Doha: Qatari Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned the Indian ambassador to Doha to condemn the statements of an official of the ruling party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the Prophet Muhammad.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry said that Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, handed the Indian ambassador Deepak Mittal an official note in which he “expressed the disappointment of the State of Qatar and its total rejection and condemnation of the statements made by an official in the ruling party in India against the Messenger of God, Islam and Muslims.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India, in which it announced the suspension of the party’s officials, stressing that it “expects a public apology and immediate condemnation of these statements by the Government of India.”
The statement of Qatar’s Foreign Ministry considered that “allowing such anti-Islam statements to continue without punishment constitutes a grave danger to the protection of human rights, and may lead to further prejudice and marginalization, which will lead to a cycle of violence and hatred.”
The ministry also stressed that these “humiliating statements that incite religious hatred are an insult to Muslims throughout the world, and indicate the clear ignorance of the pivotal role Islam has played in the development of civilizations around the world, including in India.”
Qatar renewed its “full support for the values of tolerance, coexistence and respect for all religions and nationalities, as these values characterize Qatar’s global friendships and its tireless work to contribute to the consolidation of international peace and security.”
India’s response to Qatar:
“Strong action has already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks, the spokesperson of the Indian Embassy in Qatar said.
“In line with our civilisational heritage and strong cultural traditions of unity in diversity, the Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions, the official added.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is currently visiting Qatar and on Sunday he met Qatar’s Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani here.
Noting that vested interests that are against India-Qatar relations have been inciting the people using these derogatory comments, the spokesperson said that the two sides should work together against such mischievous elements who aim to undercut the strength of their bilateral ties.
Social networking sites in the Arab and Islamic world witnessed widespread anger, against the background of objectionable remarks on the Prophet Muhammad by the Indian politician.
On June 1, Delhi Delhi BJP spokesperson Naveen Kumar Jindal in a tweet on his official account on Twitter questioned why the Prophet Muhammad married Aisha when she was not yet 10-year-old.
