Remarks over Prophet Muhammad result in diplomatic row between India and Gulf countries
Acomment on Prophet Muhammad by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson on live television has resulted in a diplomatic row between India and Gulf nations. The Gulf nations accused Nupur Sharma of making derogatory comments about prophet Muhammad during a television debate. Sharma was suspended by the BJP following the uproar and Delhi media head for the BJP – Naveen Kumar Jindal – was also expelled by the party for his comments on social media. The comments were criticised by the governments of Qatar, Kuwait, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Afghanistan and Pakistan as they called the comments ‘insulting’ and asked for an explanation from India.
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Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif took to Twitter to express his views and said that comments like these shows how “India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms and persecuting Muslims”.
Kuwait’s foreign ministry has called the Indian ambassador, Sibi George, to ask for an explanation and they also expressed “categorical rejection and condemnation of the insulting statements”, according to a report on The Guardian.
A similar tone was taken by Qatar as they said that the Indian government is creating “a cycle of violence and hate” and asked for an apology for the comments made by Nupur Sharma. Lolwah al-Khater, Qatar’s assistant foreign minister also said that islamophobia is rising in India, AFP reported.
Oman’s grand mufti, Ahmad bin Hamad al-Khalili, also condemned the comments and said criticised “the insolent and obscene rudeness of the official spokesman for the ruling extremist party in India against the messenger of Islam”. The Indian ambassador will be meeting with him very soon, The Guardian further reported.
The BJP was quick to distance themselves from the controversy and said that the comments about Prophet Mohammad “do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the government of India”.
