India is facing a growing diplomatic crisis with Muslim countries. Retransmitted on television and then on the Internet, the remarks of the BJP spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, on Aisha, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad, provoked worldwide outrage. After the Middle East and Pakistan, it is the turn of Indonesia, Oman and the Maldives to demand an apology from the power in place.
With our correspondent in New Delhi, Como Bastin
Nupur Sharma is used to debates and provocations against Muslims in India. His suspension this Sunday from Hindu nationalist party BJP as well as that of Naveen Jindal for another tweet mockingly, on the grounds that these are isolated members who express ” views contrary to the party’s position », is therefore only half-convincing.
This Monday, new countries joined the international protest concert. Indonesia, an ally of India, but also the largest Muslim country in the world has summoned the country’s Indian ambassador. India’s ambassador to Indonesia, Manoj Kumar Bharti, was therefore summoned and handed a government complaint for anti-Muslim rhetoric, theAFP the spokesman for Indonesian diplomacy, Teuku Faizasyah. And the ministry issued a statement on Twitter on Monday in which it “ strongly condemns unacceptable insulting comments “made by” two Indian politicians about the Prophet Muhammad.
Comments also condemned by the Sultanate of Oman and Malaysia
India’s key partners, the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives archipelago on Monday stressed the need to respect believers. Oman, for its part, summoned the Indian ambassador. Malaysia, it, unreservedly condemns derogatory remarks of Indian politicians. Her Foreign Office said on Tuesday evening, adding that she had expressed her ” total condemnation to the Indian Ambassador. ” Malaysia calls on India to work together to end Islamophobia and stop all acts of provocation for the sake of peace and stability “, added the ministry in its press release.
All these countries, however, said they appreciated the sanction taken by the government against Nupur Sharma Naveen Jindal. ” The world is finally reacting to India’s descent into hatred “, judge the famous Indian opposition journalist Rana Ayyub in the washington post.
A crisis that can tarnish India’s image
But this crisis is also causing a stir within the BJP. Many of his followers believe that Nupur Sharma served as a fuse, because the Hindu gods are, according to them, often mocked as well.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs blames the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Pakistan, accused of having promoted the case to better tarnish the image of India.
►To read: Aminah Mohammad-Arif (1/2): “We are witnessing a trivialization of anti-Muslim violence in India”
(and with AFP)