A seasoned diplomat explains what risks India faces with a crisis in its ties with the Muslim world
DUBAI: The Narendra Modi-led Indian government is facing its toughest diplomatic test in nine years to power, as the Islamic world boils down to anger and Muslim countries have spoken out against the ruling BJP party about the prophet. Expressed displeasure over the derogatory remarks made by the officer. Muhammad during a recent TV debate.
At least 16 Islamic-majority countries expressed their objections through tweets, official statements and summons to Indian diplomats, calling on the BJP to suspend the party’s national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and another official for her objectionable remarks in a tweet. Had to be fired for the screenshot.
Earlier, over 40 people were injured in protests against his comments in the north Indian city of Kanpur, when the chief minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh, a Hindu nationalist fanatic, came down heavily on the protesters.
Sharma’s remarks were made during a televised debate on May 27 in court hearing a controversy, when a clip of his displeasure was shared on Twitter by a journalist and fact-checker.
After her dismissal, she wrote that she was withdrawing her remarks “unconditionally” and that “it was never my intention to hurt anyone’s religious sentiments.” But many saw his apology as too little late.
Since then several retired Indian diplomats have spoken out over the incident, warned that the crisis in India’s relations with the Islamic world was serious, and urged introspection by the Modi government rather than resort to cosmetic measures.
Former diplomats say the Modi government should realize that it cannot continue to do what it wants to do at home and still maintain good relations with Islamic or Western countries.
“On several occasions we have witnessed abuse of the Muslim community of India and attempts to erase the Islamic heritage of the country. Other countries have a long tradition that they do not interfere in the domestic affairs of the other country, but when you mistreat the Holy Prophet, it is a no-go area,” says Talmiz Ahmed, a retired Indian diplomat, author and told political commentator Arab News.
“At some point, people abroad will say: Enough. I believe the time has come. You can’t persecute a certain community at home and not even pretend that you have high moral stature abroad. It doesn’t work that way.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement saying that the offensive tweets and comments “do not, in any way, reflect the views of the government. These are views of fringe elements.”
The first task for the governing BJP is to defuse what the Indian opposition sees as a diplomatic crisis of its own making.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry called for “respect for beliefs and religions”, saying it “reaffirms its enduring rejection of prejudice against symbols of the Islamic religion, and denies prejudice to all religious figures and symbols.”
The ministry welcomed the action taken by the BJP to suspend Sharma from his job.
Qatar demanded that India apologize for the “Islamophobic” comments and summoned India’s Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and the Indian ambassador to the Ministry of External Affairs on the second day of an official visit by a business delegation aimed at promoting trade.
Kuwait also summoned the Indian ambassador, while a supermarket in the Gulf state pulled Indian products from its shelves in protest of the comments. The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Iran were other Middle East countries traditionally friendly to India, who made their objections known in different ways.
Egypt’s Al-Azhar Mosque condemned Sharma’s remarks, calling it “a genuine terrorist act that helps push the whole world into devastating crises and bloody wars,” and called on the United Nations to protect minority rights in India. Urged to take action, which has been described as “sharp hatred”. and abusing Islam and Muslims in India.”
Putting the official condemnation into context, Javed Ansari, a senior Indian political reporter and commentator, told Arab News: “The Prophet Muhammad is Islam’s most respected and holiest figure. While spreading the word of Allah, the religion attributes his existence to it.” Is.
“Therefore Muslims around the world including India refuse to tolerate any derogatory remarks about him.
“While they accept the right to free speech in principle, they believe that free speech does not entitle anyone to insult or make derogatory remarks about the Prophet. They believe that their Feelings and beliefs should be respected.”
The danger for the Indian government to allow anger to flourish in the Muslim world cannot be underestimated. Annual trade between India and the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries is worth $87 billion. Saudi Arabia is the second largest exporter of oil to India after Iraq, while Qatar supplies 40 percent of India’s natural gas.
On a macro level, according to Ahmed, economic ties with the GCC countries bring in revenues that cover a third of the Indian government’s annual bills. Stating that India’s relations with the bloc comprising trade, logistics, energy and investment are important, he said the real threat to New Delhi lies not in the boycott of Indian goods but in the restrictions on recruitment of Indian workers.
An estimated 8.5 million Indians work in the GCC block, the largest expatriate community in each member country. Every year they send about $35 billion in remittances that support 40 million family members in India. It is said that every Indian working in the Gulf has at least four or five persons who depend on their earnings abroad.
Noting that relations between the Gulf and India are 5,000 years old, Ahmed said it was unlikely that the diplomatic response would cause long-term damage to the ties that bind India with the Arabian Gulf and other Muslim-majority countries.
“Indians are the number one community in the GCC and the majority community in some countries, and that is because we have adopted accommodation and moderation, and completely rejected any involvement in local politics. This is the strength of the community. ,” said Ahmed.
“I personally think there will be a degree of improvement in the curriculum. There has been some advice and warnings. I believe the road to improvement is good and there is potential for work on both sides for mutual benefit.”
Ahmed, who served as India’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates in the 1990s, said in retrospect: “In the Gulf, we have some of India’s most generous friends. I wish their senior leaders and diplomats would have personally and respectfully counseled some officials in India, that there would be consequences if the country was targeted for continued mistreatment of a certain community. ,
He said: “India’s ruling party should thoroughly review its domestic policies and convince the friends of India (in the Muslim world) that a corrective action is being taken. We need to go back to the scenario of a liberal institution. that is democratic and pluralistic.”
On the upside, Ahmed said, India is fortunate to have “a very well experienced and globally and internally respected figure” in the form of S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs.
“I believe he would advise the powers above that you cannot separate domestic from foreign policy. One imposes on the other,” he said.
Looking to the future, Ahmed said: “Our foreign and domestic policies must be in sync. We must go back to the core principles of this nation, which are pluralism, multiculturalism, moderation and adjustment.”
