Supermarket officials said a company-wide boycott was being considered.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUWAIT CITY – Supermarkets in Kuwait have officially removed Indian products from their shelves. Iran is even the latest country in the Middle East to summon the Indian ambassador for insulting the Prophet Muhammad in Indian politician this.
Employees of the Al-Ardiya Co-Operative Society store piled Indian tea and other products on a cart to protest Islamophobic comments. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other countries in the region, as well as the influential Al-Azhar University in Cairo, condemned the remarks by spokesperson for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party.
The party spokesperson was suspended. In supermarkets outside Kuwait City, bags of rice and shelves of spices and chillies were covered with plastic sheeting. Above it was written in Arabic: “We have withdrawn Indian products”.
“We as Kuwaiti Muslims do not accept insulting the Prophet SAW,” Al-Ardiya Cooperative Society CEO Nasser Al-Mutairi said as quoted by Arab NewsTuesday (7/6/2022).
A supermarket official said a company-wide boycott was being considered. Bharatiya Janata party spokesman Nupur Sharma is said to have mocked the Prophet Muhammad, who married Siti Aisyah when she was nine years old. His comments sparked an outcry among Muslims, even spreading overseas to Muslim countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing party has frequently acted against the country’s Muslim minority. As his statement sparked controversy, the party decided to suspend Sharma and asserted that Sharma’s comments were not the views of the party.
On Sunday (5/6/2022), Qatar demanded that India apologize for its Islamophobic remarks when Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu visited the Gulf country to boost trade. Followed by Iran and Kuwait summoning the Indian Ambassador to protest on behalf of the government and the people.
Al-Azhar University, one of the most important Islamic institutions, said the comments were real terrorism and could plunge the whole world into a deadly crisis and war. The Muslim World League, based in Saudi Arabia, said the remarks could incite hatred. The General Presidency for Grand Mosque and Nabawi Mosque Affairs of Saudi Arabia called it a heinous act.
In another criticism of the Indian official, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council coordination group condemned, rejected and denounced the comments. Bahrain also welcomed the decision BJP to suspend Sharma for provoking Muslim sentiments and inciting religious hatred.
The Gulf States are the top destination for Indian overseas workers, accounting for 8.7 million out of a total of 13.5 million worldwide. They are also major importers of products from India and elsewhere. Kuwait imports 95% of its food from India. Kuwaiti media reported that the government had asked New Delhi for an exemption from India’s surprise ban on wheat exports due to food security and inflation concerns.
Read also : Today’s story: Prophet Muhammad SAW died in the embrace of Aisyah
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