Pakistanis rally to denounce India over remarks about Islam
Thousands of Islamists have rallied in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, urging Muslim countries to cut diplomatic ties with New Delhi over remarks by two officials from India's ruling party that were derogatory to the Prophet Muhammad
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of Islamists rallied Thursday and briefly scuffled with police in Pakistan's capital, urging Muslim countries to cut diplomatic ties with New Delhi over remarks by two officials from India’s ruling party that were derogatory to the Prophet Muhammad.
The scuffles between demonstrators from the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan party and police erupted when the protesters tried to march toward the Indian Embassy in Islamabad but were stopped by police. No one was reported hurt in the melee.
Anger has been growing in Pakistan and other Muslim-majority nations since last week, when two spokespeople for India’s Bharatiya Janata Party made comments seen as insulting Islam’s prophet and his wife Aisha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party has suspended one official and expelled the other while saying it denounces insults of religious figures.
In Pakistan, Sirajul Haq, the leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, denounced India at the rally on Thursday and asked Islamic countries to boycott Indian products and recall their envoys to show New Delhi that Muslims will never tolerate insults to Islam and its prophet.
Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations. Since they gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947, the nuclear-armed nations have fought two of their three wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, split between them but claimed by both in its entirety.