Controversial remarks made by two spokespeople of India’s ruling party about Prophet Muhammad triggered a diplomatic row between India, and Muslim countries including several Arab nations and Iran, bringing a global spotlight on growing concerns about religious polarization, discrimination and violence against India’s minority Muslim population fanned by Hindu nationalist groups.
Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries registered their displeasure about the controversial … [+] remarks made about the Islamic prophet made by a ruling party spokesperson.
Getty Images
Key Facts
While speaking during a televised news debate Nupur Sharma, a spokesperson for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made remarks about the Islamic prophet and his wife Aisha, which caused outrage among Muslims.
The BJP announced on Sunday that it had suspended Sharma as well as expelled Naveen Jindal, the media head of its party’s Delhi unit, and said in a statement that it “strongly denounces” insulting any religions or religious personalities.
India’s government was forced to respond to the controversy after clips of Sharma’s controversial comments were widely shared on social media and triggered a diplomatic response from several Middle Eastern nations.
India’s ambassadors in Qatar, Kuwait and Iran received official complaints from the three Muslim-majority countries on Sunday, while Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry issued a statement early on Monday denouncing Sharma’s comments.
Both suspended BJP leaders have since issued apologies for their remarks but noted they had made their comments in response to remarks made against Hindu gods.
Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of India’s neighbor Pakistan also condemned Sharma and Jindal’s comments on Twitter and added that India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims.”
Key Background
The diplomatic row emerges against the backdrop of growing religious tensions in India under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist party, the BJP. The country’s leadership has been accused of fanning communal violence in the country by engaging in divisive political rhetoric against minority religious groups, especially Muslims, ever since they were elected to power in 2014. A key recent issue has involved some Hindu groups seeking court permission to pray at a centuries-old mosque in the city of Varanasi, which they claim was built on top of a temple demolished by Islamic rulers. A similar controversy in the 1990s led to the demolition of the Babri Mosque in the city of Ayodhya by Hindu groups which then triggered a wave of religious violence in the country. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)—an intergovernmental organization made up of multiple Islamic nations—said the controversy should be viewed within the context of growing “hatred and abuse” against Islam and Muslims in India.
Crucial Quote
In a combative response, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: “[The] Government of India categorically rejects OIC Secretariat’s unwarranted and narrow-minded comments. The Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions. The offensive tweets and comments denigrating a religious personality were made by certain individuals. They do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India.”
Tangent
Earlier this month, India engaged in a diplomatic spat with the U.S. after Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns about the treatment of Muslims in India. Blinken, while speaking at an event where the State Department released its annual report on international religious freedom, said India was witnessing “rising attacks on people and places of worship.” In its response, the Indian foreign ministry accused Washington of engaging in “vote bank politics” —a dismissive phrase often used in Indian politics that refers to currying votes from minority groups. The statement then noted that India had brought up its own concerns about the U.S. “including racially and ethnically motivated attacks, hate crimes and gun violence.”
India’s Religious Tensions Spill Over As Middle Eastern Countries Condemn Comments About Islam
Topline
Controversial remarks made by two spokespeople of India’s ruling party about Prophet Muhammad triggered a diplomatic row between India, and Muslim countries including several Arab nations and Iran, bringing a global spotlight on growing concerns about religious polarization, discrimination and violence against India’s minority Muslim population fanned by Hindu nationalist groups.
Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries registered their displeasure about the controversial … [+] remarks made about the Islamic prophet made by a ruling party spokesperson.
Key Facts
While speaking during a televised news debate Nupur Sharma, a spokesperson for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made remarks about the Islamic prophet and his wife Aisha, which caused outrage among Muslims.
The BJP announced on Sunday that it had suspended Sharma as well as expelled Naveen Jindal, the media head of its party’s Delhi unit, and said in a statement that it “strongly denounces” insulting any religions or religious personalities.
India’s government was forced to respond to the controversy after clips of Sharma’s controversial comments were widely shared on social media and triggered a diplomatic response from several Middle Eastern nations.
India’s ambassadors in Qatar, Kuwait and Iran received official complaints from the three Muslim-majority countries on Sunday, while Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry issued a statement early on Monday denouncing Sharma’s comments.
Both suspended BJP leaders have since issued apologies for their remarks but noted they had made their comments in response to remarks made against Hindu gods.
Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of India’s neighbor Pakistan also condemned Sharma and Jindal’s comments on Twitter and added that India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims.”
Key Background
The diplomatic row emerges against the backdrop of growing religious tensions in India under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist party, the BJP. The country’s leadership has been accused of fanning communal violence in the country by engaging in divisive political rhetoric against minority religious groups, especially Muslims, ever since they were elected to power in 2014. A key recent issue has involved some Hindu groups seeking court permission to pray at a centuries-old mosque in the city of Varanasi, which they claim was built on top of a temple demolished by Islamic rulers. A similar controversy in the 1990s led to the demolition of the Babri Mosque in the city of Ayodhya by Hindu groups which then triggered a wave of religious violence in the country. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)—an intergovernmental organization made up of multiple Islamic nations—said the controversy should be viewed within the context of growing “hatred and abuse” against Islam and Muslims in India.
Crucial Quote
In a combative response, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: “[The] Government of India categorically rejects OIC Secretariat’s unwarranted and narrow-minded comments. The Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions. The offensive tweets and comments denigrating a religious personality were made by certain individuals. They do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India.”
Tangent
Earlier this month, India engaged in a diplomatic spat with the U.S. after Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns about the treatment of Muslims in India. Blinken, while speaking at an event where the State Department released its annual report on international religious freedom, said India was witnessing “rising attacks on people and places of worship.” In its response, the Indian foreign ministry accused Washington of engaging in “vote bank politics” —a dismissive phrase often used in Indian politics that refers to currying votes from minority groups. The statement then noted that India had brought up its own concerns about the U.S. “including racially and ethnically motivated attacks, hate crimes and gun violence.”
Further Reading
As violence and threats grow, India’s Muslims fear the worst (Washington Post)
‘Perpetual Violence’: India’s Dangerous New Pattern of Communal Tensions (New York Times)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/06/06/indias-religious-tensions-spark-diplomatic-row-after-ruling-partys-comments-about-prophet-muhammad–heres-what-to-know/