New Delhi/UAE: After Qatar, Iran and Kuwait, now the United Arab Emirates has condemned statements by former BJP spokespersons on Prophet Muhammad. The UAE foreign office expressed denunciation and rejection of insults to the founder of Islam.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) affirmed the UAE’s firm rejection of all practices and behaviours that contradict moral and human values and principles.
“The Ministry underscored the need to respect religious symbols and not violate them, as well as confront hate speech and violence. The Ministry also noted the importance of strengthening the shared international responsibility to spread the values of tolerance and human coexistence while preventing any practices that would inflame the sentiment of followers of different religions,” it said.
Iran, Qatar and Kuwait had also summoned Ambassadors of India on Sunday and handed over protest notes to them.
The Indian Embassy in Qatar had already issued a statement, saying that the “Ambassador had a meeting in the Foreign Office in which concerns were raised with regard to some offensive tweets by individuals in India denigrating the religious personality. Ambassador conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements”.
The Qatar government, in a statement, said: “State of Qatar welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India in which it announced the suspension of the party’s official from practicing his activities in the party due to his remarks that angered all Muslims around the world.”
Noting that Qatar is expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks by the Indian government, it 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 marginalisation, which will create a cycle of violence and hate”.
The BJP on Sunday suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled Naveen Jindal, who was media head of the party’s Delhi unit, over remarks on the Prophet Muhammad.
Saudi Arabia has condemned and denounced statements by the now suspended BJP spokesperson which constituted an insult to the Prophet Mohammed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh said.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the spokeswoman of the Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), insulting the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and reaffirms its permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion, alongside all religious figures and symbols,” Saudi state news agency SPA quoted the Ministry as saying.
On Sunday, the BJP suspended party spokespersons Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal for their comments on Prophet Muhammad and said that party’s view is to respect all religions.
Sharma was the party national spokesperson and Jindal the spokesperson and head of media department of the BJP Delhi unit.
The Saudi Ministry welcomed the BJP’s measures and reiterated the Kingdom’s position calling for respecting all beliefs and religions, Al Arabiya reported.
Gulf states Qatar and Kuwait have summoned their Indian ambassadors.
Doha demanded the Indian government issue a public apology over Sharma’s comments.
After being suspended, Sharma issued an apology and said she unconditionally withdraw her statement, adding that it was never her intention to hurt anyone’s religious feelings.
The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has condemned the remarks made by two former spokespersons of India’s ruling BJP against Prophet Muhammed.
In a tweet, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns the use of derogatory words against the Prophet of Islam by an official of the ruling party in India”, Pajhwok News reported.
“We urge the Indian government not to allow such fanatics to insult the holy religion of Islam and provoke the feelings of Muslims,” he added.
Afghanistan became the latest Muslim country to denounce the remarks made by now-suspended BJP spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal after Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Iran made similar condemnations.
India’s ambassadors to Kuwait and Qatar were summoned on Sunday to receive official notes of protest over the comments.
Doha has also demanded the Indian government issue a public apology.
On Sunday, the BJP suspended Sharma and Jindal for their comments on Prophet Muhammad and said that party’s view is to respect all religions. (IANS)
