The insult of Prophet Muhammad by the Indian BJP elite is an endless form of Islamophobia
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WASHINGTON – The United States of America (USA) has condemned the statements about Prophet Muhammad made by officials of the BJP, the ruling Hindu nationalist party of India. The statement was deemed objectionable and caused an uproar in Muslim countries.
“We condemn the offensive comments made by two BJP officials and we are pleased that the party publicly condemns those comments,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. The New Arabia, Thursday (16/6/2022).
“We engage regularly with the Indian government at a senior level on human rights issues, including freedom of religion or belief, and we encourage India to promote respect for human rights,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma made a televised statement on May 26 about the Islamic prophet’s youngest wife, which has sparked demonstrations across the Islamic world.
The remarks sparked diplomatic outrage not only in rival Pakistan but also in wealthy Arab countries, which generally have close ties with India.
In Bangladesh, protesters demanded a formal condemnation from India’s close ally, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
In damage control mode, the BJP suspended Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal, another man in the party accused of tweeting about the Prophet Muhammad.
The United States has sought to deepen ties with India since the late 1990s, recognizing that the world’s two largest democracies share common interests, especially in the face of a rising China.
However, the United States has at times voiced caution about human rights in India as Modi has been accused of advancing policies targeting Muslim minorities.
