Qatar condemns Indian ruling party official's remarks on Prophet, demands public apology

* MoFA summons Indian ambassador, hands him official note on Qatar's total rejection, condemnation of remarks

* Qatar demands public apology from Indian government for remarks of ruling party official: MoFA spokesperson

 

 

 

Qatar has rejected and condemned the controversial remarks of an official in the Indian ruling party against Prophet Muhammad (may blessings and peace be upon him), and called on the Indian government to immediately condemn these remarks and publicly apologise to all Muslims in the world.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Sunday summoned Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal and handed him an official note, expressing the disappointment of Qatar and its total rejection and condemnation of the controversial remarks made by an official in the Indian ruling party against Prophet Muhammad (may blessings and peace be upon him), Islam and Muslims.HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi handed over the note to the ambassador.Another BJP spokesperson, Naveen Jindal, was expelled from the party over comments he made about Islam on social media, the BJP office said.In a statement, the MoFA said Qatar welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India in which it announced the suspension of the party official from carrying out duties in the party due to the remarks that angered all Muslims around the world. The statement indicated that more than 2bn Muslims across the world follow the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (may blessings and peace be upon him), whose message came as a message of peace, understanding and tolerance, and a beacon of light that Muslims all over the world follow.Qatar affirmed that these insulting remakes would lead to incitement of religious hatred, and offend more than 2bn Muslims around the world, and indicate the clear ignorance of the pivotal role that Islam has played in the development of civilisations around the world, including in India.Qatar reaffirmed its full support for the values of tolerance, coexistence and respect for all religions and nationalities, where such as these values distinguish Qatar's global friendships and its relentless work to contribute to the establishment of international peace and security. Meanwhile, Dr Majed Mohamed al-Ansari, Adviser to HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, yesterday said the MoFA summoned Indian ambassador Dr Mittal and handed him an official note, expressing Qatar's total rejection of the statements of an official in the ruling party in India against the Prophet Muhammad (may blessings and peace be upon him).Speaking to Qatar News Agency, al-Ansari said Qatar calls on the Indian government to immediately condemn these remarks and publicly apologise to all Muslims in the world. Also, he stressed the danger of empowering hate speech and Islamophobic discourse in a country that Islam and Muslims have clearly contributed to its civilised development and today they represent a large percentage of its citizens.Dr al-Ansari underlined that whoever made these statements is undoubtedly ignorant of the position of the Prophet Muhammad (may blessings and peace be upon him) among Muslims and their veneration of him, and that attacking him is a deliberate provocation of the feelings of all Muslims.The MoFA spokesperson said State of Qatar welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India in which it announced the suspension of the party official due to the remarks that angered all Muslims around the world, pointing 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 would create a cycle of violence and hate. India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday said it had suspended party spokesperson Nupur Sharma in response to the comments she made about Prophet Muhammad (may blessings and peace be upon him) during a TV debate.The BJP said in a statement on its website that the party respected all religions. "The BJP strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities of any religion."Another BJP spokesperson, Naveen Jindal, was expelled from the party over comments he made about Islam on social media, the BJP office said.BOX: 'Islamophobic discourse has reached dangerous levels in India'HE the Assistant Foreign Minister Lolwah bint Rashid AlKhater yesterday tweeted a statement in response to the offensive remarks made by members of India's ruling party about Prophet Muhammad (may blessings and peace be upon him), saying: "The Islamophobic discourse has reached dangerous levels in a country long known for its diversity & coexistence. Unless officially & systemically confronted, the systemic hate speech targeting Islam in India will be considered a deliberate insult against the 2 billion Muslims."