Indonesia condemns Indian politicians’ statement about Prophet Muhammad

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesia has strongly condemned the statement of two Indian politicians who demeaned Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

“This message has been conveyed to the Indian Ambassador in Jakarta,” the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted on Tuesday.

The Indian government is trying to defuse public anger at home and abroad, following comments by two top officials from the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) about Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

India, seeking to defuse the anger of the Islamic world, said the remarks were made by “fringe elements” and did not reflect the opinion of the government. He also highlighted that the ruling BJP has taken action against their leaders.

Last week, against the backdrop of a series of communal incidents across the country, BJP national spokesman Nupur Sharma made comments during a TV debate that insulted the Prophet (peace be upon him). Naveen Jindal, who heads the Delhi media BJP, posted a tweet about the Prophet (peace be upon him), which he later deleted.

The BJP has suspended Nupur Sharma from the main party membership and expelled Naveen Jindal from the party.

Their comments were criticized by Muslim groups in India and sparked violence in the BJP-controlled northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Forty people were injured in Kanpur when two groups clashed after Friday prayers (June 3).

The outrage over the statement has spread across the Arab world with trending Twitter hashtags calling for boycotts of Indian products in several countries.

Several high-ranking Indian officials were brought in to resolve diplomatic tensions because countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran demanded an apology from the Indian government for allowing insulting comments.

Indian Muslims make up 13 percent of the country’s 1.35 billion population.

Reporting by Indonesia Window