the strongest terms condemned and denounced the insulting statements made against Prophet Muhammad by the spokesperson of the Indian Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).
“The Presidency condemns, in the name of the President, the imams and scholars of the Two Holy Mosques, the offensive statements and drawings of the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,” read the statement.
The Presidency stressed, “Such a heinous act does not represent respect for religions, and that those who did such an act did not read in the biography of the Prophet, may Allah prayers and peace be upon him…… for it is better than trampling on the earth, and the light of humanity, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, and the mercy that is bestowed upon the worlds.”
Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Nayef Al-Hajraf, expressed his condemnation, rejection and denunciation of the statements issued against the Prophet.
He affirmed his “categorical rejection of harming all the prophets, messengers, personalities and religious symbols”, stressing “the position that rejects provocation, targeting or underestimating beliefs and religions.”
UAE
The United Arab Emirates on Monday condemned statements by the spokesperson for the Indian Bharatiya Janata Party, expressing its denunciation and rejection of insults of the Prophet Muhammad.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) affirmed the UAE’s firm rejection of all practices and behaviors that contradict moral and human values and principles.
Bahrain
Bahrain’s foreign affairs ministry on Monday welcomed the decision of the BJP to suspend the party’s spokesperson, stressing “the need to denounce any reprehensible insults against the Prophet Muhammad, 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.”
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday welcomed the decision taken by the ruling party in suspending Sharma.
The statement by the Ministry read, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the spokeswoman of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. insulting Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, and reaffirms its permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion and refuses to prejudice all religious figures and symbols.”
Qatar
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar on Sunday summoned India’s Ambassador to hand an official note, expressing the country’s “total rejection of the statements of an official in the ruling party in India against the Prophet Muhammed.” The country has demanded a public apology from all Muslims in the world.
The spokesperson of the Minister also pointed out that “allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment constitutes a grave danger to the protection of human rights and may lead to further prejudice and marginalization, which will create a cycle of violence and hate.”
Kuwait
The Foreign Ministry of Kuwait, too, handed a note to the Indian Ambassador, denouncing the remarks made by the BJP spokeswoman.
The Ministry welcomed the suspension while demanding a public apology. In a statement similar to Qatar’s, the Ministry that such “hostile statements” if allowed to continue without any deterrence, “will increase extremism and hatred.”
Iran
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Indian ambassador to Tehran over what state media called an “insult against the Prophet of Islam (Muhammad) in an Indian TV show”, Irna International news reported.
Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed the official protest note to the Indian ambassador to Iran Gaddam Dharmendra.
