June 8, 2022
PUTRAJAYA – Malaysia has unreservedly condemned the derogatory remarks by politicians in India against Prophet Muhammad.
The Foreign Ministry in a statement on Tuesday (June 7) said it had summoned India’s High Commissioner to Malaysia to convey the country’s total repudiation over the incident.
“Malaysia welcomes the decision by the ruling party to suspend the party’s officials due to their provocative remarks that has generated rage among Muslims,” the statement read.
It added that Malaysia also called upon India to work together to end Islamophobia and cease any provocative acts in the interest of peace and stability.
Malaysia is among the latest country joining the chorus of condemnation against the two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party officials over their remarks as international outrage grows over the issue.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Indonesia, Jordan, Iraq, the Maldives, Bahrain and Turkiye are among the countries where the Indian politicians’ comments have been condemned. There has also been widespread condemnation within India as well.
Following the outrage, India’s ruling BJP on Sunday suspended its two leaders who made the incendiary remarks on television and social media.
Qatar has asked for an Indian government an apology over the comments.
The Iraqi Parliamentary Endowments and Tribes Committee said in a statement the anti-Islam insults “will have serious repercussions and, if not contained, may lead to dire consequences that will have unimaginable consequences for the peaceful coexistence, as well as increase strife and tensions between peoples”.
Kuwait, Qatar, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were among the first to make formal protests.
Cairo-based top Islamic institution Al Azhar said the derogatory words revealed a flagrant ignorance about Islam and the life and history of the prophets and messengers.
In the wealthy Gulf Arab region, there are public calls for boycotting Indian products.
The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) sees the BJP leader’s remarks as part of a wider pattern of Islamophobia and violence against the Muslim community in India.
In Turkiye, ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson Ömer Çelik described them as an insult to all Muslims. – Bernama