New Delhi, June 07, 2022 (PPI-OT):After three West Asian countries summoned Indian envoys in connection with ‘insulting remarks’ made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders about Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), Oman and Indonesia also followed suit and called for all religions and beliefs to be respected.
More countries – the UAE, Jordan and the Maldives – issued statements condemning the remarks made by BJP leaders Nupur J. Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal.
In a statement, the Sultanate of 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” about the Prophet Mohammed, Islam and Muslims made by an official of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Oman also welcomed the BJP’s decision to suspend “those responsible for these offensive statements”.
“His Excellency also reiterated the Sultanate of Oman’s adherence to a culture of tolerance and coexistence, confronting hatred and respecting beliefs and religions,” the statement said.
Later in the day, the Indonesian foreign ministry said it had told the Indian ambassador that the country “strongly condemns unacceptable derogatory remarks” against the Prophet Mohammad. Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Bahrain said it welcomed the BJP’s decision to suspend the spokesperson (Nupur Sharma) and stressed the “need to denounce any reprehensible insults against the Prophet Muhammad” as a provocation to “Muslims’ feelings and incitement to religious hatred”.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs 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,” the statement said.
The UAE also condemned the statements and expressed its “denunciation and rejection of insults of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)”.
The UAE firmly rejects all practices and behaviours that contradict moral and human values and principles, the country’s foreign ministry said and 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.
The Maldives, one of India’s closest partners in South Asia, also condemned the comments by the BJP leaders, saying it is “deeply concerned by the derogatory remarks”. It also welcomed the denouncement of the derogatory remarks by the Indian government and the prompt action taken by the BJP against Sharma and Jindal.
Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates also condemned the offensive remarks made by the BJP leaders, with spokesperson Haitham Abu Alfoul saying the country rejects “violations against Islamic and other religious figures, considering it as an act that feeds extremism and hatred”. He said the BJP’s decision to suspend its spokesperson is a “step in the right direction”.
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