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17-06-2022
Bureau Report + Agencies
WASHINGTON/ NEW DELHI: The United States (US) condemned the derogatory remarks of BJP’s members against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) which has sparked outrage around the Muslim world and demanded an apology from the Indian government.
The condemnation from the US government came days after India’s ruling party BJP’s spokesperson Nupur Sharma and its media head Naveen Kumar Jindal had passed hateful comments toward Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
Following the incident, Muslim countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Oman, Indonesia, Iraq, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Jordan, Libya, and Bahrain not only had condemned the remarks but also boycotted Indian products.
The Indian police also shot dead two Muslims protesting the BJP spokesperson’s blasphemous remarks and demolished a female Muslim activist’s house illegally.
Late Thursday night, in a press briefing, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price condemned the incident and urged for respect human rights.
“This is something that we’ve condemned. We condemn the offensive comments made by two BJP officials, and we were glad to see that the party publicly condemned those comments,” he added.
Ned Price further stated that the US government regularly raises issues regarding human rights and freedom of religion.
“We regularly engage with the Indian government at senior levels on human rights concerns, including freedom of religion or belief, and we encourage India to promote respect for human rights,” he said.
Ned Price went on to say that the secretary said we believe in the same values: human dignity, human respect, equality of opportunity, and the freedom of religion or belief. “These are fundamental tenets, these are fundamental values within any democracy, and we speak up for them around the world,” he said.
‘Pakistan is a partner of ours’
While calling Pakistan a ‘partner’ to the US, spokesperson Price vowed to strengthen ties between the two countries.
“Pakistan is a partner of ours, and we will look to ways to advance that partnership in a manner that serves our interest and our mutual interests as well,” he said.
Speaking about the meeting of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, he said the US government had a couple of meetings with representatives of the new Pakistani government.
“(The) meeting was a very good, constructive discussion regarding the full range of issues, including the issue of food security,” he added.
‘India’s relationship with Russia developed over decades’
On a question if the US government is still talking with India about buying oil from Russia, Ned Price said: “India’s relationship with Russia is one that developed over decades, and it developed over decades at a time when the United States wasn’t prepared or able to be a partner of choice for the Indian government”, “but throughout it all, we have made clear to our Indian partners that we are there for them, we are ready and able and willing to partner with them, and we’ve done just that,” he concluded.
Earlier, prominent young Muslim activist, Afreen Fatima’s house was bulldozed by authorities in Uttar Pradesh, India, Al Jazeera reported.
The 20-year-old claimed that the move was an “act of vendetta” by the government in response to the protests against BJP officials that she had actively been a part of.
Within a few hours, the house was torn down and the belongings of the family, such as furniture and books, were thrown outside.
Reportedly, among those belongings, was a poster that said: “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.”
The demolition came after riots and protests emerged in India following blasphemous remarks by BJP officials. The protests became global, resulting in nearly 20 nations uniting against India.
Massive protests have once again started in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, thousands of protesters took major roads, roundabouts and streets just after Friday prayers, protesters were demanded immediate action against offenders those passed remarks against Islam and Prophet (PBUH).
Around 10,000 Muslims demonstrated in the Bangladeshi capital on Thursday in the second protest in a week over blasphemous remarks about the Holy Prophet (PBUH) by an Indian official that sparked anger across the Islamic world.
Authorities in India have meanwhile ordered heightened security in several regions for coming Friday prayers after two people were shot dead in protests there last week, local media reported.
Last Friday Muslims took to the streets in huge numbers across Asia following the blasphemous comments by a spokeswoman for India’s ruling party on May 26. The governments of nearly 20 countries summoned Indian envoys for an explanation of Nupur Sharma’s remarks.
Shouting slogans such as “Muslims of the world unite”, the Bangladeshi protesters on Thursday rallied in front of Dhaka’s biggest mosque and tried to march to the Indian embassy before being blocked by police.
“There were around 10,000 marchers. They were peaceful,” senior police official Enamul Haq told media. The protest was organized by the Islami Andolan Bangladesh, one of the largest Islamist political parties in Bangladesh, which is home to the world’s fourth-largest Muslim population.
Around 150,000 people demonstrated last Friday in major Bangladeshi cities including 20,000 in the capital Dhaka and thousands more in towns and at universities. Speakers at the Dhaka rally on Thursday called for a boycott of Indian products and demanded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally lodge a protest with India.
