Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chairperson of the Commission I of Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR RI) Meutya Hafid has called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to closely monitor a case of defamation of Islam in India.
"I ask the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to closely monitor and resolve a case of insulting remarks about Islam, both bilaterally and multilaterally," the legislator said in a statement here on Sunday.

She lauded the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' move to condemn derogatory remarks on Prophet Muhammad by two BJP politicians - Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal.

She said the criticism was conveyed during a bilateral meeting between the Indonesian and Indian Foreign Ministers held on the sidelines of the Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers Meeting (SAIFMM) in New Delhi recently.

The Golkar Party politician viewed that the insulting remarks of the two BJP politicians reflected the lack of sensitivity toward the Indonesia-India bilateral relations which have been going well so far.

Meutya Hafid said Indonesia-India bilateral ties and cooperation were built with a common view of respect for human rights, including mutual respect among religious adherents.

"I am of the view that respect for religions and beliefs is a basis that must be firmly held in bilateral relations and international relations. This basis must be a parameter for the future of Indonesia-India relations and cooperation," the member of parliament said.

The former journalist said that the defamation allegedly carried out by the two BJP politicians has harmed the international relations, especially India with Islamic countries or Muslim majority countries.

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Translator: Fauzi, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
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