In December 2022, as every year before Christmas and New Year's Day, there was a debate in the Arab media and social media on whether Muslims are permitted to extend holiday greetings to the Christians.[1] This debate emerged especially after religious and political leaders in the Muslim world extended greetings to the Christians, sparking criticism from extremist Muslims.
The backlash India has faced has been unprecedented, with several Gulf countries, a north African nation, and four Asian countries registering forms of protest against Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal's comments.