Muslim countries have taken strong exception to derogatory remarks made against Prophet Muhammad by leaders of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with Qatar, Kuwait and Iran summoning India's envoy to register their protest.
Qatar has sought a public apology from India for allowing such "Islamophobic" views without retribution.
Qatar summoned the Indian envoy and handed him an official note that expressed Qatar's disappointment and "its total rejection and condemnation [of] the controversial remarks made by an official in the ruling party in India against Prophet Mohammed ... Islam and Muslims," according to a statement issued by its foreign ministry.
Qatar said "it is expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks from the Government of India."
It noted that allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment constituted a grave danger to the protection of human rights and may lead to further prejudice and marginalisation, which will create a cycle of violence and hate.
Meanwhile, the Kuwait Foreign Ministry said that the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait was on Sunday summoned and handed over an official protest note by the Assistant Secretary of State for Asia Affairs expressing kuwait's "categorical rejection and condemnation" of the statements issued by an official of the ruling party against the Prophet.
Ahead of the Iranian Foreign Minister's first-ever trip to New Delhi next week, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Indian ambassador to Tehran over the "insult against Prophet of Islam in an Indian TV show".
According to Press TV, the director general of the South Asia Department at Iran's Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned the Indian envoy to convey the strong protest of the Iranian government and people over the sacrilegious comments against Prophet Muhammad.
The General
Secretariat of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly
condemned and denounced the recent denigration of Prophet Muhammad by an
official of India's ruling party.
"These cases of defamation are part of a growing spate of hatred and defamation
of Islam in India and systematic practices against Indian Muslims, particularly
in light of a set of decisions to prohibit the use of hijab in educational
institutions in some Indian states, including demolition of Muslims' properties
and growing violence against them.
"The OIC calls on the Indian authorities to decisively address these incidents
of defamation and all forms of insult to the noble Prophet and Islam and to
bring those who incite and perpetrate violence against Muslims to justice and
hold those behind them accountable. It also calls on the Indian authorities to
ensure the safety, security and well-being Muslims in India and protect their
rights as well as religious and cultural identity, dignity and places of
worship.
"The General Secretariat calls on the international community, in particular, the United Nations mechanisms and the Human Rights Council's special measures, to take necessary measures to challenge practices targeting Muslims in India."
President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi condemned in "strongest possible words" the hurtful comments of India's BJP leaders about Prophet Mohammad saying these derogatory and controversial remarks hurt the feelings of all Muslims around the world.
This, he said, was the reflection of growing trend of Islamophobia in India where Muslims lived in millions.
The President said that merely suspending and expelling party officials was not enough but BJP must shun and denounce its extremist and fascist Hindutva ideology.
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