Muslims took to the streets in huge protests around Asia after Friday prayers, sparked by remarks about the Prophet Mohammed by an Indian ruling party official that embroiled the country in a diplomatic storm. “We gather here today to protest the insult of our prophet by Indian government officials,” said Amanullah Aman, a protester in the capital Dhaka. Be it India… or anyone else, they should know that defenders of Islam will not remain silent,” said school teacher Irfan Rizvi. A spontaneous shutdown saw businesses close across Srinagar, the region’s major city, with protesters calling for retribution against “disrespect” to the prophet. The row follows anger across the Muslim world in 2020 after French President Emmanuel Macron defended the right of a satirical magazine to publish caricatures of the prophet.

Source: The Guardian June 11, 2022 03:14 UTC