Saudi Arabia latest of Arab nations to condemn remarks against Prophet

Saudi Arabia has joined Gulf neighbours Qatar, Kuwait and Iran in condemning BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her comments against Prophet Muhammad and welcoming the party’s decision to suspend her.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the spokeswoman of the Indian Bharatiya Janata Party, insulting the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him,” the Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia said in a statement.

Asserting that it rejects any violation of Islamic symbols and infringement of the symbols and important figures of all religions, the ministry, led by Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud welcomed the BJP’s decision to suspend Sharma.

Also read: ‘Unconditionally withdraw my statement’: BJP’s Nupur Sharma after suspension

Preachers, clerics and scholars of the General Presidency of Haramain, the general presidency for the affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque have also condemned Sharma’s statement.

On Sunday, the governments of Qatar, Kuwait and Iran summoned their respective Indian envoys to express the discontentment with Sharma’s statement which sparked an outrage in Islamic countries with people calling for a boycott of Indian goods in the region.

The countries had sought a public apology for the statement made by the BJP spokesperson.

The development comes amid vice president M Venkaiah Naidu’s visit to Qatar to bolster trade ties.

After facing heavy backlash, leading to her suspension, Sharma on Sunday said she was unconditionally withdrawing her statement.

“If my words have caused discomfort or hurt religious feelings of anyone whatsoever, I hereby unconditionally withdraw my statement. It was never my intention to hurt anyone’s religious feeling,” she said in a tweet.

She also urged the media not to make her comment public as her family was receiving threats.